Flying Horse manager Patricia Boothman looks ahead to the Feel Good Festival

Flying Horse manager Patricia Boothman

When did you first get involved with Rochdale Feel Good Festival?

We've sponsored the main stage since 2009 but the festival is something we've supported since the beginning, so this year's tenth anniversary is a milestone for us too.

It's a big positive for the town and something we've got to prepare for months in advance.

The crowds have really grown in that time, and the buzz that the festival creates starts way before the summer.

A lot of our regular customers come down but it draws large numbers of people from outside the borough now, as well as people who don't normally venture into town as much in the evenings normally so it's a good mix.

Now the festival is well established there's a growing core who are always coming even before they know the line-up because they know they'll have a good time, so it's great to have that support.

The busiest weekend of the year for you?

We're still a small business, so something like this is huge for us, not just behind the bar on the weekend but also the official warm up events we do which started last week.

On Saturday we have Rochdale band 'Fool and the Gang' playing live, and on Thursday (10 August) the 'Idol Frets' – open mic night. We're also running a big outdoor bar on the Friday and Saturday too as well as in the pub.

On the Friday early evening we host acoustic duo 'Uncle Monkey' at 6pm before the main stage kicks off at 7pm, then after Daft Punk The Tribute come off the big stage we have Irish rock and party band The Scattering.

During the festival we only pick the best of the best - tried and tested acts that we've hosted at The Flyer during the year that we know will go down a storm with the festival crowd.

Where's the aftershow party?

We're hosting the aftershow party, and although it's still free entry there will be bucket collections for Rochdale resident and mum of two Samantha Smith, who still urgently needs to raise money after life-saving surgery in America. We want to raise as much as we can for this cause which is close to all our hearts.

Party rock/pop band Lucky Pierre will be playing live and then on the first floor we have DJ sets so please do come and support it after Razorlight close the main stage.