To be honest I'm reassured that its a mystery to some people where all the young folkies are. I'm glad these "mythical people" never set foot in folk clubs and I'm certainly glad the second poster said those that do try are "mostly audience".

Where you're going wrong is in expecting them to come. The folk clubs of this country are long past being vibrant and new and the enthusiastic young people who started them are now enthusiastic older people. Don't get me wrong, I think there are some superb clubs, but let young people start up their own clubs with their own rules. And when they do don't be surprised when you're not invited.

There is no shortage of young performers, its audience that seems to be the problem. And the truth is there are millions upon millions of young people who like this music but don't even know it - they think they're into 'alt-country' or 'new acoustic' or even 'acoustic emo-core'. And the reason they like these kinds of music but don't think they like folk is because they don't have a chance to hear good folk music because it only ever happens in folk clubs (which you're hardly going to accidentaly stumble into) and nice cosy jumper wairing Radio2.

Next step is to stop sifting all music into two piles - folk, and non-folk. And when that happens we can get folk onto the radio properly - not in a "folk programme" but in its own right. It'll happen trust me, we just need another year or so...