Hi -

I can advise that Lancaster is definitely going ahead!!! It will be funded purely on external monies so will be somewhat reduced in scale but will still be an impressive Festival. The organisers are cutting back on other areas, so that the impact on the sea song and shanty content will be as smal as possible. They can't, for instance, stage the Georgian fair, which had run alongside the Maritime Festival for the last few years, because simply haven't got the money for it.   

They have only just got the go-ahead from the Council to be allowed to organise it (even though it's external money which is paying for the event, it is organised by City Council employees), so are going to be moving very quickly to sort it all out.

Sorry if your friends can't be there Muppet - but, to all those who've been before and those who haven't - don't miss it - it has been saved (for 2006 only) by grass roots pressure and is going to be a corker or I will eat my hat!