Ok Folks as the OP herabouts let me restate something or other. By the mid 1960's Folk Clubs could be found all over the UK. Generally, in or above pubs, they would meet regularly, have some residents who started the evening, guests who did a couple of 30 minute spots, floor singers, a charge to get in, a raffle and an audience many / some of which would be regulars.

Oh, and people sang 'folk songs' - no, no lets leave that alone for now.

Where ever we went around the country we could find one and know what the routine was.

By the 1970s thousands of these clubs existed. The evolved into other things - Singers Clubs, Sessions, dance clubs and events, concerts & festivals.

Amazing really.