Sidmouth 05 is alive?

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 05 is alive?
From: GUEST,Steve in Sidmouth
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 07:44 AM

Nothing much in the Sidmouth Herald this week about the folk festival. We were all expecting a big announcement. There is a letter from Birmingham praising the SeeRed website for its coverage of the background issues - which may have got a little up the nose of some of those organising the "Hughes Fest", as the 2005 fringe is now called amongst some local folkies. You can view this by clicking on the link below and then on 'letters' on the left hand side. I tried to make a direct link but it didn't work.

Some locals are not buying the dance tickets because the decision was taken to hold them in a number of village halls scattered around and far from the town centre - where the dancing and music should (in our opinion) be concentrated. Amazingly, the dance coordinator apparently was not a member of the inner circle planning the 2005 fringe but was invited belatedly to the 23 October coven - which he couldn't make anyway. Some of us are seething about the lack of proper local consultation - but are we surprised?? This is Sidmouth after all.

On the bright side (depending on your point of view) the headlines in the Herald were of a £31,000 haul of cannabis. Also the recent storms made the seafront look like mid-winter. I am asking the Herald if I can have one of their photos for SeeRed. Read these stories too on the link below.

From 1 November there is a new website run by the Sidmouth Herald group and called www.devon24.co.uk. You could try this if you're interested in local news, also try www.sidmouthherald.co.uk for local news stories but few pictures. http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 05 is alive?
From: steve_harris
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 12:15 PM



I believe the punters will get 7 days of events and there will be several dances and/or workshops each day. Shall we say 3 events per day? That works out at 4.29 quid per event.

Your usage of "ridiculous" is possibly non-traditional :-)

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 05 is alive?
From: Blowzabella
Date: 29 Oct 04 - 05:20 PM

Steve,

I have no axe to grind here, as I've never been to Sidmouth. And yes, £4.29 is a good price for one dance. But (and I'm not a dancer, particularly either), I would say that you can't just expect to multiply that by the number of dances available and charge £90 and expect it to be considered the same good deal. Do you have any alternatives in mind - for people who don't necessarily want to go to three dances every day for seven days, to get their money's worth? (Even if they do make a 9p saving on the deal doing it that way)

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 05 is alive?
From: steve_harris
Date: 03 Nov 04 - 09:11 PM

"Do you have any alternatives in mind - for people who don't necessarily want to go to three dances every day for seven days"

Personally, I'd like a ticket that got me into 2-3 ceilidhs, some storytelling, a bit of Les Barker and a cream tea every day.

And if I don't get it, I'll ask someone to write me a protest folk song :-)

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 05 is alive?
From: John Golightly
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 07:07 AM

News of another thread


Several people have expressed a wish to terminate the thread
51st Sidmouth festival
and replace it as follows:



If you have news, questions (straight, not rhetorical), suggestions, or
something positive/constructive/forward-looking to say,
then please go to
Sidmouth 2005+ - news, info & support


If you have a problem with the way things are going, or with which individuals is/are
involved in helping them go that way, or if you want to discuss past history or
high-level strategic issues, or ask a rhetorical question, then try

Sidmouth 2005+ - opinions

Hopefully this will pull it all together!


John Golightly

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 05 is alive?
From: GUEST,The Burnley Cloggies
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 12:51 AM

This is only our second attempt to express our views on mudcat. We were rather put off when our first attempt earned us some negative abuse from Mr. Hughes and his supporters. All we wish to say now is that we will continue to follow with interest the various debates on Sidmouth's future but remain to be convinced that Mr. Hughes will be able to organise anything like as good a festival as we have enjoyed in the past. On a brighter note we thank John Golightly for letting us know of new threads as it was taking us an age to view the 51st Sidmouth festival thread so long had it become.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 05 is alive?
From: GUEST,Barney
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 01:09 AM

Anyone seeking an informative and impartial view of Sidmouth past, present and future should read the editorial in the latest "Living Tradition" magazine. I hope the author Pete Heywood won't mind me quoting his remarks that: "messages claiming a healthy future for the event are a little wide of the mark. It is likely that there will be a spin-off event, but we should face the fact that Sidmouth as we knew it is behind us".

There's some interesting background information explaining why Steve Heap quit and why anyone attempting to pick up the baton will find it difficult.

The editorial comes to the conclusion that: "It won't be impossible for somebody else to pick up the baton, but unless there is a significant change in the circumstances, it won't be easy."

An interesting conclusion from somebody who knows more than most us about what really caused Steve Heap to quit and what problems will be faced by anyone attempting to pick up the baton.

Subject: RE: Sidmouth 05 is alive?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 02:52 AM

Yes, it's probably true that "Sidmouth as we knew it is behind us" but those of us who have been going for any length of time know that the Sidmouth of recent years has been a completely different thing from Sidmouths of other eras. What we will now probably have is yet another incarnation of the festival, but that isn't to say that a wonderful, enjoyable Sidmouth festival can't burst from the sahes of the old one. And those who put their efforts and energy into helping this to happen may be able to create a festival that they will want to go to...and a lot of other people will enjoy.

Love Lynne