We were all very saddened to hear that Peter Low – past chair of the Buxton Fringe and long-time supporter of Underground Venues – passed away suddenly this week.

It was a great shock as Peter had been supporting our venue and the Buxton Fringe (and Festival!) as energetically as ever as recently as this July. He continued to welcome our staff members from around the country and make sure they had the friendliest of stays in Buxton and his humour and love of the arts continued to inspire us.

Peter Low was the chair of the Buxton Fringe in 2002 when Yaz and I – and our fellow Three’s Company member Michael Grady – first got involved. It was Peter who made us aware of this great festival and Peter who, perhaps against better judgement, allowed us to join the committe aged only 15. Peter’s keeness to encourage the next generation was hugely influential in our early work and it’s fair to say Underground Venues would likely not have happened without his support in those early years.

We remember Peter as a great diplomatic force, able to address the many differnent arguments, and the many loud voices, from all sides, with a characteristic sense of humour and self-deprecation. He also gave his time selflessly to many other artistic activities in Buxton, most of which I’m probably not even aware of, and continued to do so right up until the last.

He was a great man – though I’m certain he wouldn’t even begin to accept such a title himself. He will be greatly missed by all of us at Underground Venues and I know the Buxton Fringe and wider Buxton community. Our thoughts are with his wife Janet – herself a tireless supporter of the arts – and the rest of his family. We will be raising a glass (sadly not of Fringe Beer on this occassion) to his name tonight.