The national event was part of the Cultural Olympiad which is a series of arts events to celebrate the run up to the 2012 Olympics. I believe one of the aims of the Bandstand Marathon is to bring bandstands back into use and Ilkeston is a prime example of where this is needed. The Victoria Park venue has not been usable for a couple of years and is in desperate need of repair and restoration. The local council were reported to be spending some money on it and I heard that some £20,000 had already been spent but it's difficult to see exactly where the money went. An application to the Heritage Lottery Fund was rejected in April this year because the bandstand "did not provide opportunities for learning" but Erewash Borough Council officials were trying to revise the bid to resubmit. So far nothing further is known but no news is good news so they say.
Unfortunately as winter creeps up on us it looks as though the bandstand will have to suffer the vagaries of the weather and suffer further deterioration which will then cost even more to put right. I may be naive in my assumption but surely a programme of preventative maintenance in the first place would have kept the bandstand in good order and made grovelling around for funds now avoidable! Derbyshire County Council’s Market Towns Initiative with funding also from Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership sponsored the Bandstand Marathon concerts and whilst this was welcomed by the participating bands, I question whether this was the best use of the money available. That money has now gone but investment in the structure and fabric of bandstands would have made sure that future concerts could take place in their right and proper place.
Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best. - Michael Johnson
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