Echo letters 14 May 2003

I didn't urge boycott of festival

I seem to have been misrepresented in my opinions regarding whether or not the general public should have boycotted the Weymouth Folk Festival.

Whilst I condemn the local council for rigorously and heavy-handedly enforcing the current 'two-in-a-bar' licensing law and closing harmless culturally important and enjoyable folk sessions in local pubs, I would never urge the boycott of a valuable community event.

Folk music is a genre and culture under-represented in the media and in terms of funding and I applaud the council for continuing to support this event, if not others.

I have no wish to alienate the council or the festival's participants and organisers; nor do I have any wish to deprive fellow performers of work.

To set the record straight, what I said (in a Daily Telegraph article) was that there was "likely to be a boycott".

I continue to support campaigners in their efforts to guide the Government in its proposed new Bill (which is entirely another kettle of fish and would need a much longer letter!).

Eliza Carthy
North Dalton,
East Yorks