Ebor Fiddler wrote: "All this whining on about "professionalism" as far as I can see undermines the whole ethos of the "folk" movement, putting in a totally unwanted "them and us" division between those of us who happen to be "onstage" and those of us sat down at any particular time."

I think that the your point about the principles of the folk movement is worth raising. However, at an event like Sidmouth, no-one just "happens" to be on stage - the fact is that some festival participants are contracted to perform for money, and some pay money for a ticket. That simple economic fact does, inevitably, create a different set of expectations. As Ruth Archer has already said, it's all about getting the balance right.