I enjoyed Bromyard this year even though the majority of those booked were not to my taste. I did manage to get a couple of songs in on Sunday afternoon at Paul and Liz's session and that was the icing on the cake, for me. The problems amplified above were common criticisms which can be levied at most large festivals. Festivals cannot be all things to all men as every attendee has their own agenda. No organisation in the world can cover all the expectations, there has to be a compromise and a percentage will feel dissatisfied. The character of an event will change as participants get older, move on or their tastes change. If this did not happen we would be all still singing I'll tell my Ma or the Leaving of Liverpool. Good songs I know but after 45 years of singing there has to be some new input. Also one cannot remove the "rosy memories" of past years when perhaps things were a little smaller and the events were cosy and personal. As far as the oik problem is concerned I remember Bromyard 15 or so years ago and there was blood running down the street on the Friday and Saturday nights and blue lights all over the place. Most town centres are no go areas after nine on a Friday or Saturday night most festival session participants avoid the issue by melting away from the trouble. This then causes problems for the attendees who prefer the pub session rather than the formal concert or organised event. Whittlesey has had increasingly over the past 10 years had to cope with the inebriated oiks who are not folkies and I observed similar situations in Rothbury and Whitby this year. I cannot offer a resolution to that problem but fully intend being at Bromyard next year because I will not let the Alligators bring me down.