I have no Idea who Josher might be, but they are obviously not acquainted with the same Liz that we are.
If Liz has run the festival for her own needs, then thankfully her needs coincide with those of the vast majority. The bands that have been booked reflect a wide range of taste within the folk arts and have please thousands. On The Main Stage and around the fringe.
Many festivals are going through a hard time financially and many have pulled out altogether this year.To pull off a financial success in the current climate and with very little appropriate advertising was remarkable.
If the Festival director had Just booked the bands, even predating Liz, then the festival would have gone no where.All good festivals have front and back of house management as well as stage management and we have always been well looked after at Middlewich which is why we like to play there. In addition at Middlewich, Liz also looks after a wide and varied fringe, which must be very hard to control.
It has to be said that whilst Liz has achieved all these tasks with good humor despite her obvious exhaustion, many of the committee have been conspicuous through their absence.

There is always someone who thinks that they can do better or that things should be done differently and there are those who for their own needs wish to see successful people crash and burn. How sad.
There are few festivals where the artists are looked after so well before during and after the event.
It is a long while since I have read such utter rubbish. If your that good Josher, run your own festival with your book only policy and see how you get on.