I wrote:-
"The number of gigs available to folk performers has diminished greatly with the years. "

Why is this? Well there are a variety of reasons.

* The generation of organisers who started running clubs in the 1960s and 1970s were really plentiful. Folk clubs in every town in the UK. Some lost money, others lost interest, some found it too much work and lessened their commitment (monthly rather than weekly etc.) Most of these organisers were performers, some were pro- musicians, some semi- pro, some enthusiastic amateurs.

* Every university and college in the country had a thriving folk club that booked many guest performers. Some had sizeable grants (mine did) from the Students' Union to help them with this. How many universities have folk clubs in 2012.

* As recently as 2007, I was organising tours of Arts Centres, either for an African musician friend of mine or for Shirley Collins and her presentations. Though often staffed by enthusiastic amateurs, theese establishments had hefty ACE grants. Their programmes were full of the established and the rising stars of the folk scene. I still get circulars from many of these establishments. It is obvious that cuts in grants are making these places much more circumspect in their programming; those that remain open, that is. Five years since I organised such tours - I wouldn't like to be doing so in 2012.

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I

Back in the 1970s Tina and I were getting quite a lot of work in folk clubs, festivals and playing in our dance band - yet we never seriously considered trying to make a living from our music. Even in those much more encouraging times, it seemed far to precarious. We wanted a family, the security of owning our own home etc. so we stuck to our day jobs - and both did very well in them. We have continued to enjoy a good semi-pro connection with folk music and this has extended since our retirement - but we never actually hassle for gigs, we just take the ones that we are offered that we fancy, which is not all of them. I feel that we made the right choice.

One guilty feeling that I have occurs when I have had conversations with folk music professionals who have been having a hard time and they blurt out hoe little thay have been earning.... and I gulp as I realise that we are earning more from music ourselves.