Good Times supremo Norman Jay MBE has called on revellers attending this weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival (NHC) to only buy food and drink from official Good Times bars and stalls, revealing that he’s nowadays having to spend thousands of pounds of his own money to continue performing at the event.
“EVERY POUND you consciously spend with Good Times over this coming weekend, be it on our after-party tickets, our merchandise, our licenced bars or food from our much loved Soul Kitchen, means you are DIRECTLY contributing financially to our continued survival at NHC,” Norman declared in a mission statement posted on his website. (his capitals).
“EVERY POUND you spend with Good Times over the coming weekend is ploughed straight BACK to help offset the enormous personal cost (to us) of staging of this unique event,” he continued.
“We make absolutely NO MONEY from playing NHC at all (and haven't done for several years). In fact over the last few years, it is OURSELVES who have financially underwritten Good Times at carnival to the tune of several thousand pounds to ensure we are there for YOU come August bank holiday weekend, as increasingly, trying to attract media partners (sponsors) to an event like NHC is proving more and more difficult each year for various reasons (which I'm not at liberty to discuss here).”
“Missing carnival is NOT an option for us. This is a financial situation that is totally unsustainable for us as any right-minded person would agree.
That is why THIS year in particular, Good Times implores you NOT to buy food or drinks from ANY unlicenced 'wheely bin' street hawkers or other unregulated 'chancers' operating illegally in and around our SOUTHERN ROW site, for they do NOT contribute a single penny towards NHC or pay hefty licenced bar/stall/food fees or liability insurance (as we HAVE to) for the right to trade or sell anything around our Good Times bus,” he added.
The hugely popular DJ personally attracts thousands of revellers to the street event each year, though chatting to UK news portal Don’t Panic this week, revealed that he spends as least £10,000 each year ‘before we’ve even put a record on.’
“Every sound system has to pay for their spot. It’s not just the clean-up, we have to pay to be at carnival,” he revealed.
He also suggested the huge upfront fees required by licensing authorities nowadays are being set deliberately high to deter new sound systems from becoming involved and to and keep young people away altogether.
“Ultimately that’s what they want, because they want to kill carnival off. We know that, that’s a fact,” said Norman, “They can’t stop it legally so they try and stop it through price. Make it too expensive to partake.” (Don’t Panic: http://tinyurl.com/354ygjm )
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