Remind me never to say anything again.

I live in Doncaster, OK? it's near Sheffield and bloody Barnsley.

London however is the capital... and certainly the largest city in the south of England.

Sidmouth is failing financially? right? that's the topic here, isn't it?

My point was, if you want to >make money< out of a festival, it needs to be able to draw a lot of people. London has the largest concentration of people in the South, so more potential punters.

Also, if you are traveling North/South (and dont have all day to go by the pretty way) you will most likely go via M1, M11 or A1 unless you live far enough west to get on the m5

"The world does not revolve around London." Lts....
Actually, it does. Constantly. - it joins the M3, and the M4 and the M40- that's why it's often blocked up! If you wanted to get from Kent to sidmouth youd take the A2, the M2 or the M20...onto the M25 etc.

Half my bloody life is spent using the m25 to generate enough velocity to slingshot me off to some gig or other.

"And as for the weather - to get any warmer you'd have to go up to Scotland for the Gulf Stream, or down to the Scilly Isles"

Don't know about whitby - last time I was there it was pretty chilly, but the isle of thanet (broadstairs, margate, ramsgate, canterbury, minster etc) Is >far< warmer than Sidmouth. It has less rainfall, and isn't as windy. I'm told that east anglia is actually the driest part of the country, so don't give me a load of cod meteorology. I can't see any geographical reason for the festival being held in sidmouth.

The fact that >YOU don't like london< is an entire side issue.

Basically liz, don't impose >your problem< on me. At least read my post properly before slagging me off. Yeah, it'd be tragic if sidmouth closed - my suggestion was move it to a town that is better equipped with appropriate camping facilies, enough parking and not so far off the beaten track. Sidmouth festival is too big for what the town can offer.

And another thing....

Countess Richard:

The Sidmouth campsite is for season ticket holders only and the season ticket serves as a free bus pass for the festival service. So there is no excuse whatsoever for using a vehicle around the town.

of course....richard. We all know cars are evil...

I expect you own one though, don't you?

McGraths suggestion:

"restricting cars from leaving the campsite would be possible, and would be a good idea"

McGrath is usually a voice or reason - he's one of the people on here who consistently avoids talking bollocks. However, I can't agree with this. I guess it depends on just how restrictive you are going to be:

One year when it pissed down with rain (quel suprise) at sidmouth, an over-officious steward refused to let me drive off the camp site. I had a gig to get to.

You really expect me to take a guitar, a fiddle, a melodeon, an english concertina and a hurdy gurdy on the bus? what about the PA?

What if the bus doesn't go where I need it to go? (Wimbourne, Dorset in this particular case)

Effectively, he was holding me against my will which was not only thoroughly aggravating and inconvenient, but also (as far as I know) illegal. Had he kept me any longer, I'd have missed the gig and not got paid, which is pretty bloody serious, I can tell you. It ain't a hobby.

Grrrrr.

Why do I bother.

Lts, you've really irritated me, which is a pity, because you seemed very nice when I met you - even if you did knit all the way through my gig.

Anyway, I've got to go.
Cheers,

Jon Loomes