Letters: 'Peeved but concert was great' – readers on Michael Bublé in New Milton
SIR – Many negative comments were made prior to Michael Bublé’s performance (A&T, 22nd July) – mainly by disgruntled customers who had in mind when purchasing their tickets many moons ago, a rather more picturesque setting. Shall we say more Glyndebourne than Glastonbury!
I, too, was one of these unhappy customers. Having paid well over the odds (my fault clicking onto a market-place site rather than a bonafide ticket agent) I reluctantly packed away my comfy chair, picnic hamper and smoked salmon and resentfully retrieved from the shed a picnic blanket, bottles of water from the fridge and a tape measure to ensure my offending handbag wasn’t larger than A3 in size!
With trepidation and a rather peeved attitude, accompanied by family and friends, we made our way towards Fawcett's Field – is that part of the Chewton Glen? No one seemed to know.
As it transpired, even Mr Bublé wasn’t sure whether he was in Highcliffe, New Milton or the New Forest so we were clearly in good company.
The atmosphere was, however, one of pure excitement and thankfully it was contagious. In grounds, somewhere between Fawcett's and the Chewton Glen, we laid down our picnic blankets and purchased a drink from the bar… unexpectedly, each wearing a smile from ear to ear.
Belting out classics such as It’s a Beautiful Day and Haven’t Met You Yet along with performing with a voice soft as velvet Sway and Home, Bublé didn’t disappoint. He was so entertaining; making us laugh, making us cry and making us want to dance. What a true Gent. His show was electric.
Yes, there was a lot of traffic. Yes, it is debatable whether the show should have been promoted as being "an evening with Michael Bublé at the Chewton Glen". Yes, it wasn’t the environment that some of us may have expected.
But it was, to me, so much more. After the few years of social restriction and limited interaction that we have all had to endure; 15,000 people openly having such fun together quite simply warmed the cockles of my heart.
How amazing and how lucky are we that Bublé, a truly world class performer, wished to play at our little humble town of New Milton. Was it worth the money? Absolutely.
To me and I hope for many more, the evening was priceless.
Karen Lindsey,
Barton
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SIR – I had wanted to book the Michael Bublé concert a year ago but not sure I would still be here. Thank goodness I didn’t, as it sounds like a near-hell situation (A&T, 22nd July).
Originally it said 140 tickets and nowhere did it state, that I saw, it would be outside in grounds. It turns out it was thousands and in just a rough field.
Now I see that ticket holders were expected to just sit on grass and not allowed even to take chairs!
As an older person, that would not suit – the whole thing seems appalling. Wonder how much of a rake-off went to Chewton Glen?
And on top of it all, it took hours to get out again. Some visitors could have been made ill by it all – totally disgusting, while Chewton are likely laughing all way to the bank.
I will never ever even look at what’s going on there after the way they treated customers paying £100-plus.
Little wonder local residents were all having to complain about parked cars blocking their residential roads. They need to make a big apology.
C. Harris,
Lymington
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SIR – I attended the Micheal Bublé concert at the Chewton Glen last week. What a fabulous evening! Michael Bublé and his orchestra were brilliant, they put on a perfect performance.
The atmosphere at the concert was happy and friendly, helped no doubt by the wonderful weather.
A lot of negative comments have been made regarding the organisers (A&T, 22nd July). One thing they did provide plenty of was rubbish and recycling bins.
So it was shocking to see the amount of rubbish left at the of the concert, strewn about the field.
This was an event where the average age was probably 40 – old enough to know better!
Linda McGivern,
Burley
