I am a trader and I sell second-hand folk books. Nothing else. A number of 'catters know me of course and I am luycky enough to be able to attend a number of festivals.

I take Sandra's point about stalls being shut. But restricted access to events - or a charge - comes to the same thing. I normally trade from around 10.00 am until the start of the final concert each day - but in the height of the summer until quite late and if I am doing business then even later!

But once I have packed up (and where I am outdoors this takes a while), it would be nice to go to feel I could go to the end of a concert or to the ceilidh without too much of a restriction.

At one festival there were some people taking advantage of their tickets - but instead of sorting them out, a blanket ban was placed on traders attending everything except the ceilidh.

I am not a ceidldh goer so that left the bar. And my wife - who helps at big festivals couldn't go to the one workshop she fancied.

And because there is generally only me doing festivals with folk books organisers are not sure which bracket to put me in!!

Finally (and then rant over) I took sufficient money to pay for my stall at the largest festival I went to last year breaking even on the final sale of the final book on Sunday afternoon - literally as I was packing.

However I went to a small festival where I took three times as much money as I had at the large one!!