In recent years we have seen a real boom in festivals.

New food and music events have appeared here and there, and it appeared our love of a sitting out on the grass and enjoying ourselves could be indulged at some great new dates appearing in our calendar.

But sadly the question has to be asked, have we overdone it? There was a cheese festival earlier this year at Hove Lawns which was hit by the weather. Not a lot they could have done as the snow stopped exhibitors turning up. Maybe it was the wrong time of year for The Big Cheese Festival.

But there have been festivals that have had to be cancelled to, with The Big Day Out being the latest.

Today we have a preview of the Foodies Festival, which is relatively new but seems to be doing well.

Much longer standing and well established, the Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival is always well attended for its main event and holds other events throughout the year.

Then the there is obviously the Brighton Festival and Fringe and Pride has, crucially, built up steadily over many years.

That was the case with famous festivals across the country and we need to be very careful here.

The food and drink festival and these other established events have worked hard to give the city a strong name as a host for successful festivals.

The organisers of events which have struggled have not done anything wrong but would do well to look at how the successful festivals built up their brand to become long standing. Then they can help add to the good reputation of the city and its festivals.