Sent via email to Ian Locke with copies to Tom Grainger and the Echo:

Dear Mr. Locke:

My wife and I will be leaving the U.S. on 31 August to spend two weeks in England. We have budgeted £2,000 for sightseeing costs, above and beyond our housing and car rental costs. One of our favorite activities when traveling is to attend music 'sessions,' especially those emphasizing folk and/or traditional music. As musicians ourselves, we find it very enjoyable to join in the sharing of our music as well as the partaking of that of others.

One disturbing tendency I'm finding is the interpretation of some local government bodies to treat public sessions as an 'entertainment' requiring licensing. Since I find sessions to be one of the means by which traditional music can be maintained and conveyed to succeeding generations, I believe that, despite the fact they may have some entertainment value, sessions are more educational in nature and should be encouraged rather than restricted.

I've recently found that Weymouth is one of those jurisdictions imposing what I see as unreasonable restrictions on musical sessions. Due to that fact, we will, unfortunately, be forced to forego any visit to your area and will instead spend our money in jurisdictions which take a more enlightened attitude to public sessions. Hopefully, your council will see fit to encourage the dissemination of traditional music in the future. Until such time, we will not be visitors to your area.

Yours truly,

Ivan L. Bradley