AP Security Takes The High Road Back To The Future

2009 and 2010 saw the first Rewinds take place in Henley-on-Thames. They proved such a success that, this year, promoter the Rival Organisation added a second event in the picturesque grounds of Scone Palace, near Perth, where high profile 80s acts like Toyah, ABC, The Human League, Bananarama, Nik Kershaw, Billy Ocean, Tony Hadley, Rick Astley, Heaven 17 and Howard Jones performed.

AP Security provided crowd safety services at the 2010 Rewind in Henley and the promoter was so impressed that the company was asked to provide its services at both sites in 2011.

“We have a very good relationship with the promoter and they wanted to maintain the consistency of the production team, as well as it being an event which we understand,” said AP National Sales Manager John Phillips. “We gave them the option of us just providing a management team, but we were asked to provide all the required personnel. So we hired a comfortable coach and brought 95 staff - AP Security went on the road for the weekend!”

With John, Chris Hollands and Tommy Michalis managing the AP team, and Andrew Legg taking over as Night Security Manager, it was the company’s first major job in Scotland and all were clearly looking forward to it. “Everyone was really positive,” said John. “We always enjoy new challenges and meeting a whole new audience was a good experience.”

With the 1980s being a decade that many remember with a rather guilty pleasure, Rewind isn’t a festival where the audience takes itself too seriously. The Scone Palace event was no exception, with the 20,000-strong crowd forsaking all vestiges of sartorial decency to break out their long-retired deely boppers, ra-ra skirts, legwarmers - some even dressed as Rubik Cubes and Smurfs. And with blazing sunshine and temperatures (appropriately) touching the 80s, the atmosphere was very good-natured throughout.

“Our staff are always encouraged to interact with the public and enter into the spirit of things - we are there to help, not hinder,” said John. “Apart from an inevitable (very) small number of people who attempted to get in without paying, there were absolutely no problems. The sun shone and everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves.”

“Being the first time that we had staged Rewind in Scotland, we were very happy with the festival’s success and AP Security played a key role in achieving that,” said David Heartfield of promoter The Rival Organisation. “As always, they were totally professional and forged seamless working relationships with the local police, council and other organisations. We look forward to working with them at Henley and at other events in the future.”

This is confirmed by the festival’s overnight manager, Bill Nicholson, who said: “I have worked alongside AP Security for many years now, across several events, and have always found them very professional. They deliver a quality service, while retaining the flexibility required in festival situations and the frontline staff always deliver a friendly and approachable attitude. AP are always a pleasure to work with.”

Inspector David Hunter of Tayside Police added: “The working relationship between police and AP Security was excellent and I found members of the public, stallholders and others to be similarly praiseworthy of the company’s staff. I personally witnessed good interaction with members of the public and, in particular, was advised of a couple of incidents which were managed without the need for police involvement which, again, is indicative of the professionalism of AP Security’s staff. The primary aim of events such as this is to ensure a safe and secure event and the contribution of AP towards achieving this was hugely significant.”

“Of course we learned things - we always do - but by the end it was getting a bit embarrassing, we has so many compliments coming from all directions!” John added. “Chris got all our staff together at the end to tell them how universally positive the reaction had been. They were really chuffed, they were bouncing off the walls on the way home. It was the perfect start for a new festival and we very much hope to be back next year.”

John’s sentiments were echoed by many in the audience, with a widespread desire from people to come again in 2012. Meanwhile, this year’s Rewind in Henley took place on the weekend of the 19th - 21st August and featured many of the artists that played in Scotland, alongside other well-known 80s acts like Village People, Holly Johnson, Haircut 100 and Captain Sensible.