Somewhere I have a 25th Sidmouth Tee shirt - If I can find it I will be wearing it this year.

I have tried to get to Sidmouth every year - even if it was just for a few hours, but I do not go for the international groups, I don't go to concerts, I play and sing in the pubs and take my drum down on the prom.

I realise I do not contribute to the financing of the event, I don't even rent much beer - but I have never been audience material, always part of the entertainment. This might be genetic, my father's father mummed as 'little devil doubt' - his being about 4 ft 6in tall could be why that came about, and my Dad played an autoharp in his youth -My mother's parents sang, so did she, but not in public.

I have always been there on the fringe at Sidmouth, and I do wonder if the festival was to end, could the fringe still happen?

Of course, by 2005 there might be a law against folk getting together to sing and play music rather than watch big screen TV or Kareoke.

Is it just a coincidence that this might be the last Sidmouth? Should we suspect that there are forces at work to get rid of folk gatherings?

Anne