It was the first week of September in 1953 and the worried manager of the Great Southern Hotel, Brian Collins, was looking at his near empty hotel. How could he extend the tourist season into September?

Later that day, while discussing menus with the head chef, it was suggested that oysters should be on the menu as they had just come into season. An idea came into Brian’s head –“why not celebrate the opening of the oyster season with a festival?” – “In September 1954 we will hav ...