Most young 'uns always seem to enjoy the festival. However , and this applies to other festivals (very unpleasant at Girvan on May Day Bank Holiday w/e apparently)as well, there are often elements of local thugs who seek pleasure in intimidating/assaulting anyone who is 'different'or from somewhere 'not local'. Look at the 'Why do they come ?' thread on www.Footstompin.com

Stands to reason that if loutish/thuggish behaviour is normal on a Friday and Saturday night - add several hundred folkies and visitors and trouble is not surprising. I wasn't for a moment suggesting that the behaviour was the festival's fault Cath, simply that some extra police presence might have reduced the bother.