“I feel organisations have been passed from pillar to post. We have agreed to give them £10k every year for four years, so to retract that now is deplorable,” said Councillor Josh Brandwood, Vice chairman of the Festival and Events Committee. In response, local Councillor Janice Hanson said: “We have to be realistic because we are spending taxpayers money. It’s not right for us to set budgets for four years.”

It’s great that ASDO have managed to secure some kind of funding. Is it enough and could it place the event in jeopardy in the coming years? The organisers released a statement on the ASDO website and in it they said: “We are very happy, that Morecambe Town Council saw fit to award us sufficient financial resources to make our festival one of the largest in Morecambe and the 2nd biggest Steampunk Festival in the UK.The money will go to providing increased high quality infrastructure for a major expansion of what is becoming a popular local and national event. We were disappointed, however, that although following all guidance and format for our application the Town Council didn’t accept our plans for a partnership, at no risk to them, which would have been beneficial to the whole town.

That said, the funding is more than welcome in our fourth year as we prepare to take the next step in making A Splendid Day Out a ‘go to’ event in the Steampunk community nationally, and with the local population of the town.”

Visit the A Splendid Day Out event page here: A Splendid Day Out Facebook Event Page