All festivals have a few drawbacks, but then so does everything. True enough much of the music in tey oubs at night was overamplified rubbish, but there was always plewbty of stuff that wasn't. It doesn't worry me if there are people enjoying stuff I woudln't like, so long as I can find what I enjoy.

And it's a younger crowd of rowdies than some festivals, and a dense crowd in teh streets,. But there are always quieter alternatuve ways of getting where you want to, and even the drunks were friendly enough, I found.

I prefer town based festivals rather than being stuck out in a green folk ghetto. Horses for courses.

One thing no one has mentioned (I think) was the East of Broadstairs element - music from eastern Europe, both visiting musicians, immigrants, and second generation. I hope this is going to grow in festivals, especially the latter two varieties. I went to a great workshop playing Latvian tunes, run by a couple of musicians from the Latvian communiuty in Corby. We've potentially got folk music from allover the world living in this country, and they all shoudl be welcome in festivals, alongside more locally originated music.