Well, I had a good time, and agree that it's not a folk festival really, it's a town festival- and in fact most of the folk club committee are heavily involved in organising & stewarding & ferrying & all the nutsnbolts bits of the festival and so unsurprisingly can't be seen at the sessions. They're too busy! The Festival band slots are admittedly early, but provide some mainstage tunes. Rather like other venues in Kent, the pubs call the tune as regards the acts they think will attract people in to spend money, I think. On a thirsty Hop Festival day with thousands of people you can't really expect them to shut up! The morris festivities in Tunbridge Wells & Tonbridge over the weekend may have attracted some sides, I guess. Not that you'd have known they were on from local publicity! It's perhaps better for folkies to gather in camper vans in fields where they can hear & be heard- the Travelling Folk weekend wassold out well before, and had about 80 singers. See y'all at Deal for a pinch of salt...