some more info on those London clubs I mentioned.

(By the way, I didn't mean to suggest that any healthiness or unhealthiness, of folk clubs in London is in any way representative of the rest of the UK. It's just that, being a Londoner who attends these things, it's the only thing I can really talk about with any insight. It does strike me that London is in rude health folkwise: I could go to something folky every night of the week if I wanted to. Then again, it's a big place...)

None of the places I mentioned are singalongs or sessions. Though, of course, a good deal of singing along often spontaneously occurs... Much as I love singalongs and sessions, my main personal interest is in performing, whether its original or traditional material. There are other people on this board who are much better placed to tell you about the best places in London for singalongs and sessions. (The Cellar Upstairs, as Diane pointed out, is one; Court Sessions at Tooting Constitutional is another; Walthamstow Folk et al...)

In decreasing order of traditional folkiness:

Magpie's Nest (www.themagpiesnest.co.uk)
Probably familiar to many on this board. Run by Sam Lee, who works at Cecil Sharp House, and others. Have a look at the website to see the sort of performers they book: right across the folk spectrum but are usually quite well known, and similar mix of ages. Format is always 1 or 2 established featured acts preceded by an hour of floorspots (which are open mic, not pre-booked). Almost always busy – I've hopeless at guessing numbers in rooms, but I'd say audience numbers vary between about 30–100ish. Magpie's Nest have also put on events in bigger venues than their Islington pub hub.

The Goose is Out (www.thegooseisout.com)
Similarish booking policy to Magpie's Nest really. Recent performers have included Martin Carthy, John Kirkpatrick, Chris Wood, Alasdair Roberts. They put on big name performers at Dulwich Hamlet Football Club, and smaller acts at local pubs. Always very well attended, almost miraculously so given that all events are in south london's East Dulwich, where there's no tube. Very well promoted, most tickets sold in advance via established online places like ticketmaster, wegottickets etc, many sell out in advance. Format is name performer with a couple of short sets from lesser-knowns. Again, broad mix of ages.

The Local (www.localism.org.uk)
Regular monthly events in the basement of the Kings Head in Crouch End. Howard Monk, the promoter, also puts on various other events elsewhere in London, and also puts on similar nights at the Dulcimer Club in Chorlton, Manchester. All pre-booked acts. It's very much a "Green Man Festival' sort of vibe: UK folk, Americana, psysch and often a distinctly 60s/70s whiff. (They run an annual festive fun event called Folk Idol, which in 2008 was won by a certain chap called Matt Milton.) Upcoming shows include Devon Sproule and Alela Diane. Their Kings Head regular night is always well attended and I'd say is about 150 capacity. Distinctly younger (for folk) audience.

Easycome Acoustic (myspace.com/easycome1)
Folk at the moon (myspace.com/folkatthemoon)
Basket Club (myspace.com/thebasketclub)
Lantern Society (http://www.trevormossandhannahlou.com/#/lanternsociety/4529301645)

Easycome Acoustic is a bit of a south london institution – it's been going about 15 years. Run by Andy from the alt.country band the Hankdogs, it packs on far too many acts onto a titchy stage above the Old Nuns Head in Nunhead every Wednesday. Format is booked guests plus open mic, but the lines get a bit blurred as the night goes on (as does the host's speech and vision). Audience (and performers) range from precocious teenagers to grizzled trad singers, with a few ageing punks in the middle: a median age in its early 30s I'd say. Chaotic anarchic but great - some of the best nights out I've had in the past few years.

The organizers of Folk at the Moon, Basket Club and Lantern Society all met at Easycome. A chap called Greg, who sings Dylanish, Townes Van Zandty orginal songs under the nom de stage of Harrisburg, tirelessly organises Folk At the Moon and Basket Club. Bigger names at FATM (at the Herne Hill Half Moon), with occasional guests from the US, while the his Basket Club in Brixton is a Monday night free-entry thing for up and coming, with donations requested for the "Basket" to pay em. All pre-booked acts; no floorspots.

Lantern Society is basically Easycome transposed to the Betsey Trotwood pub in Farringdon. As a performer, I prefer it to Easycome, as you're more likely to get a floorspot: in fact, unlike Easycome, it's entirely floorspots, although they do occasionally opportunistically invite acts to play full sets if anyone interesting is visiting London at the time. It's quite an off-radar night and I suspect Trevor and Hannah who organise it like it that way. Trev and Hannah perform themselves; used to be in the bluegrassy band Indigo Moss. The club is mostly sets by the diehard regulars. As the landlord is very sympathetic, the club sometimes goes on all night.

In fact, it's well worth checking out the Betsey Trotwood's website, because most of the music put on there tends towards folk, bluegrass and Americana. I think more people on the folk circuit should know about the Betsey, as I'm sure the landlord would be amenable to putting on a gig there as a London node on any tour: www.thebetsey.com/events

Those are my personal faves, which reflects my own predilections. I'll also mention in passing the Green Note in Camden, the Undercover Folk Club open mic that the Woodlarks do monthly in Brixton and the Gladstone pub in Borough. All are myspace-able and google-able.