Generating an audience is the philosopher's stone of folk music. If I knew the answer to that I'd be making a fortune as a promoter.

True most attenders perform, and only the occasional audient turns up, and I feel that that is all about advertising. We advertise in a folk publication, which produces almost exclusively performers. The local press, the dreaded KM, are not at all supportive of local clubs, and indeed counterproductive, as they constantly publish erroneous details, telling local people that we have a singers night when we have booked someone really expensive, and then sending them all along to see him the next week, when we have a sing........

When we complain, they say "Well it is a FREE listing". The message is clear. Unless we are prepared to pay fees we cannot afford, we are not going to get reliable service.

If anybody can tell me how I can get a message out to the general public, to let them know that things have changed, and there really is something for everyone, I would be eternally grateful.

Last autumn I performed at an outdoor concert supported by our Borough Council, and did a ten minute interview with the local press, who promised profile raising editorial comment. When the paper appeared, there was a half page on the concert containing, in one corner, a head and shoulders photo of myself, and a caption "Local club organiser Don Thompson performing". They didn't even give the name of the club. If this was a question of space, they could have left my name out, and replaced it with the club's name. I would have been happy with that. Local TV are not interested either, so how can we spread the news?

Don T.