A sad farewell to Papa John
As we shutter up The Wyldes for its long winter slumber, it's that time where we get to take a pause and reflect on everything that has unfolded over this past year.
2024 has in one respect been a year full of joy and so many firsts for us – from putting on the most events we’ve ever held in one season, continuing to upgrade and improve our infrastructure, and welcoming so many lovely new faces to our happy little valley. And yet, this year has also brought deep sadness too, as we were forced to bid farewell to John, the person who made everything we do here possible.
18 years ago, when Lee Ellis and his band struggled to find anywhere decent to play a gig for their friends, Lee’s parents – ‘Papa’ John and Marlene – forfeited their rural peace and quiet by loaning out a good chunk of their farmland, for a party that would ignite an idea for something far bigger than any of us had ever imagined, all the way back there in 2006.
Not only that, but John (at that time already diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease) also went out of his way to facilitate what was to come. He helped us build stages, clear an area for a campsite, and was there when our first car went up in flames (in a rather dramatic fashion – we have the photographic evidence) as the centrepiece to the freshly coined “Leopallooza Festival”.
Every year since then, John’s belief and support for Leopallooza never wavered, not once. Fueled by his tenacious spirit, we built bigger stages, expanded bars, and added new areas to the festival, eventually branching out to host more events as The Wyldes. As both our business and our dreams grew, his condition progressed, but he remained exactly where he wanted to be – right here in the valley, at the heart of it all.
On August 5th, John passed away peacefully at home, and we were forced to say our final “see you in the field” to a true legend. John was the quiet and understated force driving everything we did – he made The Wyldes what it is today, and his boundless determination and character carried us through even the hardest of times here.
The truth is, we wouldn’t be here without him. Now though, we’ll have to carry forward with him here only in spirit. But we’re determined to take John’s inspiration and drive into everything we do going forward, and we’re pretty certain he’ll be checking in from time to time, making sure we’re throwing our parties just right.
We miss you Papa J. x