>>>Apache,

I agree with the Auldtimer, you need to tell us. Why are you involved with folk music? What is it about a festival that attracts you? What is it about the music that appeals to you?<<<

I'm 19, from Chester. My dad runs a session every Tuesday in the Ship Victory Pub (47 George Street Chester, 8:00 start, Free Admission, --plug plug--) and write the Folk Orbit Magazine (http://www.folkorbit.com --plug plug--), I've been going to Chester Festival for about 9 or 10 years and have more or less grown up in and around the folk scene.

I love festivals because it's a chance to break away from normal life, I've always enjoyed camping and music and this brings them both together, I loove the relaxed, laid back attitude and open mindedness of the festival goers, the passivness of the whole experience.

This weekend at Chester, me and a friend invited someone to come down for the day, see what he thought of it all, he's a rocker, into Heavy Metal and Rock Music, he ended up staying until Monday afternoon and he thoughally enjoyed himself and by the end of it he said his eyes were opened into a whole new music genre and he's thinking about other festivals to goto and he said he'd definatly come back next year.

I posted this thread before Chester Festival started and since going I've realised just how many children of a young age there are. In 10 years there will be such an influx of 18 - 25 year olds!

As I have said on another thread I thourghaly enjoyed this festival, I think as I'm getting older I'm appreciating everything going on around me so much more and taking in so much more from the experience.

I'm involved in the organisation of Chester Festival in so much as I help out on site from Wednesday setting up the site.

It's a shame that tradition is lost on some kids these days, but it has been shown that it is recoverable.

Someone said something this festival which is more or less true, "Never trust a man in an Adidas cap", they're usually the kids that are irrecoverable.

Regards,
Apache
--"Folk Dancing was orinally a way of swatting flys."