Just as a matter of interest, how many clubs have a regular attendee who uses a wheelchair? I go to the Wooden Horse folk club in Rainford, Lancashire on a Sunday and there's a young lady who comes most weeks who needs a chair to get around due to her Spina Bifida. The club room is up a flight of stairs so would score minus points for that but that doesn't stop Sharon from getting out of the chair and going up the stairs on her behind using her arms to lever herself up with. She won't have anybody carry her although the offer is always there. Someone will carry her chair upstairs where she gets back into it. Unfortunately Sharon is in hospital at the moment after an operation on her neck and isn't too well so we haven't seen her for a few months. We look forward to seeing her at the club when she's ready to return.
I used to live in Peterborough and there was another lady who used a wheelchair - again Spina Bifida was the reason - although Anna could walk sometimes so it wasn't too much of a problem if a club was up a flight of stairs. Anna was a big help to me when I was in hospital with a broken back. I had no idea at the time if I would be able to walk again and she was very practical and gave me lots of advice just in case it should come to that. Thankfully after 14 weeks lying on a hospital bed I did get up and walk again but I had an insight into the difficulties that I could have faced and people do face so if people look like they need assistance I offer it but if they want to do things their way I'll let them but I'm ready to lend a hand if necessary. A flight of stairs needn't be an obstacle if there's enough people about to give assistance.

Kids in clubs? I go to another club on a Monday evening where a lady had been a couple of times and gave a great rendition of Lovely Joan on one occasion. She was on her own because her husband was at home looking after the kid(s). The next week she asked the organiser if she could bring her 7 year old son along for the evening. It was in an upstairs room away from the main body of the pub and the landlady had no objections. It put the organiser on the spot a bit because although we're not "blue", some of the patter and banter can get a little adult but not crude or offensive. Anyway we decided that he could come in and we'd watch our p's and q's but the decision was made not to allow anyone under 16 to come along in future. In the end someone (who was a teacher as are several other attendees) spoke to this woman in the main pub and said things to the effect that she comes out to enjoy herself and not look after kids all night after working all day with them, etc so that effectively told her to take little lad home. I don't think we'll see her again somehow which is a shame and at the end of the night I said to the teacher that I'm sure he would have enjoyed the night - I would have had to have changed one of my songs but that's no hardship. Does anybody have any other comments about this subject?

Youth friendly? If any came in I'm sure they'd be encouraged to play - if they came in!

Cheers
Mark