Фестиваль Boomtown приносит экономике Винчестера миллионы фунтов и повышает известность графства Хэмпшир

This morning, I spotted three young girls wandering through Winchester city centre, rucksacks strapped on and excitement written all over their faces. The moment they clocked Mountain Warehouse, they disappeared inside. A café stop probably followed shortly afterwards. Whether you love Boomtown or loathe it, one thing is undeniable: it has a huge impact on the local economy. The festival attracts around 63,000 people each year and supports thousands of jobs through its construction, operation and dismantling. For weeks beforehand, an army of workers transforms a quiet corner of the South Downs into one of the UK's biggest and most ambitious festivals. And this year's site looks bigger than ever. There's a new layout, and keen-eyed locals have noticed structures appearing in places they've never seen them before. The footprint is enormous, stretching across Matterley Basin from Cheesefoot Head towards the A34. Most festival-goers head straight for the site, where they're encouraged to stay put over the weekend to reduce traffic and disruption. Many arrive by train, with the shuttle buses doing a sterling job ferrying revellers backwards and forwards. But before they don their sequins and disappear into Boomtown's wonderfully bonkers world, some spend a little time in Winchester. They browse the shops, grab a coffee, buy lunch and generally inject a few extra pounds into local tills. Yes, it can be frustrating when our already popular city becomes even busier during the great Boomtown migration. The queues get longer, the trains get fuller, and for a few days every year Winchester gains an extra layer of glitter. Read more Bus services disrupted as Boomtown traffic causes delays across Winchester Horsefair suffer heavy defeat but see second half positives ahead of new season Lorry driver in his 20s dies after vehicle left M3 and ended up below slip road Celebration of red ball cricket coming to Hampshire with ex-players and games But it also puts us firmly on the map. A quick glance at Google Trends shows a large number of people searching for information about the festival's location. Many may never have heard of Matterley before. Some probably couldn't point to Hampshire on a map. Yet for one weekend every year, they know exactly where they're coming. And if even a fraction of those visitors leave with memories of beautiful countryside, a vibrant city and a county worth returning to, that seems a pretty fair trade. After all, a little extra traffic is a small price to pay for 63,000 people discovering that Hampshire isn't just where Boomtown happens. It's where they might want to come back.