Freeloading Showgoers

Published: 9:20 AM August 7, 2009 Updated: 9:39 PM October 10, 2020

WHILST it is great to hear that the air show received 50pc more in donations than last year if the figures of numbers attending are to be believed (425,000 over the two days) then the request for �2 only equates to 59,500 actually donating.

Even if you estimated that people, on average, come in groups of four, it would mean that all was collected was �1 per group.

When you then allow for the fact that many people who do donate, like ourselves, always put in more than the amount requested, then the reality is that there are still an awful lot of people not donating anything.

I find it amazing that people begrudge such a small amount, even in these difficult financial times �2 is not even a pint of beer, or a packet of fags, or even a burger. If this small amount was donated by everyone that came imagine the amount that could then be raised thus guaranteeing the air show for more than a year.

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It frustrates me immensely that there are still clearly so many people who go but will not pay; those of us that go every year and always donate are the people who are ensuring it will continue.

Perhaps the fact that more was raised this year means more people had a conscience about dodging the bucket collectors than previous years - let's hope that next year there will be a few more who've never donated but finally see that the donations are so necessary if we are to continue to have a spectacle that makes Lowestoft a fantastic place to be for two days over the summer.