Ep. 33 Andy Smith, LA23 and Kendal Calling May 25

For a few days every summer Andy Smith is in charge of thethird biggest town in Cumbria. Kendal Calling, which he set up when still a teenager, has grown to the point where its size has eclipsed the actual Kendal.

It's a stat that Andy looked back on with pride during aninterview with Tom Speight celebrating the festival's 20th anniversary at a networking event held by LA23NET atEden Arts’ base the Old Fire Station, in Penrith.

Lessons he shared: never say no to a music agent, knowing Blondie's songs doesn’t help if you don’t know who Blondie are, and the value of lawyers in getting your first big headliner to play…

It was also the launch of a new weekly arts newsletter for thecounty, Curated Cumbria.