Hertford Music Festival 2011

Left to right: Kev Saunders, Arup Ghosh, Jeremy Woodcock (Waitrose Hertford Branch Manager), Harold Chaplin and Ed Brown

With just a couple of weeks to go until the Musical Mystery Tour launch event for this year's Hertford Music Festival on Sunday 3rd July, Music Director Kev Saunders and the enthusiastic new bunch of committee members have been very busy making the festival happen on a shoestring. So the news that their application to the John Lewis Partnership’s Music Matters scheme had been successful was more than welcome.

"We're hugely grateful to the John Lewis Partnership’s Music Matters scheme, Waitrose and in particular to Hertford Branch Manager Jeremy Woodcock for their support. Jeremy was kind enough to think of us earlier in the year and suggest we apply when the scheme came up and although we were determined to go ahead full steam, funding or no funding, this award is something of a Godsend and it certainly makes things a lot easier! We’re still actively looking for sponsors to work with us in the longer term,’ said Music Director Kev Saunders.

"I think I speak for the whole team at Waitrose, Hertford, when I say how pleased I am that Hertford Music Festival has been awarded this support by the John Lewis Partnership," said Hertford Branch Manager Jeremy Woodcock. "It's very gratifying for the local store to be actively involved in sch an exciting community event!"

Equally valuable has been the support of Nick Alderson at Flare Digital, who have printed countless posters, banners and Musical Mystery Tour maps, Steve Beeston of Steve Beeston Photography, who has tirelessly created and constantly updated the festival website. Kev has relied heavily on Steve and Nick - both of whom have gone way beyond the call of a sponsor's duty – and that of a host of enthusiastic new committee members, who've been extremely forthcoming with their ideas, offers to lend equipment and above all lending their valuable time.

The festival kicks off on Sunday 3rd July with the Musical Mystery Tour: more than 200 mostly local performers playing at an unprecedented 30 venues around Hertford from lunchtime to bedtime – and all for free! And it climaxes of Sunday 7th August with the now-legendary Rock at the Castle, organised by Hertford Town Council with Kev Saunders and featuring 10 bands on the main stage plus up to 10 acts on the Insomnia Music Live Acoustic Stage.

Rock At The Castle The town's annual free rock festival is held in the castle grounds

Folly At The Folly Hertford's annual street party takes place in August every year