But I won't go before I mention that old Ian Anderson of fRoots has a snazzy little cartoon about the Sidmouth Folk Week in his mag. this month. I read it in the newsagents, just before I put it back on the shelf! ;0)

The first caption has two unhappy people looking at a 'Festival Gigs List' and saying *"What are we going to do this first week in August, now that the Sidmouth Festival has become just a mere echo of its' former glory?" This is followed by various captions of Alan Whicker telling them all about the wonderful festivals in other parts of the world and it ends with two happy people, pleased as punch, asking if he knows anywhere else they can go to avoid the general election.

Blimey! If only Ian Anderson was reading this thread eh???? Thought he would have been far more 'on the ball' about THIS first week in August!! Alan Whicker may very well end up coming to Sidmouth I'd have thought! ;0)

Still never mind.....good to know that he's having a go at putting the boot into Sidmouth 2005 whilst at the same time he's taking money off the organisers of that very same Folk Week to advertise the Sidmouth Folk Week in his magazine. Well done Ian! Very thoughtful and supportive!

And THAT IS PRECISELY why Sidmouth this year has come to mean more to me than it EVER has before!

Nice try Ian......but it SO won't work! We're all going to be having the time of our lives down here! Shame you're going to miss it! ;0)
Still at least you'll be able to spend the money you've made from the Sidmouth Folk Week organisers, somewhere else....hope you enjoy doing it!

Long live Eddie Upton, Gordon Newton, Derek Schofield, Barry Lister and all the other hard working, supportive, forward thinking, uplifting people of Sidmouth 2005!! I have SUCH respect for them all.

Lizzie :0)

PS....Apologies to Ian Anderson if I've quoted wrongly from his cartoon...but as I said I put the mag. back on the shelf...so have quoted from memory.