I set out below the text of a letter I wrote recently to the festival director.

I'll post his reply after I've scanned it, and so on.

Folk? He doesn't want it!

31st May 2001 G. Newton Esq., Festival Director, Sweeps' Festival Medway Council, Civic Centre, Strood, Rochester, Kent, ME2 4AU

Dear Sir

My wife and I have been followers of the Sweeps' festival for many years. Our enjoyment of the festival is diminishing, and we believe that the overall popularity of the festival is diminishing as a result of the recent change in direction. We believe that these changes unless reversed will lead to the death of the festival.

When we first discovered the festival it was possible, at any time of the day, to walk into any of the pubs in the High Street, and find informal singing or playing of music, largely by amateurs, unamplified. Those not participating would largely be listening. The sides who were not dancing, and the public at large would be enjoying themselves in this ambience. Even late at night there was no reason to fear street fighting or intimidation.

All this has changed. The singarounds have been ghettoised. Pubs have electric bands provided via the festival with no real choice in the matter. The electric bands are playing American, pop, and country music. Folk musicians are not welcome to play. When the booked bands finish, the jukeboxes go on. Those who might wish to listen to folk music have to contend with wall to wall young drunks (attracted by the changed choice of music). Purses are stolen and the streets later at night, particularly at the River Medway end of the town, are becoming dangerous.

This year booked bands and sides were failing to turn up – no doubt because their enjoyment of the festival had been diminished. The crowds, too, were noticeably down this year. The musicians who used to attend the "fringe" now almost wholly stay away. Soon no-one will go there at all.

This all relates directly to the choice of music. If the festival is to survive it is imperative to return to acoustic, participative, and less formalised music in the pubs. This may involve the council in some loss of control, but that would not necessarily be any bad thing.

We have written to you twice before to point out the dangers of the centrally controlled music policy adopted, and have not even had the courtesy of acknowledgments. We should be grateful to know that our views are at least noted.

Yours faithfully

Richard McD. Bridge

CC "What's On Folks".