SIR - I have felt it necessary to reply to your Letter of the Week in last Friday’s Herald, following our character assassination.

It seems odd that is has taken so long for a complaint of this nature to arise, as we have been enjoying this day in the same manner for a number of years.

The only difference now is that we are uniformed. Were we simply 30 members of the general public, as we have been in the past, then there is probably no issue. Stick a yellow shirt on and you become an easy target.

There was one incident which may have over-stepped the mark for which the person involved was instantly apologetic and the matter was dealt with. Otherwise we were generally respectful and supportive of all acts.

Your letter writer makes sweeping statements that we have ‘no interest’ in the music. The Open Mic session plays as big a part in our day as anyone else’s, and we love nothing better than a sing- song and to be entertained by the diverse range of talent on display.

One of the issues on the day was that a couple of the quieter acts were, unfortunately, unable to project their voices to the audience. I suppose, Sir, that this is our fault as well?

I happened to be in the audience again on Friday afternoon and stood at the back, you could not hear a lot of the more softly spoken performers, because of general chatter from further ‘disinterested’ members of the public. Was anything said on Friday...??. No, it was not.

Stick a yellow shirt on a few of them, a ‘silly hat’, and dare to have some fun and no doubt eyebrows would have been raised.

I, for one, am fed up with the youth being constantly criticised and, in particular, in many letters that get printed.

As members of the local sports clubs, we realise that we are the face of the town and the responsibility that comes attached. For these reasons we are, if anything, even more conscious of how we are perceived. On the day, we were in constant discussions with Dukes management and even some of the performers in order to ensure that we did not go too far.

I can only hope that last week’s letter represents the minority and we look forward to seeing its author there next year.

Nicholas Philip Gingell

via email