If you don't know much about childcare or families, Diane, then it's not up to you to start telling people who have children when they should eat their meals or go home to the babysitter. To suggest that people should not have children, or not attend folk clubs, if they can't keep the hours and habits that you happen to favour is arrogant and high-handed. They have a perfcet right to arrange their lives on their own terms.

There are plenty of pubs that host open folk sessions and also provide meals. I (personally) don't like this mixture much - it means that the musicians and singers are jostling for space around tables, among customers who are more interested in their sticky-toffee-pudding than in the music, and who may well want to chat over the noise, but if that's what you like, I'm sure you can find it.

Folk club like those in Lewes, on the other hand, are for people who want to give their full attention to the music. Such clubs tend to have limited space, so they use what space there is for seating rather than having tables for drinks/food, and can thus accommodate more people. I know I'd rather sit in a group of 50 attentive folkies than among 20 diners treating the music as background cabaret.

You can choose which of these types of event you want to attend (always assuming you can get there and get home). Yes, public transport is often inadequate - if you think Lewes is a "hick" place you should try living here in Devon! - but that's not the fault of the locals or the club organisers, so please don't whinge to them or us about it.

Marje