'Fraid you're right that the council here don't want the Maritime Festival. They're putting all their funding into a limited number of other arts festivals and Morecambe does indeed seem to be getting a better deal than Lancaster.

It's the same in Sidmouth where the council there has axed it's £60,000 grant to the folk festival and is now threatening to refuse licences for marquees and other outdoor concert venues.

The Sidmouth Folk Week organisers try bravely to convince everyone that all is well just as the Maritime Festival organisers have attempted to do but when you try swimming against the tide you eventually sink.

Seems some local councillors just don't like folk music.