I think you have it there synbyn. we move in for one week out of each year and take over someone else's town and try to dictate how everything should be run without a thought for the locals - only that we would rather that they weren't there unless they are serving us our beer or fish and chips

We have the temerity to breeze in for our seven days and dictate how this pub should be run or what should happen at that pub and when too many of us gather in the same place at the same time then somehow it is poor organisation. Maybe we should have the singalong sessions in an empty industrial unit - bags of room ..

Kim you are wonderful - you spend your entire year negotiating with people - with pubs - with authorities - with police - gathering together the widest range of musicians so that Eliza Carthy appears in the same festival as Old Uncle Tom Cobbley who has not moved from his corner seat in the Wrotham Arms since last year's festival

You set this against the backdrop of a wonderful town with superb views out to sea in a picture postcard bay of glorious sand and white cliffs. All the facilities of a reasonable size town are to hand and so much of this is free - free so that if you don't like something you can walk on to the next - free so that if the pub you choose is too crowded for you you can find one that is less crowded

Kim if you are reading this column please forgive us - we cannot be serious - this is just our hobby writing in to an internet chat site - it has nothing to do with reality - it's what we do when we don't have a magnificent festival to occupy our minds - we are unworthy Kim - same again next year please (but please sort out the loos :-) ! )