I assume that when attending fringe events Shambles puts a reasonable contribution in the collecting tins that go round. (I'm not being sarcastic here, I am sure he does.) Many people do, quite a lot don't, especially when it comes to the outdoor stuff, like the prom and the dance displays

Many of those in Sidmouth during that week, are not attracted by the folk music at all but by the fact that their are lots of people gathered. People like the buskers and street traders, whilst adding to the overall colour, have not been generally encouraged by either the organsers, the council or the local businesses. For obvious reasons.

This has lead to a general official view that has distanced the featival proper from the town and to the feeling that the town is full of free-loaders who make no contribution to the festival.

Rightly or wrongly this has lead to a situation where largely the town-based finge musical activities do occur almost separate from the official festival. I am sure that many would continue whatever future form the festival may take. I am not sure if this fairly recent move out of town has been intentional on the part of the current organisers but because of this - it is difficult to see how (or indeed why) those in the town should be expected to pay for and support official events that they do not attend out of the town.

But it has created a great mix and the seafront and lots of pubs where folk are largely free to make their own music. The pubs in particular are now largely free of official events, This I would suggest is a good thing. Many other festivals (over) organise offical event in the few pubs that are available for informal get-togethers, to the general detriment of the whole event. So that folk cannot find anywhere to play together infomally.

This is not the case at Sidmouth, Many of those that make music and attend these events are also attending and contributing to the offical festival events and none of them are to be blamed for the problems currently facing the current festval organisers. We could all contibute more. I wonder why those who gain most benefit from the official events would expect those that do not, to subsidise them? Rather than contributing more (in the form of increased ticket prices) themselves.

This is what I refer to when I talk of the divisive nature of the PR. It has everyone blaming everyone else.