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Crick Boat Show – May

After two years of frankly rubbish weather, Crick Boat Show was blessed with three days of fantastic sunshine. Turning the event into what we had all imagined when we first entered into partnership with British Waterways.

Given the current economic climate, the show was a positive showcase for all sectors of the waterways industry and we thank all exhibitors and visitors for their support. A good sun tan, very positive feedback – even the man running the bars was seen to crack a wry smile.

For further information visit www.crickboatshow.co.uk

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Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride - June

7000 riders of all ages made this event one of the most successful free non-competitive cycling events in the country. Everyone involved helped make this a fantastic finish to a great week of bike events held to celebrate National Bike Week 2009 and Greater Bristol's Cycling City status. All the riders returned to the Harbourside to join in the celebrations with children's entertainment, music, BMX and mountain bike displays and bicycle ballet.

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The Prom on the Close – July

The Prom on The Close has firmly established itself in the Bristol social calendar and is regarded as one of the leading outdoor classical concerts in the South West.

This year's concert featured soprano Natasha Marsh and tenor Nicky Spence, supported by The Emerald Ensemble and complemented by the Clifton College choir and musicians.

Marsh is one of the UK's most exciting opera singers and is a highly respected soprano within the opera world. Her debut album 'Amour' hit the top of the classic charts within its first week of release.

Clifton College has a worldwide reputation for excellence in music and its thriving music department, under the leadership of Director, James Hills, is continuing to support and encourage some of the most promising performers of the future.

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Danson Festival – July

Set in the beautiful landscape of Danson Park, the festival just keeps getting better and better.

The main stage welcomed back The Allstars featuring Jocelyn Brown, the undisputed guardians of UK Bhangra – Alaap, the mighty drum sounds of The Dhol Foundation, the country soul sounds of Phantom Limb, the electro rock of Medallist, the song writing genius of Mama’s Gun joined by the finalists of the Bexfactor!

Add to that an amazing Arts Village, the fantastic Colourscape structure from Eye Music and classic cars, there is very little that isn’t at Danson.

The Sports Zone broke its own personal best with taster sessions in sub aqua, table tennis, gymnastics, martial arts, mini tennis and football with Charlton Athletic. On the waters of Danson Lake, free sailing and kayaking lessons captured quite a few imaginations.

At the heart of the show is the Dance Stage – a festival favourite for years – with as dazzling array of skill and sheer enthusiasm as you will ever see. The Arena bought a little bit of the country to the Festival with falconry displays, tug of war and even its own dog show.

All that for free – no wonder everyone loves it!

Find out more at www.Dansonfestival.co.uk

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Glasgow River Festival – July

The Clyde is one of the world’s great rivers, Glasgow is a great city and Glaswegians know how to enjoy themselves. Basically all the ingredients you need for a perfect weekend. Lee Stone, the World Champion freestyler did somersaults on a jet ski, the Royal Navy turned quite a few heads and the kids loved the pirate battle. It’s probably one of the only festivals in the world where an aeroplane lands in the middle of the site. It’s a seaplane which flies past the window of our event control on the 14th floor of a riverside hotel.

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Bristol Harbour Festival – July

Early August we were back in Bristol at the Harbour Festival with more good weather. Our office is in the middle of the Festival so we really are at the heart of the event. Having won the tender for Main Stage production, power and marquee supply, we literally covered lot of ground. The harbour packed with boats of all sizes and a couple of tall ships, one of the city’s greatest assets rarely looks so wonderful.

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Ship naming ceremony for the Royal Navy of Oman

Royal Navy of Oman Vessel (RNOV) Al Shamikh, being designed and built by BVT Surface Fleet in Portsmouth was formally named during a Launching Ceremony in Portsmouth Naval Base by His Highness AL Sayyed Haitham bin Tariq Al Said. The event was also attended by UK Minister for Defence Equipment & Support, Quentin Davies, Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al-Raisi, Commander Royal Navy of Oman and senior representatives from the Royal Navy.This Corvette, the first of three 99 metre vessels under Project Khareef has the endurance and ability to operate for long periods in high seas and the capability to embark a helicopter during deployment.
Project Khareef is considered a landmark project for the RNO and this class of vessel will be the most advanced of its type in the world when completed.

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Bristol Half Marathon -September

The race is now an established national event with a growing international reputation. It is seen as one of Bristol’s most prestigious sporting events with the 2009 Bristol Half Marathon marking the 21st occasion on which it has been staged .The race was first held in 1989 when it attracted 1,000 runners, by 2008 this had grown to 16,000 entries.

The 21st Bristol half marathon has been hailed in all quarters as a major success – the race was won by Ezekie Cherop but the icing on the cake was the winning ladies time of 1:12:03 achieved by Bristol based Claire Hallisey who has now claimed her place in the team for the World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham next month.

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Colston Hall Foyer – September

Bristol’s celebrated venue opened the doors on its new £17million extension on 18th September. The opening ceremony was a mixture of old and new and was designed to highlight both the stunning interior and golden exterior of the new building, whilst at the same time hosting shows in the original Colston Hall. REM were chosen to production manage the opening night, the job posed many challenges- namely the facilitation of a free, non fenced event in a limited space with a flow of over 200 performers from the inside of the build to the outside (and a fantastic aerial show) and back to the inside- all the time with 3,000 spectators following the crowd. Andy Shepherd and his 100 saxophones, 100 electric guitars, choirs, aerialists and circus performers were just some of the acts involved.

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On 26th September a celebration was held to mark the completion of the project. With lots of input from local residents and a village fete atmosphere featuring games and activities in the afternoon, leading to an evening of cultural events including music and culminating in a large scale 3d multimedia projection . A great day out was had by all.

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