Thanks for all your excellent comments.

Some picked up on the glaring omission from my list that started this thread: "... the women ...".

These days, when you go to a folk club it means singing, playing, listening to the music, relaxing and having a drink and chat with friends. The younger you wanted to meet members of the opposite sex, make a name for yourself as a singer, have a lot to drink, show off to your mates, meet more members of the opposite sex etc.

There's been a lot of discussion about getting younger people to come to folk clubs, but when you think about it, if they go to a folk club now, the chances of meeting someone of the opposite sex of a similar age are … approximately nil!

Perhaps the best way to get young people to go to folk clubs is if we old f***s stop going!