"PS, if I had to guess at a number of people actually earning the whole of their living from folk and similar music (so excluding those with part early pensions etc - which I think takes out even Ian Bruce as he got some sort of payoff when he was removed from conventional economic activity, as his song "Blue Denim Days" relates (if my memory serves)) I'd put it at more like 100 than 1,000 in England. "

Since those heady days of rampant Thatcherism/Freidmanism the number of folk earning a living from numerous sources increased dramatically, so it may not be realistic to exclude the likes of Ian Bruce from your headcount. Also depends on your definition of "making a living" (I prefer to use "making" rather than "earning" - based on my perception of many professional football players I've paid good money I've "earned" to watch!) Whilst Shell oil tanker drivers "earn" an average of £42000 there are any number of folk musicians who manage to exist on a great deal less than that.

Numerous posters on here bemoan the fact that folk has changed over the years, and wonder what happened to the folk club template of the 60's and early 70's. It still exists in some areas, and remains fairly healthy. It puzzles me why some are prepared to admit to not supporting guest nights (because forking out a few quid and not getting to sing is a no no for a good night out) and then wonder why some club organisers throw in the towel. It's a fact that many more people now are playing an active rather than passive role in "folk clubs", and that must be one of the reasons the picture is changing. I think it's healthy, but then I'm not whittling about where my next booking's coming from, or when I'm next gonna sing, or how long it will be before my turn comes round again etc etc...

The folk/acoustic music scene is thriving - though not necessarily in the direction some folk wanted it to go. Again that puzzles me, because I thought (in my younger, more naive days I have to admit) that folk ethos embraced a form of democracy. Silly me - but I'm older and a little bit wiser now.

Go with the flow - be happy