MEDIEVAL weekend organisers launched a counter-attack this week after coming under-siege from residents objecting to their Middle Ages spectacular.
Entrepreneurs Karl Eckert and Fred Ford, have promised to give £20,000 to charity from the event, get local schools involved and have refuted claims they will be putting on any pop concerts on.
The pair have denied that the event will be on neighbours doorsteps, claiming that fields will separate the two, and that they have a real concern for the local area and will be improving the footpath/farm access lane so that walkers can have a better passage.
But all is not well with organiser Karl’s sister, Joanna Hodgson, who runs the nearby White Peak Alpacas on Paddock Hill, Mobberley, as she doesn’t want her farm to be associated with an event which she thinks will be detrimental to the countryside.
Organiser Fred Ford said: "We are doing something that is fun, something that raises money for charities, putting something on that doesn't need the use of loud PAs, to put people in touch with their heritage and to provide a relatively cheap day out for families.
"I must emphasise that this is a family event and we do not have any intentions of putting on pop concerts, indeed I too find that particular idea abhorrent. We do not want a Glastonbury either."
The history lovers are getting semi-professional re-enactors coming from all parts of the country to create a medieval atmosphere of stocks, jousting and bonfires. The organisers claim they will be giving the £20,000 raised to Cancer Research UK, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, East Cheshire Hospice and pet charity PDSA.
Joanna Hodgson, whose 100 alpacas, which can fetch up to £8,000 each, used to be housed on Karl’s land, doesn’t agree with the weekend at all. She said: "We don’t want to be associated with this event. This is the countryside and is for walkers. I think other events will come there because he has applied for a full licence."
Karl responded by saying they have applied for a "catch all" licence which is why there are long hours stated but the pair will be restricted to three events per year and the fields will be farmed in the meantime.
Fred said: "To date we have been pleased with the response, and despite having our flyers with the licence application with our contact details, not one of the people who have objected have had the decency to contact us directly to find out what is going on. A single local resident had raised some concerns with us directly about the use of this access and we are addressing the problem."
If approved the event will be open to the public on July 19-20 at 10am with the battles and arena shows finishing at about 7pm. The licence application is due to go before Macclesfield Borough Council on June 9. The deadline for objection passed yesterday (May 14).
