You just can't please all of the people all of the time.

When the festival was small, most of it happened in a small area of the town. The dance displays were along the Esplanade, in the Market Square and in the Blackmore and Connaught Gardens. Singing events were in various places but the Late Night Extra was in the Drill Hall. Morris workshops, tea dances and concerts were held in the Ham Marquee.

There came a point when various factors, including complaints from locals about the noise, led to the move of dance displays to the Knowle Arena, and of the LNE out of town.

Now that the festival is based on the Knowle site, some town traders feel that they're not benefiting financially. I'm not sure why, because lots of people still turn up to do the fringe in town.

I think dancing on the Esplanade was banned for a while for health and safety reasons, after a year when the beach was very low, and a dancer was injured falling off the wall.

Kitty