It's hard to convey tone with the written word (either on paper or cyberspace) and misunderstanding can easily occur, there isn't that immediacy of being able to restate or to develop arguments in real time. I dare say if you met the Countess, as I have, you might find that you could spend some time amicably agreeing or disagreeing over a pint or two!

Countess, your points are valid. The problem is that there isn't very much money sloshing around in the traditional arts of the UK and I don't see the situation improving. From the point of introducing new people to folk music, a "nicer" or more familiar environment could help. Nevertheless, clubs and sessions play an important part in the development of careers and also making folk music inclusive, giving people the opportunity to not just be a spectator, but to participate. You don't develop stagecraft just by going to a festival workshop and then playing to your bedroom mirror. Even the new wave of artists such as Spiers and Boden have needed the sweaty joints to develop into the great artists that they have become.