Life can be funny when you look back on it. Pre the snug/song circle row, there was one room open to all Mudcatters (and others) for folk songs that was pretty well open to suit most times and with a number of admins...

There was nothing wrong with the opening of the Snug and I respect and I agree with Dave's (nynia) motives for setting up such a room. Where the shame came in was that there seemed to have to be a one or other situation and the open room was at one time closed so there was no supposed competetion (in fact was supposed to alternate per night) and little or no discussion from that point on, even though the open room was alwas open and started based on a concensus in favour of that option. The rows really were because the Snug had to be the only room and anyone who tried to go back to a concensus was being argumentative, not keeping the peace, "bringing that old shit up", etc.

The way it seems to have worked from then on is that most of the ones who like the open stuff have largely moved over to non-mudcat rooms (although some combine both and some Mudcatters run open rooms and working the other way, contary to the arguments at the time have made new friends - even if few are primarily folk players) and the Snug seems to make the couple of hours once a week but the rest of the time many who were argueing for a Mudcat (closed room) do not suppport it or keep it open for long and I suspect some of the suporters never attend.

Look back and think on what you killed for the sake of for what for a long time has at best a 2 hr once a week offering for UK people and congratulate yourselves.

Jon