I was a regular attender at Dartford Folk Club, back in the Station Hotel days, and I have two comments to make about it.

1. I too felt that floor singers were made to feel unwelcome, and second class. In those days, the residents were no better (or worse) than many who wanted to do spots but felt excluded.

2. I did continue to go there while I was working in that area, because they booked top class guests. But I left the guitar at home, and didn't bother to try performing, and in due course found other clubs with good guests, AND plenty of enthusiasm for floor singers too, at which time I dropped my visits to Dartford.

In spite of his/her rather rude and agressive tone, GUEST 0732 and 0950 does have a good point. All club organisers run their clubs in the manner which best suits both their and the audience's needs, and the fact that Dartford still thrives after 35 years is proof absolute that its policies and format are achieving that in spades.

Now I can't speak as to the present day content, since I haven't been there since those early days in the seventies, but its continued success is self evident.

By the way, GUEST, not all floor singers are rank amateurs, muddling through half learned material played in three chords on an out of tune instrument.

Many of us are rather good at what we do, even to the point of getting booked fairly frequently as guests in clubs that recognise the existence of talented local performers. I, for one, do not sing dirges or indulge in navel gazing angst, and who knows, if space were made for floor singers, you might even have enjoyed an evening of song and humour from a guest artist you have not been given the chance to hear.

So you might like to practise a little of the tolerance you request from others, and admit that a few more floor spots could lead to good things happening. Just a thought!

Don T.