Can someone explain to me what has happened to our dearly beloved Sidmouth FF? I have used the term 'our' because I firmly believe that a festival which has such longevity, has done so on the back of loyal supporters born over many, many years. Therefore, such a festival is very much under the ownership of its supporter base! Looking at this year's programme, it appears to have been hijacked by the current 'let's develop new audiences / appeal to the yoof of today' trendies. Talk about 'throwing the baby out with the bath water' or 'biting the hand that feeds you' ...

Sidmouth, because of its scale and popularity has always had to meet the needs of very diverse audiences, seperated either by age, musical interests, dance vs concerts etc etc. It was 'by and large' over the years a successful formula. But now, the social dance programme and the ceilidh programme has been basically 'axed' with only two 'named' bands being booked to perform - Random and Steamchicken. Normally there are about 22 ceilidhs during the week and season tickets are bought in abundance by the ceilidh pro dancers but not this year!

Also, there has been a creeping mentality of 'bulk buying' artists to obviously strike economically favourable deals. But I am afraid that this just leads to a stagnant artistic programme. In 2010 there was the usual Blue Murder, Watersons, CBS, Tamms and Coope AND Spiers and Boden, Bellowhead, S&B Celidh etc etc .... I am afraid that the belief that people want to watch the same people wearing different hats is born from someone of little creativity driven by money and not by artistic direction.

I love Jim Mory but I don't want to see/hear him providing Mowtown, Tribute music, silent disco etc at Sidmouth 2011 he's too good a creative musician for that.

What have you dome to my festival ... ???