Chris - you are right in that for the festival to survive it needs to be all encompasing - not just folk - so it gets the support of the whole town. However, it was started by a folkie.

I like the way you have turned the pub around in the last 4 years. Its nice to see you bucking the trend. Your pub does not lend itself to unaccomanied singers - too big and thus too noisey. Broadstairs have moved away from this in the pubs and most pubs have bands with PA.

I would have liked the pubs that offered entertainment to be themed - perhaps one could offer jazz, another blues etc. It seemed to be a bit random this year, so difficult as a potential customer to know where to go, when. Perhaps the publicans could have a pre planning meet to offer a wider range of better advertised music .

I went back to the camp site on Saturday PM and did not hear your PA, but I could hear it from the station.

I think your local school is an enterprise college so I am wondering if the students could be involved in running an event other than just providing the camping facility. I thought the TA very enterprising with their stall. I know the timing is poor for the school as they only return to school that week - but perhaps they could run the Hoppers ball - with profits going to the school. It would be nice to see any musical students actually playing with the band, while others ( dance GCSE ) could do an interval performance and others be involved in the publicity and selling refreshments.

As a mimimum requirement Faversham need to encourage street entertainers to turn up - otherwise you need the much more expensive set stages. The Morris and the mummers are ideal for this so the town can not afford to antagonise them. Overloud PA music tends to do this. The camping facility, a few free beer tickets and a few tickets to the hoppers ball are all positive things - as is the welcome we get from the Crown and Anchor. Not all morris sides are folkies - and many are happy to go and listen to a wide range of music. Most are working during the day so a lunch time session is all they require for the musicians. A named pub for this to happen in would be good.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful.

FloraG