This newspaper is greatly saddened to report that the company behind the Worcester boat festival is about to go into liquidation.

It would appear that nothing went right from the start. Only a fraction of the anticipated visitors attended and many of those who did complained about the admission charges.

The stallholders weren't happy either. Some even left before the event had ended.

It is therefore no exaggeration to describe this non-event as a complete washout.

But wait a minute. Worcester is a beautiful city on the banks of England's longest river. This is the county of Elgar and Housman... have we really so little to offer?

The answer is obviously no. When the inquest into this disaster is held, we will be expecting some tough questions to be answered.

For example, if loss-makers such as the Huntingdon Hall and Swan Theatre could have their fortunes reversed, why was it not possible for a riverside city such as ours to make a fair fist of a boat festival?

Perhaps the marketing fell short of what was required. Maybe choosing the school holidays when many people would be away was a fatal error.

Or it could be that the festival didn't have a focal point and therefore degenerated into little more than a glorified market. And it rained, of course.

However, we believe passionately in the idea of a boat festival. The idea may be holed, but we surely have not sunk just yet.