A Sad Goodbye
16th Jan 2018
Here's an email I just sent to all my Cliffhanger contacts. Thought I would share on here for those who are interested.
It is with regret that I am emailing you to inform you that Heason Events won’t be working on Cliffhanger this year. The event will happen, once again in the City Centre on the weekend of Jul 6-8. The event was dreamed up by ex Sheffield City Council Parks & Countryside Officer Kevin Cheetham and myself way back in 2005. With the arrival of my first child in June 2006 the first running of the event took place on a biblically wet weekend in Graves Park in July 2007. Such was the spirit shown by the outdoor, and in particular the rock climbing, communities on that first outing that some serious investment was made by SCC to purchase enough crash mats to be able to host repeated editions of the event and a longer term commitment established. It moved from Graves Park, to Millhouses Park, and then more recently to the City Centre. The event has always been owned by and underwritten by SCC, with Heason Events providing much of the driving force, bringing industry experience and connections, as well as dreaming up creative new concepts and activities, activities which SCC were more often than not able to make actually happen. Every year Cliffhanger would be a highlight on the calendar for thousands of outdoor-minded folk from Sheffield and further afield. As it has matured and evolved, moving to its current location, coupled with times of austerity on the part of SCC, Heason Events has played less of a role each year. In 2018 Heason Events will bow out completely. The BMC are once again on board, headlining with the British Bouldering Championships, and I am sure that many of the usual activities will be in place. If you are interested in being involved in the event please contact Julie King, cc’d. There's never been a better time in The Outdoor City, an accolade that Sheffield owes in no small part to Cliffhanger, and I wish the event success for the future. As you would expect, Heason Events has plenty of ideas for future events and would welcome your collaboration.