Is Wigan Folk Club a folk club? By the definition of the public paying it isn't but I reckon it's a rather special place though, due to distance, I have only been twice.

I went on a Thursday night and arrived at a large Victorian(?) pub in not the greatest area I have ever been to. If it started at 9 I think I got there a little earlier but the place buzzed.

In a squarish shaped large room you had individuals and groups of people finding seats around the room - chatting, tuning, drinking etc When Joan who runs it arrived it started and I then had about 3-4 hours of enormous fun listening and playing to a hugely diverse group of people. If I remember the standard was generally good. There were stacks of people there to play and a load more who just watched.

It's well run; people behave and respect each other it seemed to me; the organiser takes the trouble to prepare a weekly communal song that everyone sings; etc etc