Framlingham Council Apologizes For Disaster Light Indication.

The Framlingham Sound & Light Spectacular, held on Friday November 4 at Framlingham Castle, left some attendees unhappy and demanding refunds. Although referred to as a “magical masterpiece” in one report, many took to Facebook after the event to claim that it was not family-friendly, poorly organized and did not work as advertised. Former Framlingham councilor Penny Wraight, 67, attended committee meetings where the light show was initially discussed as an alternative, environmentally friendly option. “It was just a disaster,” Ms Wright said. “Most left before it was even finished. The art from the local high schools was nice, but none of the residents were consulted at all.” Ms Wraight asked the council to “apologise” claiming many people either had or would be seeking refunds. Framlingham resident Jenny Hogg was left “disappointed” by the incident. Miss Hogg said many attendees were left asking “is that it?” and added: “The music was too loud and it was too dark. “It just wasn’t family-friendly to begin with and my one-and-a-half-year-old wasn’t happy.” “It was really awful.” Miss Hogg’s sentiments were echoed by many disgruntled residents on Facebook, who added that they too would be seeking a refund, saying they believed the light show had not been carried out as advertised. Councilors met yesterday evening to discuss the event. After the meeting, council chiefs said: “Following the Sound & Light event on Friday, November 4, a press release was issued on Saturday saying that Framlingham Borough Council would be assessing the event and we want to add to that it is clear that for some attendees, the event was not what they had hoped for. “We apologize for any disappointment. “This year, the Council wanted to try something different. We wanted a more environmentally friendly event that would be less disturbing to pets and other animals and avoid pollution. “We wanted more community involvement and participation and to use the atmospheric location of the Castle. A light show allowed for direct involvement of young people, including children from local schools who contributed their artwork to the exhibition. “The show was deliberately a performance art rather than a traditional firework display. However, while we believe there is a place for this type of artistic event, it is not what some expected of Bonfire Night. “Clearly for some we got it wrong. “We will listen to feedback when considering next year’s event and again invite help with planning and organisation.”