FARMER Doug Durrant has spoken of his heartbreaking decision to cancel the music festival that had been a lifelong dream. As the Standard revealed last week, Mr Durrant announced that LodeStar would not be going ahead because of poor ticket sales. He hop

FARMER Doug Durrant has spoken of his heartbreaking decision to cancel the music festival that had been a lifelong dream.

As the Standard revealed last week, Mr Durrant announced that LodeStar would not be going ahead because of poor ticket sales.

He hopes to hold the event next summer.

Mr Durrant, 51, had been organising the event for more than two years.

He said: "It was a heartbreaking decision but a selfless one that had to be made.

"There were so many people I had to take into account, from festival-goers to artists and all of the people that have been involved with supplying services."

LodeStar was to have been held at Sunny Ridge Farm, Lode, near Bottisham, land Mr Durrant's family has worked for four generations.

It was to take place on the last weekend of August and be one of the biggest music festivals staged in the region.

More than 70 bands were on the bill to play to a crowd of up to 30,000 people, with some of the UK's most established and up-and-coming acts signed up.

Mr Durrant said: "LodeStar was different and unique. There was no corporate sponsorship.

"I just thought it would be wonderful to see people take a weekend away from the stresses of everyday life and enjoy fantastic live music in the sunshine and under the stars, and to raise money for charity while having fun.

"It's such a shame that we have been cursed with dreadful weather at the start of the ­summer.

"It has affected outdoor events all over the country and when people see images of floods on their television screens it doesn't make them think about going to a music festival.

"I've put my heart and soul into LodeStar. For the last two-and-a-half years I've worked every day from 7am until the early hours of the morning and I've spent so much time in front of a computer screen I've damaged my eyes and have to wear glasses.

"It's been very stressful but I've been overwhelmed by the support I've had from everyone involved. So many people are as gutted about it as I am, and this gives me encouragement for next year.

"I've got so much to sort out and we've not started making plans, to be honest I don't what's going to happen, but I hope we can make it work.