it's another all encompassing Sidmouth Folk Week

Sidmouth is my favourite kind of festival; infecting as it does a whole town with its unapologetically traditional spirit. With over five hundred events over an eight day period, in addition to the numerous 'fringe' offerings, it offers a bewildering choice to the festival goer. It may seem impossible to take it all in given the time available, but that is missing the point somewhat. Whether your thing is music or dance: whether you spectate or participate; Sidmouth offers a freedom of choice that is rarely encountered elsewhere. Everyone is free to create a festival experience that is truly unique to them.

The festival takes place in assorted venues around the town. The main venue is the Ham Marquee at the eastern end of the seafront. It seats 1500, and there is a lovely grassed area out front for chillin' between events. The bar sells a range of locally sourced beers, and there are a range of food stalls on site. These hail from the more upmarket end of festival catering; there is 'Posh Nosh' who offer top quality food and excellent coffee. This is important: the Sidmouth day starts at 9:30 with workshops, and officially ends at about 1:30 in the morning after the Bulverton ceilidh. It lasts for eight days and staying awake is imperative if you want to get your money's worth. Extra food options are provide d by a lovely crepe stall and a by healthy vegetarian offering which manages to be both tasty and reasonably priced too. Of course, being in a seaside town, there are plenty of cafes, chippies and takeaways, not to mention a Co-op and a Tescos.

Other venues, with the exception of the Bulverton, are no more than a 10-15 minute walk from the Ham. In many ways it feels like the whole town is really just one big venue. There are dance displays, stalls and busking all along the seafront. There are street entertainers in the middle of the town. In the Blackmore Gardens, there is a small stage open air stage and a gathering of marquees. One is the Hobgoblin marquee, which sells what must be their whole range of musical instruments and related items. Another marquee hosts workshops and concerts. The open air stage hosts performances often aimed at the younger sort of festival goers, who are well catered for at Sidmouth.

Many of the local pubs stage their own concerts, singarounds and ceilidhs. Well worth a visit is the Anchor, who have Ceilidh every afternoon in the garden. These events are often free to attend, indeed it seems possible to have a perfectly brilliant time at Sidmouth Folk Week without buying a ticket for anything. Just find somewhere to pitch your tent, and you're off.

However, if you are prepared to spend a bit, and most are. You can enjoy an aspect of the festival that is not often experienced elsewhere. It is possible to be inspired here, be it to take up a musical instrument, learn a new dance or otherwise just to try something new. Once inspired it is possible to act on that seed of inspiration and nurture it into something special using one of the many workshops on offer. A case in point was Sam Sweeney, who ran a beginners violin workshop. It was therefore possible for anyone who was inspired by Sam, having seen him in Kerfuffle, Bellowhead or Jon Boden's Remnant Kings, to buy a violin in the Hobgoblin Marquee and then be taught to play it by the very person who inspired them. There are hundreds of workshops. They generally take place in the mornings and must cover any kind of dance or music which you may be interested in. Of particular note are the 'Folk a Cola' workshops, which are aimed at those aged between 14 and 18. All levels of ability are catered for, and are indicated in the festival programme, so there's really no excuse.

The camp-site is about 1.5 miles out of town. Big yellow buses offer a regular service, early 'till late. It costs £2 for a single trip, £24 for a season ticket, and there are various options in between. The camp-site is on a scenic, rolling hill out in the country. A camp-site shops sells food and other necessary items. Additionally, there is food stall, selling breakfasts, burgers, pork rolls etc. There are plenty of standpipes for water, proper flushing toilets and, importantly, showers. Its an eight day event so personal hygiene needs to be considered. Showers are generally warm and often queue free, which can't be bad.

Over the road from the camp-site is the Bulverton Marquee, which hosts concerts and the daily late night ceilidh. Once the evening is over, its a quick lurch down hill and you are back at your tent. There is a separate area of the camp-site for families with children, so they won't be woken up late and they won't wake anyone early. Everyone's a winner.

See our daily round ups for review of the music at Sidmouth Folk Week.

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