Hi Joe, Well you are running along with Mo the Official Whitby Folk Week Singer round where the rule of waiting for the singer to finish before entering or leaving the room. You and Mo also police the room to stop people from talking whilst people are singing. I'm all so sure that you would not look favourably at some one standing up and deliberately blocking a singer. The fringe events don't have organizers they just happen. The landlord or landlady is the only persons who police what goes on in his or her pub the Fringe events do not happen in a private rooms were you can close the door.

Congratulations on running official singer rounds at the Cleckheaton Folk Festival for I think I'm right in saying 23 years. I was on the committee when the how to improve the Singer round and Musicians Session was discussed. In fact it was my suggestion which was approved by the committee that people who went to sing who would be mainly unaccompanied would prefer to attend one where the Organizers knew them. To that end I suggested that you and Mo, Ray Padget and the Barnsley Lads and Reg would be the way to go. Well after your 23 successful years I must have got it right. I never had any doubts about it I knew you would do a cracking job from day one. Musicians Sessions well I suggested Chris Sherborn now of Last Nights Fun Fame the musician sessions have also gone from strength to strength.

I was approached by Barry Smith help to start up a mainly accompanied session the first of these took place in the much larger dining area in the Wickham after the food had finished. It was Barry who made the judgement, on the spot, that additional sessions would be a good idea adding to the Festival whilst also reliving pressure on your by then packed Singer Round. He was right Cleckheaton Festival provides something for everyone if something is not to your liking well try the alternatives.

This thread was to ask advice about Whitby Folk Week known as the friendly festival where every attempt is made to cater for every one. Whitby is a very friendly festival unfortunately there is always one and the beginning of the week this year clashes with the Whitby Regatta Ltd which can cause problems with none folkies. Just respect the fact that the locals are having to suffer wall to wall folk.