Hi Penguin Egg,

In answer to your questions:-

1. Membership. Some clubs HAVE been run as members only, as a defence against the "two in a bar" law, a private members club having been exempt until the Licensing Act 2003.

This situation may change, as this type of club is no longer exempt, but it was necessary in areas where councils were heavy handed and PELs were very expensive (over £4000 per year in some cases).

2. Most clubs cannot afford to advertise in newspapers, and, given that ads in many cases have to be changed weekly, it is a heavy burden on the person handling publicity, who also works full time and most likely has a family to consider.

Clubs DO advertise in local magazines run by volunteers, usually on a bi-monthly basis, but this of course doesn't help out of area people, as they have no way of getting copies. Also some local newspapers do operate a free "What's On" listing (with varying standards of accuracy) which includes folk clubs.

Also, a visit to www. folkandroots.co.uk will open up a nationwide listing of those which have taken the trouble to inform the webmaster of their existence.

Taking your first point about feeling left out, my answer would depend on more detailed information about your experience. There are always two sides to every story, and although my first instinct would be to say you should have been greeted and welcomed, it is also true that when there are numbers of people at the door, paying to get in, this doesn't always happen. If in this case you take a seat and keep to yourself, you may well be overlooked, not snobbery just lack of attention.

I have been in this position (very rarely), but I soon learned the trick of buttonholing someone (before the music starts) and asking for details of the club. Once you do that, you will find that the result will be that you are drawn int the circle, and become part of the proceedings.

There ARE a tiny number of clubs which are dedicated to one type of music only, and I only visit those once. I don't see that as snobbery of any sort, it's just their choice and they are entitled to run THEIR club however they choose, but it's not what I'm looking for so I go elsewhere.

Don T.