IMHO, the best type of festival is a small, non-commercial one, with sing-songs, music sessions and non-amplified ceilidhs for people who want to sing, make music and dance. That's what I'd like to see at Sidmouth (and elsewhere) in 2005.

Once you start putting on big concerts and big ceilidhs it starts getting expensive and un-folky. That's what' happened to Sidmouth in spades in the last 50 years. Let's get back to basics.

Steve