The commons of Plumstead play host to a number of excellent community events every year like The Plumstead Make Merry and Plumstead Live!.
The Make Merry has been running since 1975 and desperately needs your help to carry on into its 40th year since Greenwich Council cut support for the event in 2011. You’d think a local authority sitting on £1.2bn of reserves would be able to find a few thousand in the kitty to help a worthwhile community event, but apparently not.
Plumstead Live! has been running since 2009 under the banner of ParksFest but is primarily organised and run by the volunteers of the Plumstead Common Environment Group.
Both events are usually very well attended and they’re great occasions for the community to come together in our rather splendid green, open spaces. It’s a pity both Plumstead and Winn’s Commons aren’t used for more events like these, so imagine my surprise when I came across this on Twitter.
The Woolwich festival Plumstead commons 3 fields … Saturday the 13th September .. Owned by Bastet promotions ,… http://t.co/a5dXMyIyRs
— Stephanie Slevin (@steffie_halo) July 29, 2014
Great stuff, a new event happening in Plumstead. Hold on a minute – why haven’t I heard anything about this before now? Why is it happening on the same day that Massive Attack and Grace Jones are playing up the road at OnBlackheath?
Doctor Pangloss had just reawakened over at Plumsteadshire so I thought it best to ask over there but nobody was any the wiser and a lively thread soon opened up on Plumstead People. Deciphering the Facebook page of the apparent organiser takes some doing and the story is even stranger than you might initially think.
It appears the Woolwich Festival is due to take place across the three commons in Plumstead (your guess is as good as mine here) on September 13th from midday to midnight. It may or may not be free and wristbands for the evening may or may not be £30. The performers may get paid or they may have to pay to play. It should all be fairly secure as the army will be doing security in exchange for free tickets. It’s also the first part of a planned World Peace Tour.
Apparently Chrissie Cat Mitchell and her company Bastet Promotions have been touring the pubs of Woolwich and Charlton for the last few weeks running talent competitions and signing up bands to play at the festival.
The Great Harry and the White Horse have been mentioned in passing. It’s £5 to perform or £4 to watch these contests if the prices announced for last night’s event at the White Horse are anything to go by but I suspect it does help if you actually tell the landlord you’re going to be doing this in his pub. Needless to say, nothing much happened last night.
Chrissie herself has been spotted doing the rounds of charity shops in Woolwich telling anyone and everyone what she’s planning. Tinie Tempah is planning a triumphant homecoming return to SE18 for the day and there’s been some talk of Amy Winehouse appearing too. That last one should be “interesting” to say the least.
This Woolwich Festival thing. Did I hear Tinie Tempah's name spoke in the same breath? Must be an Asian tribute act called Tiny Tempura.
— Pangloss (@doctorpangloss) August 2, 2014
Bastet Promotions itself only exists as a Facebook page and a half-finished website and there’s no trace of it at Companies House. No licensing application has been made to Greenwich Council and there has been no promotion outside of a few social media posts.
Despite all of this Chrissie has been busy behind the scenes – she travelled to Egypt on Monday and then it was straight back to get on the DLR on Tuesday to meet with her music lawyer. She’s also having a bit of a nightmare with security as the army have been called away on a “secret mission”.
If anybody wants to track Chrissie down and ask her a few questions about the event her office is in The Great Harry.
Is this is a scam or the actions of somebody needing some medical help? You decide.
Personally, I feel a little sorry for the artists that are getting their hopes up.
Although I am pleased to be asked to perform for charity at the Woolwich Festival in September , Nothing has of yet being confirmed . ..
— Stephanie Slevin (@steffie_halo) August 6, 2014
UPDATE: It appears that things are dragging on…
The WOOLWICH FESTIVAL Smaller and even BIGGER things…..Last Night…..Thank You….Everyone Who did turn up…….Patsy of THE WHITE HORSE…is a Diamond…gave me a chance…..2 actually and I DID let her down……No Excuses….I left arrangements to a Young GOOD will be…Gr8 Promoter….but summat must ave happened and DJ didnt turn up…..Never Mind…..we all have family issues V. I AM talking to GREENWICH COUNCIL and FESTIVAL will happen….but mayb 2 weeks delayed….just like me really I was borne 2 Weeks late….cold foggy night in the Back of an Ambulance that crashed into a fishpond…..TRUE ha ha X But atm….lookin a bit of a mess. Gonna take a bath & look yummy again….Thanks Guys n Girlies — feeling fantastic at My Warm Comfy Bed X.
Used a community festival about 2 years ago as launch party of her “company”. Made everyone believe it was pre event for the festival and then was changed last minute to that launch party. Not really surprised!
I find your blog about Chrissie Mitchell extremely offensive and derogatory. I suggest you remove this immediately otherwise you could be in breach of the law by making these comments.
Jacqueline – I’m merely commenting on an event that piqued my interest as a local resident. I did give Chrissie Mitchell the opportunity to respond to the questions raised here, or even promote the event with further details, but she didn’t reply.
Stewart, I have no problem you commenting if it is objective and fair. I have a real problem with ridicule and making comments that are intended to denigrate or destroy someone’s privacy or dignity. Saying “Is this is a scam or the actions of somebody needing some medical help? You decide…” is offensive. I would like you to remove the offensive remarks please as they serve no purpose other than to denigrate a person.
So what if you’re offended? You being offended doesn’t give you any power to tell Stewart what to do.
I think Stewart has written a good article, and Chrissie is clearly not organizing a festival (at least not one of the size that she is claiming). If she wanted privacy, then she should not try to scam the public with a fake festival promoted by a public website and facebook page. If she wanted to preserve dignity, then, again, maybe trying to scam people is not the best choice.
Qwerty – There’s plenty more that has come to light in the couple of weeks since this was published. With this in mind it looks like I was rather restrained in the article.
Jacqueline – Chrissie is more than welcome to put things straight (and even promote the festival if it’s going ahead) at any time. The moderation policy is very hands-off as you’ll see from my letting your comments through.
As things stand at the moment this looks very much like a scam if bands are being asked to pay to play for unspecified charities and tickets are being sold without a venue, firm date or license.
There’s also the small problem that many of the supposed headliners appear to be booked for another continent on the (latest) date for this festival.
Qwerty – if I find the article offensive then I do have “power” to ask Stewart to take it down. There are laws about harassment on the internet and it is not a free-for-all to say what you like about people who may not be able to defend themselves. If you or Stewart think that a “scam” is going on then there are appropriate avenues to address this. Writing a blog about a person and publicly vilifying them is not the correct avenue. We have passed the medieval days of public flogging and burning witches at the stake.
Jacqueline, I’m not “harassing” anybody. This is a matter of public interest for local people who probably didn’t know anything about these plans until this was posted.
Again, I asked Chrissie for a comment and heard nothing back. Again, things have moved on since my original post – matters are in hand with the relevant authorities. I wouldn’t want to compromise any ongoing investigation so I haven’t posted a (sorely needed) follow-up just yet.
If there’s any harassment going on here it isn’t from me.
Sorry but we are a ligitimate Company and no longer interested in this ‘Event’.
Hi All..Interested Parties
..For your information I have had discussions with RB of Greenwich.Police and MOD…It was decided and agreed that it would be more beneficial to all concerned to consider holding Woolwich Festival in 2015…To that end I am preparing my Event Management Plan and application for Music Licence and this will be presented to the Royal Borough of Greenwich for their consideration.
Thank You Chrissie Cat Mitchell. BASTET PROMOTIONS