Admittedly I may be more impressed by a wealth of great squeezebox players than a Briton or Irishman might be. But I loved to hear all the concertinas, melodions, etc. all over Sidmouth--(despite being warned in "The Melodions are Coming" that "This is the way the world ends--all in the key of D.")

Not to mention--just on the prom--balalaika orchestra, George Fornby songs, Trinidad steel drum, Irish band, autoharp group, Paraguayan harp, accordion orchestra (Dorset group of mainly older women), Appalachian fiddle and clogging, Western swing group--just impromptu--which I joined. Boogie-woogie piano. And on and on.

I had probably the best Sidmouth ever--in large part due to renting a viola from Glen Titmus--at a more than reasonable rate. So I could just walk into any informal group and throw a low harmony into the mix--if that seemed welcome. As well as sing some songs. Walked into the Swan to join in singing Daisy, Daisy and wound up playing 4 hours in the Swan with a spectacular concertina player. The tunes kept tumbling out--Irish, English, Scottish, Russian, German, American. And he liked a low harmony.

I did try to get into 2 concerts. No luck--sold out. So--back to the prom--and the York and Faulkner, the Volunteer, the Middle Bar, the Swan, etc. Not exactly a hardship. Sorry I didn't make it to the Theater Bar--I meant to.

Only one major problem--like Lizzie, I found the cloning workshop wasn't developed enough to let me be everywhere at the same time.

Saw old friends--and met a lot of new ones.

Highlights--far too many to list--but just a few:

Being serenaded every day between 8 and 8:30 by a wonderful 79-year old Dutch melodion player just outside our hotel window--with the sounds of the surf in the background. Having heard him play Lili Marlen in 3 different keys, I went out, met him, and sang D-Day Dodgers for him.

The delightful puppeteer at the Blackmore garden (after the Sidmouth Town Band--also very impressive). He (a Middle Bar singer, I'm pretty sure), did by far the best Punch and Judy I've ever seen   (Jan, who's English, seconds this). Wonderful rapport with his young audience.

Sillier Songs, March to the Sea--more of us than I've ever seen before--and then Gloom and Doom. All just on Thursday.

Playing in the band for the 25th annual non-existent ceilidh at the ford. First time for me.

Spectacular fireworks--in some ways better than the those on the Washington Mall on the 4th of July--in Sidmouth they came thick and fast--no gaps.


And, and, and--as noted--far too many to list.

Sidmouth truly sparkled--literally even--on the sea. The best weather I can recall certainly helped--but based on the enthusiasm and crowds I saw most places, the festival seems more hale and hearty than ever.