Last weekend we had the great pleasure of spending a few days on the site of the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.
The occasion was the annual Hawkfest event which travels around the UK each year. We’ve got a number of podcasts coming out on VB over the next week or so, some with band members, others with organisers of the event.
Whilst we were there, we were lucky enough to spend some time with one of the original organisers of the Isle of Wight Festival, Ray Foulk.
Getting the facts straight
Ray talked us through the history of the three events, taking place in Godshill, Wootton and Afton Downs.
It’s a fascinating journey (including the fact that it was originally set up to raise funds for a swimming pool!), but what became apparent during our discussion was that over the years, the facts surrounding the 1970 event have been wildly distorted in books and through film.
It’s well worth grabbing a cup of tea and putting your feet up for 30 minutes to listen to the podcast lots of really interesting stuff in there
Share your view of the 1970 Festival
It may be 40 years since the event, but Ray’s now keen to ensure that the myths are busted. Along with his daughter, Caroline, he’s working on a project to gather views from the many people who attended the festival, whether they were on the inside or outside of the arena.
He’s keen to hear from any VB readers who might be able to share their experiences with him, so leave a comment below or get in touch and we can pass on your details.
Article edit
2.17pm 12th Jan 2024 – Changed podcast player
