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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1978-07-05, Page 26Congratulations to the BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL from WALTON VARIETY We carry a complete line of Groceries Crofts-Novelties & Gifts Open Daily 9:00 a m - 8:00 p.m. Phone 887-6464 Sunday Noon till 6:00 p.nt. Congralutions to the BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL Come and Dine at WALTON INN located six miles east of Blyth on County Rd. 25 THE FINEST COUNTRY DINING from SEAFORTH JEWELLERS across from Post Office In Seaforth Jewellery English Fine Bone China ti J 14 WALTON INN would like to extend warm wishes to the BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL • Open Daily 8:00 am-7:00 pm Sunday 10:30-7:00 pm Closed Monday phone 887-9293 14 —THE BLYTH SUMMER FESTIVAL SSUE JULY 5, 1978 Summer Festival Brings dollars, people to Blyth By Debbie Ramsey Last year, 12,46,7i people at- tended the, nine week Blyth Summer Festival, .which, " means that at least some of these people spent money in the town - shopping for souvenirs, eating at local restaurants and providing the village with extra revenue. After talking to local shop- keepers, there's little doubt the theatre is of financial benefit to the community. Kay Hesselw000 of the Triple K Restaurant in Blyth said they do get business from the theattce. "We usually have actors till, they get settled in their own residenees for the summer and they've been pretty faithful customers since they've been to Blyth." "ft doeS help the community. think we would get more (business) if we (Blyth) had aceomodations for the tourists. Quite often people out of town come for supper and stay kw the show," Mrs. Hesselwood said. Valerie Dale of the Village Restaurant. said there is quite a. bit of difference in the amount of business they do in t he till MORT compared to the winter. She said what happens is that people, coming into town for a show spend time in Blyth before going to the theatre and there's a lot more people that come into the restaurant for • supper, 'The theatre. people them- selves spend money in town. It helps keep the community alive," Valerie added. $3,800 spent on food Theatre administrators James and Ann Roy estimated than last year actors, administe,tors and other people involved with the theatre spent about $3,800 for food in the local restaurants. Bob MeClinchey, of the Grand- view Restaurant, said they do more business in the summertime too. especially in the evenings when there ar e theatre per- lot-maces. They stay open as late as 10:30 or II at night depending on the traffic. Mr. McClinchey said they do quite a lot of tourist business there and evenings are quite a bit better especially when there are plays on. Mr. MeClinchey thinks the theatre does benefit the com- munity. "Everything you have in the community always adds to it. 11 goes without speaking that it should benefit the commonity. It definitely helps everybody around lwoUld say. The people are going to spend sante money: There's no-• doubt that iChelps everybOdy in business," he said. ' Lit MaeLachlan and Jean Stor- rar keep the Kitchen Cupboard open at night till curtain time during the theatre season for two reasons. For otie thing, it's a fairly new' store and it's a good way for people to find them and also, if people sec something they like they Might come back again at sortie Other tittle, Last year ; the two women sold hard fudges and bags of munchies (raisins and nuts) be= fore the show and they're plan-, ning to do the tattle this year. Mrs. MaeLachlati said, of the theatre, just one more thing that brings people to the village, I honestly think it's to our mutual Mort t age, "We think it make the village more interesting," she said, Mrs. MacLaChlan also pointed out that the actors and actresses themselves did a lot of buying in the stores and that they were potential customers for grocery stores and other places. "They bring people in them- selves without the actual plays, I do believe it makes a difference," she said. Local . crafts .lames and Anne Roy pointed out that the actors also did a lot of buying in the local craft shops, Althtiugh Allan and Stanne Thompson of Looms 'n" don't get that ntati. theatre tourists in their shop they do have, quite a few of the actors come in. 'the tourist problem is probably due to their location around the corner and tip the street from Bainten's Old Mill. This year, however. cards advertising their business have been sent out in the mail to theatre subscribers and they are also planning to set up a display of their work in the basement of the Blyth Memorial Hall if craft displays are held there this year. When the theatre season starts, Allan and Steemne plan to keeping their shop open till 8 o'clock, they think the theatre is a good place to adverlize because they said the type of people who go to the theatre are the type of people who buy .crafts. Candid views Michael Ward of The Pottery has sonic very can did v i ews on the theatre's financial benefit to the village. "I don't mind admitting I gain financial benefit from the theatre being there and in se doing I support it as much as I eau," he said. He said the benefits of the theatre Were far-reaching both culturally and financially. Even ‘Nith the in fills Of actors they're going to have to eat and spend money here, he said. "Anything that increases the flow of money, that's what's beneficial," Mr Ward said. Last year, one night in duly. Mr. ward had a whole crowd of people conic in at II o'clock after a show was over. It isn't that he usually stays open. that late, He was just sitting there working on something and the people saw the lights on, so they went in to the shop. Currently; Mr. Word is open till six every night of the week but when the theatre season opens. he will stay open till curtain time. "You've got to be sufficiently enterprising in anything to get people to conte," Mr. Ward said. Thelma Wilson of Wilson's Variety store also feels that the. theatre brings business to town: "The actors bring business and the people coming in bring business," she said. Last year three or .four busloads write into Blyth. one afternoon and the people all stopped in at 'Wilson's and bought some items. Wilson's only stays, open nights on Friday because the night performances don't bring in customers like the daytime ones Norm Gowing said there's no doubt "drat he sells extra gas at his gas station in the summer when the theatre is on, "If you have these differen t people in, there's no doubt that it helps business," Mr. Gowing said. Last year, Mr. Gowing had a deal wills Griffith's gas station across the road where Gowing would stay open nights one. week and Griffiths would do the same li ar the next week. This. year Mr. Gowing is again Omiting to stay. open after supper. - Anne and James Roy estimated that last Year theatre people just using their' ears for purposes related directly to the theatre spent about $500 for gas and oil and then For their private use they probably spent out $500 for gas and oil and about $1,000 in car repairs, Gwilym Griffiths isn't planning on staving open at nights this year, but not because of the theatre. "When the oil companies start pitying • More-, than I'll start star ing open," he said. They're nice Although Harvey Snell of Smell's Grocery says the 'amount of money the theatre peciple spend in his store is _ probably small in* dollars and cents corn- pared to his everyday run of business, lie thinks it's nice havi ng t h e I h eat re peop l e aroun d . "What I'd like to see is more of a hospitality type of thing for the ones that do come to the theatre. It would seem to me that could be extended to offer greater service to the people that come to the theatre," he said. Ken Hamm of Hamm's Garage in Blyth said that although they don't get that much business from the theatre crowd, "I think it's good thing for the town mysel 13esides the money. the actors and people corning to the theatre spend in the village, there is a lot of money spent at local businesses because of office supplies needed for the theatre. lUmber needed for sets and local advertis i ng , Appreciate business Janis Vodden of Vodden's Grocery thinks the theatre is "super", Don. Serimgeour of the Blyth Meat Market feels that his business benefits from the theatre. • . would say as far as the plays go, I gain from the actors. We sure appreciate the business we do get from the actors themselves", Mr. Scrimgeoor said, • • And it's safe to say thokt a good number of the nearly 300 people who attended the theatre six nightsBiyth . a week spent money in Of' the $3,022 budget for sets last year, about $2,000 of that was spent in Blyth. Of' $446 spent for ()like supplies about $300 was spent locally. Alum $7,066 was spent On printing and postage here and $1,685 was paid.in rent for t he use of the Blyth Memorial. Hall. The acu.ns and other people in the theatre spent about $5,000 themselves on rent and board in. Blyth and will be spending about that much again this summer.. They spent about $200 advertising in The Blyth Standard. About $300 was spent locally on the concessions -- lemonade, paper cups, etc. The Blyth Centre for the Arts also pays $25 a month for' office facilities above the library. 26 members ' In the 111 MCI' Festival Com- pany this year,, there will be a t least 26 members. Ten of those are actors, six are - straight technical backstage people, four are apprentices who do. some technical and some acting work. There, are also two other directors, a designer and four administration people. Last year. $44,719 was given. out in salaries and this year, $65,210 \‘'llt be ,given out in 'l'be entire budget for this year is about $92,000 SO ,just over /3 of' the budget is made up of salaries. .)amen-Roy points out that most of the actors spend their money once they get it so that creates more revenue for the village. The theatre is also a source of local employment. One year the Anne and James Roy also pointed out that the people that come to see the plays spend money. .Anne has at least five groups booked already that are going to -have lunch provided for them by Mrs. Webster and the UCW and Anne said that a lot of groups who were here last year are coming back. During performances at the Blyth Summer Festival last year there was an average attendance of between 175 and 200 people for The Blood is Strong and the Blyth Memorial History Show. 293 for A Summer Burning and 294 for The Si-Km-test Distance Between Twb Points. September 26 - 30, 1978