Thanks to all of you for your advice, memories and links - this is brilliant. Boab, Santa and Richie - you've outlined 3 very different kinds of clubs - it just goes to show how widely the scene cast its nets. I'd love to hear more from all of you. Would you mind if I put you through the tedium of my catch-all questionnaire? If you're up for it, please would you PM me with your email address and I'll send it through as an attachment. It doesn't take THAT long - honest.

Thanks for the tip re Tim Readman, BigPinkLad. And Pistachio - thanks for reminding me to chase up Jez Lowe. I've been trying to talk to him for 2 years but always seem to catch him just as he's jetting off to America or somewhere else exotic (lucky lad). Sympathies re the White Horse - I saw the thread a few days ago. Isn't it scandalous that centralized policy can do this to a thriving local scene?

By the way, Guy, I'll be more than happy to put something up on the Mudcat at the end of all of this (Autumn 2006 if on schedule) - I think the full project might just be a bit much as I'm aiming at 80,000 words or so, but will certainly send through a condensed version and keep you posted on any chances of the full thing getting published (in my dreams!).

Cheers
Jude