First - thanks to BigPinkLad for very helpful comments. I am certainly including Lindisfarne in the picture because Alan Hull came right out of the folk clubs and anyway they always had a folkie quality even at their most commercially popular. Interesting and frank comment about how you felt at the time about the local traditional folkies. I'd like to hear how other people reacted to different styles at the time and whether their attitudes have changed.

Now then, at risk of turning this into a giant posting that will irritate all and sundry ...

Hi Ged

The thesis is an attempt to do a critical study of a folk revival (looking at the wider social context, the music scene as a whole, and particular aspects of local history) that doesn't turn into a hatchet job.

I'm particularly interested in:

What music did you hear or play/sing as a kid? Was there any continuity from previous generations - in the family or at school?

What gigs/records/TV/radio/books/magazines further sparked your interest?

Who or what first inspired you to get more directly involved? At which club? Why that club as opposed to others? Did you become involved in the running of the club?

Did you feel conscious of any changes in material or style over time? Did you notice singer-songwriters and traditionalists moving further apart or did things stay much the same?

Were you aware of or bothered by disputes over authenticity, of what constituted "real" folk music?

Do you feel that there is anything about the region's music or its revival that makes it special?

Answers to any or all of these (and anything else you'd like to add) would be much appreciated.

Hope it's not asking too much!

Jude