On one of the mudcat threads (not this one) I posted comments about the much discussd crackdown on traders along the Esplanade during the 50th Sidmouth festival. In the event the crackdown was a damp squib - and probably for two reasons. First, part of the reason for having it was to try and show Steve Heap that some of his concerns were being taken seriously (for a change) but as the festival got under way a decision to exclude Mrs Casey's Music from future Sidmouth events had already probably been taken and secondly, it turned out that having a valid pedlars' licence overrides the council byelaws. What a hoot. Read all about it at http://www.seered.co.uk/folk28a.htm

I agree that any kind of a boycott of Sidmouth would be ineffective and maybe foolish. There were as many people on the beach and almost as many in the town during the weekend after folk week as there were during the week. Part of the reason is that many local people avoid the town altogether during folk week and make up for it immedaitely afterwards. It was standing room only in Waitrose on the Sunday.

Writing to MPs etc at the present time would be ineffective - they generally only take notice of dozens of letters on a topic and a coordinated effort to secure Arts Council funding for the new Trust set up to run the Festival (if that is what happens) might be a better use of lobbying effort.

For now, let the dust settle, let the meetings at EDDC in August/September take place and see how the land lies then.