For me going to Sidmouth is a foreign holiday. I've been there for the last three years and have thouroughly enjoyed myself and intend to go back again this year (althought the clash of dates with Cambridge which I've been attending for a lot longer means I'll miss the first week-end).

The loss of the Volunteer as a venue would be a big blow to the festival (whether or not it was a money spinner to the organisers in itself it did attract a lot of people to the Festival who presumably attended other pay in events as well).

Even in my short time as a Sidmouth 'regular' I've seen a few venues disappearing. I found the ban on sessions during the day in the front part of the Anchor last year very irritating last year. There were a lot of people going round looking for places to play sessions and very few places available to do so. If the crowd from either the Volunteer or the Theatre Bar go and occupy the 'Swan' there'll hardly be anywhere left at all. It would be nice if the singers and players of tunes could co-exist in these locations, but this rarely seems to work out for whatever reason.

I wonder if it would be possible for the organising Committee, Mrs Casey or whoever (I don't fully understand the relationship here and don't want to - the last thing I need when I'm on my holidays is to get involved in the local politics!) to put some pressure (or at least try to persuade) some more of the local pubs to allow sessions (tunes, singarounds or mixed) during the day. The more venues for 'fringe' activities, the more people will come to the festival, the more people come the more food and drink the pubs will sell etc.

I've thouroughly enjoyed my occasional visits to the Volunteer lunch-time sessions, but I agree withe previous contributors that it can be a bit clannish. I've never felt comfortable in starting a song there myself - but thats probably as much my own fault as anything else.

One thing I do find strange about the Volunteer is the way that they book in musicians to provide a break for the singers (its often the other way round here in Ireland) and then talk loudly all the way through the tunes (sometimes about how nice the music is) and all clap at the end. Some of us would like to be able to hear the tunes as well !

That said I'm looking forward to being back at Sidmouth and hope that a way can be found to accommodate everyone at what I think is a very special festival. Thanks to all the organisers and Volunteer Stewards for making it possible.