Perhaps it's true that there are fewer folk clubs now than there were in the 1960s - but has anybody actually counted? It does seem to be the case that the average age of punters and performers at folk clubs is higher now than it was then - probably because quite a lot of them are the same people, grown somewhat older, if not any wiser. (Me, for one.) Nevertheless, there are compensations.

There are certainly far more festivals, sessions and ceilidhs on offer now than there were then. We also have access to far more recordings, covering a much broader range of musical genres and styles under the umbrella of "folk". And while the number of youngsters actively involved in folk music may be relatively small, the quality of music some of these kids produce is astonishingly good. All in all, I don't think we should be too downhearted.

Wassail!