Phil
You sound just like me and some years ago I went to the festival at Saltburn and loved it.
The festival has all the usual things guest artists, local artists, concerts sing arounds workshops etc. Most of the venues are inside and there's beer and stuff if you want it. There is a thriving fringe where there are sing arounds complete with m\cs (no free for alls). Its small enough so that you are not fighting crowds and its large enough to give a good range of performers. Here is the Cutty Wren Folk Club web site and if you look under Saltburn Folk Festival then programme you can see whats on. http://www.cuttywrenfolkclub.com/
Now the bad news, getting a reminder from me about 3 weeks prior to the event is like pushing butter up a hedgehogs bottom using a red hot needle, it aint gonna happen

Regards   Fantum