As someone who organises festivals elsewhere in the UK and has often attended the Sidmouth Festival, I've read all the threads above with interest.

I very much hope the Festival continues in 2005 as experience elsewhere in the UK suggests that if there is a 'gap' year then it can often prove fatal - sponsors, helpers, suppliers, traders and audiences all discover attractions elsewhere and never return in such great numbers again.

That said, I would echo the comment from Steve Harris:

"Could anyone make it work as well or better than Steve Heap and his experienced team?"

No other experienced Festival organiser that I know of will touch it. We all believe that if Steve Heap can't make it work, nobody can.

To those who think otherwise, I wish you well but I fear from reading the threads above that many simply have no idea just how great the costs of staging even a reduced-size Sidmouth will be... how much time it will take to organise... or how stringent the rules relating to Health & Safety, Insurance and Licensing now are.

Any event will require a Public Entertainment Licence and, before granting the Licence, the Council will require at least £10 million Public Liability Insurance, full Risk Assessments for all venues (and campsites), the appointment of qualified Safety Officers, a Noise Management Plan, Event Management Plan, proven knowledge of the Event Safety Guide etc. etc. etc.

The days when you could just turn-up and dance on the Prom are long gone.

Even if someone can provide all the above there is still the little matter of needing sufficient funding to cover all costs, including a 'reserve' of around £250,000 in case of bad weather, the very issue that has forced Steve Heap to withdraw in the first place.

I hope the Festival survives for it is far too good to lose, but I hope anyone thinking of organising it knows just what they are taking on.