Thanks for the link to the local news report. It's good to hear there will be a Maritime Festival again but I wonder how much smaller it will be in scale? There's no mention in the news report as to how much money is available. It could be very little.

Coming on top of the news that the National is not happening next April it suggests several festivals are struggling to keep going.

At least there's two good alternatives for anyone wondering where to go in April:

i) The Oxford Folk Festival, April 7-9, is a relatively new festival but with a decent line-up of artistes including Bellowhead and Andy Irvine.

ii) The Gosport & Fareham Easter Festival, April 13-17, has been going longer and has a fine reputation for quality with artistes like Waterson:Carthy, Ashley Hutchings and, I believe, Roy Bailey next Easter.

As Gosport was the birthplace of Cyril Tawney and the Gosport / Portsmouth area has such a fine maritime heritage, maybe those no longer going to Lancaster in the North will head to Gosport in the South instead.

Let's hope both festivals do well next year.