If ever circumstances allow (a writing commission that pays well perhaps?) I'll be back at Sidders. I'll know who to seek out, and who to avoid. Not a lot new there. No, I haven't been since the end of the Heap régime (purely coincidental). Other things get in the way.

What I'll want to see are spectaculars like Flame and acts like La Bottine Souriante. I know that means the Arena and I know the logistics (sorry again to Ms Archer but it was the international element that made it different from any other smalltown festival). Sessions can be anywhere but are still a window on what the public sees, It's supremely important that what happens in a couple of small pubs in an off-season Devon seaside town persuades these seaside passers-by of the excellence of our cultural heritage. It's a burden you should be glad to bear.