"where do we put the traders - and replace the income to the festival from them and maintain the income to them that makes it worth their while to be there."

I think there's a misunderstanding here - what I mean in this context, and I think what others have meant, by . "the traders" isn't the craft tent and all that, it's the local shops and pubs and restaurants and guest houses and so forth.

The stalls selling crafts and all kinds of stuff like that are a very important part of the festival, and they pay a healthy chunk of money already. I don't think they should be expecxted to ay more, and if that were to happen we'd probably lose a lot of valued people - who often turn up in other parts of the festival singing and playing and dancing. That's aside from the pleasure we all get from having a chance to buyt the stuff they are selling.

As I indicated above, I don''t really see the free events as "fringe" - mostly they are very much part of the festival, and just happene to be open to people who haven't paid in advance. That's why tmost of them are included in the working programme. When the collection box comes round, I pass it on, because I feel that my season ticket means I have paid already. If I hadn't got a season I'd automatically be putting a couple of quid in. I wouldn't see that as subsidising season ticket holders, it would just be me paying my share towards the unseen organisational costs that allow the free event to take place, and ensure that the other people taking part are there at all.