Everything that Les says about the free programmes is true and I have fought hard to get them this year. However, I have just been given some bad news:

Chris Wade, the festival director, has informed me that, despite the best efforts of the publicity man Ray Grange, only one pub (the Sun) is prepared to take advertising space in the festival programme. That effectively scuppers any plans for a free programme although Chris says that they will be cheaper than in previous years - possibly £1.

I have written an intro to the fringe to go in the programme and have mentioned all of the venues involved. I have also produced a one page table of fringe events which I will distribute to the pubs so that they can copy them and hand out to customers if they wish. This is not what we had hoped for but we can't expect the festival organisers to produce thousands of extra copies for nowt and, unlike last year, we don't have any money for printing.

Roger