COMMENT: It's a sensible decision to wait a year (From Oxford Mail)

COMMENT: It's a sensible decision to wait a year

9:00am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Editorial Comment

Let’s be honest, this year was always going to be a tough year. What with the Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee AND a recession, it’s hardly surprising that the organisers of the Cowley Road Carnival have decided to put it on hold.

After all, if Glastonbury has had to be cancelled because of competition over policing and portable toilets – caused singularly by the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ – then it’s really no surprise that events further down the food chain are being affected too.

Plus, it makes sense. Every year the Cowley Road Carnival is tantamount to a miracle, organised by an extraordinary team of volunteers who somehow, against all odds, get the party started.

But now organisers hope an 18-month break will allow them to focus on making next year’s event even bigger and better than ever.

As Karen David, trustee of Cowley Road Works, the charity which organises the carnival, said: “We looked at various options, from scaling it down to having a more community-focussed event, but then we looked at all the factors involved and thought with 18 months we can really pull the community together to create an event that will be really spectacular.”

So while it’s undoubtedly sad that the Cowley Road won’t ‘rock’ this year to the rhythm of neighbourhood partying, all signs point to a memorable 2013.