Another good night at the Good Intent. Mayhem when we got there at about 2100 hrs, but the bar gradually quietened and some of those more determined to shout conversation over songs left. Nice to see No Worries playing, and Gastove produced a wonderful very restrained guitar accompaniment to one of Linda Smiths's songs. The button pushing and so on in the garden continued with gusto all evening. The Shrimpers Ale also worthy of commendation, a bagful of flavour and only 4.1% so even drivers could have four halves over the evening and enjoy their drink.

A good range of beers from the Nelson Brewery in the back of the Eagle. The Rochester at 3.7% light, refreshing, and very drinkable. Large range of beers in the Gordon but I was unable to stay since there was electric American music.

The Folk Factor seemed to be a great success - my daughter and friends wanted to come in only to be very firmly told by security staff that it was a 96-seater auditorium and there were 96 people in there so they were not getting in. A number of truly excellent performers. Keep an eye out (indeed both eyes out) for Rocas, the group and overall winners. A standout performance and very original arrangement of a traditional English song, 5 great YOUNG musicians (all multi-instrumentalists) - and the penny has belatedly dropped for me that the bodhran player (also played other instruments) was the girl who used to win all the under-14 bodhran championships (apart from the ones that the young Brown boy used to win). The result of their recording session will I am sure be a CD to be valued. If there is justice in the world this band is going places.

Quite apart from Pam Tilling (the solo winner) there were also two other excellent female singers, in no order of preference, Kate Holland (also young) who produced a note-perfect unaccompanied Scottish traditional song that riveted the entire auditorium, and Paulette Sheard who sounded very like Shirley Collins. It was interesting to note that contenstants performing traditional songs had apparently come to the tradition through the playing and singing of their families, so maybe oral transmission is not wholly dead yet. Maximum respect to all of the contestants.

It was also noteworthy that some of the sides dancing had not so much just a gaggle of musicians as full on bands with them and there were some fine pieces of music from time to time to be heard in the street too.

Pigs Ear ("with friends") were doing sterling service outside the City Wall winebar. They should twist the arms of all those who book to play at little festival (which I eagerly await) to do a guest spot on their stage at Sweeps, IMHO.