How many people's hearts have ever sunk at the words "A song I wrote myself"? Mine invariably does........Sorry it is something I avoid if I can.

My first folk club was Harry's (Clarendon Oxford Rd.) and then I was closely involved with Folk Union One in its early days when The Watersons turned professional. so I suspect I may have been spoiled. "A song I wrote myself" were words you rarely heard.

I am not sure that we are being pushed into large concert venues as Brian suggests unless you are including festivals in this - I still see the small informal groups of people. I go to one each Monday evening, and this past week to another. Maybe we are lucky in Sheffield.

We are lucky in Sheffield there are plenty of sessions - but not much in the way of folk clubs. My objection to the unpractised singer is strictly limited to folk clubs - people (after a suitable amount of practice) do need somewhere in public to try out their skills and IMHO a session is a great place to do it. And there are young people there too.

I can remember one group - now national figures - who started singing in a not so well-attended sessions to see if their songs went well, trying their had at sessions in festivals, sang at sessions in the the National and then started getting festival bookings. They now tour Europe and the Americas.

I don't see a glimmer of hope for folk clubs unless young people start running them themselves. I see massive amounts of music around though, a lot of it played by young people and that is great.

And the shanty singers sound great Brian!