MAxwell'S SH - Actually, if he made the arrangement with the group involved ~ "My point Liz, is that he was approached by someone (I don't know who) that wanted to use the room(s) for singing and dance practice. Now I know it wasn't by the committee. It was by somebody that wanted to use them for respective song and dance groups." ~ then he wasn't offering a service to the FESTIVAL free of charge. Your own words indicate that it was a private arrangement between himself and the organiser of the dance groups. His and your beef is with that organiser and not with folkies in general. I'm not into 'name and shame in public' but this person responsible for their group, needs to learn respect and good manners.

In every group of people, be they folkies, firemen or fan tailed pigeon fanciers, you will get people who do not want to pay their way. You will get people who can afford to but don't - how else do you think they got rich? You'll get people who can afford to but don't like to flash their cash around in case they get take advantage of. You'll get people who can afford to but don't see why they should have to and you'll get people who can't afford to but pay it back in other ways.

I am not defending skinflints... especially people who baulk their rounds, never offer to pay for anything and then boast about how much they've saved.... but I will defend those who genuinely do not have enough to make extravagant gestures or spend unecessarily and I think you are wrong to generalise folkies that way and tar us all with the same brush.

LTS