What I meant to write was that most folk activity doesn't need much funding. It is mainly the glossy showbiz end - big stage mega events - and formal education that does. There is plenty of quality folk activity in the NW - much of it by ordinary folk just getting on with playing and singing but some is even produced in the very civic venues that Ruston was decrying. Characterising civic venues as only putting on the Houghton Weavers is a complete distortion and will hardly encourage them to keep up their good work. Here in "civic" Lancashire we've recently had (or are about to get) Waterson:Carthy, Chris Wood, Bellowhead, Karine Polwart, Eliza Carthy, June Tabor, Warsaw Village Band, and a whole host of other big names (if that's your poison). We've just had Folkus's Waddow Hall participatory weekend. There are lots of private individuals promoting clubs and one off events. The grass is certainly greener in the North East but the funding there didn't just appear from the ether - people chose to animate things themselves and then persuade others to come on board.

(There is another debate to be had elsewhere, of course, about whether an activity qualifies as folk at all if it can only be done with the imprimatur of state funding...)