I first started going to Cambridge Folk Festival the year 10 000 Maniacs played. A couple of festivals down the line, I started covering them for FATEA. That was ten years ago. Also starting that year as part of the Cambridge Media Liason team was Tim Holt.
This year Tim moves on from that role to start in pastures new. I'm sure he'll be back at the Festival in other guises in years to come, but I couldn't let these last ten years go without comment. So if you'll indulge me a little.
It's true to say that without the
help of Tim and his various teams over the years we would not
have been able to bring our readership such great coverage of
the events. In the early days that was for the paper magazines,
now it's true of the website.
A number of the interviews we've secured in the past have been down to Tim and his crew persuading artists to have a chat with us. It's easy to get someone to talk after a hard set if it's going out on the BBC or a national weekend colour supplement. It's a little bit harder to get them to chat with smaller publications, but Tim an co have always done their best.
There are some events that you go to where the media liason teams go through the motions. They are professional enough, but it's just another event to them. Tim lives and breathes the Cambridge Folk Festival.
During the last ten years he's moved from being single to married with kids of his own. He's indoctrinating them already. Since they've been born, there's not a year that his girls haven't been to the Festival.
Not only does Tim
and his team work hard, before, during and after the festival,
they like to ensure that you've had a good time. Not just got
the pictures and interviews you came for but enjoyed yourself
as well. There's something of a Cambridge attitude about the press
and photographers that cover this event, an attitude that has
in a large part been fostered by Tim.
Myself on behalf of the FATEA crew and many of the other photographers and writers would like to take this opportunity to thank Tim for all his hard work over the years and wish him all the best in his new role.
May the sun always shine on your head and the shadows neer darken your days.