I suppose there are two ways of being a folkie - one way is where the company and the social side is the main thing, and the music and the song are the means towards this; and the other is where the music and the songs are more important.

Nothing wrong with either and I suspect that pretty well everyone starts off with the company and the social side being the main thing -but issues like age are likely to be more important than when the music and the songs take over centre stage. Folk clubs dominated by a bunch of friends who are much older aren't the best way through that phase.

I'd imagine that once you really get into it the fact that it's all ages would be one of the attractions.

There's also a tension in folk music between the wish to feel you are part of a continuing tradition, and that you are part of something new and fresh. That can never be resolved, because it is fundamental to the whole genre that it should be both things at the same time.