Statement from the ‘Odyssey’:

After four weeks making good and getting ready to open for a rough but safe, one-off screening at the Odyssey,
this last week was fraught with visits from St Albans DC Health and Safety people (5 to 9th Sept).

We complied with all their demands and requests, including extra emergency lighting, illuminated stair nosings – and
other things we already had in hand.

The Building control dept (one man) came in and described it as a building site. No building has begun. It is rough, but not yet a building site. It is all clearing and cleaning. We were doing everything they asked before they asked, and complied with extras as requested and without fuss.

The old toilets were brought back into commission, scrubbed, painted and lit.

We had 8/10 experienced ushers, well trained in crowd behaviour and (subtle) control, with two first-aiders (which they consistently failed to ask about, or even considered them in the vital mix of the whole event). Moving hundreds of people from A to B, calmly and without fuss is our expertise. We do it every day and evening. It is our job as theirs is theirs. We know what we’re doing. Their job is guessing the worst.

In the end by Friday 9th, with little time to fix all their unnecessary demands, they brought in the fire service, who without care of acknowledging the intensive work already done to make the event “as good as reasonably practicable” (the apparent ‘first law’ of Health & Safety)…

They closed us down with a prohibition order on the building. Heroes they might be, but as pedants they are heroic to the letter.

Not only has nobody has died, or been even slightly injured, but everyone has cherished their chance to explore the old building again (after sixteen years left to rot and threat of demolition) during our three open days over two summers.

I apologise for having to cancel this weekend’s events.