Dave Polshaw
There are clubs, Like Lewes etc. that are thriving, inclusive and generally good places to be.

The problem is that, following Folkiedave's Gothic fantasy and my reply within the theme, we have been held up as an example of what is wrong with folk clubs and why they are collapsing.

I'll try and break down the exchange to it's essentials -
Folkiedave: If a group of total strangers turned up at your club and wanted a floorspot, would they get one?
The Snail: Yes, it happens often.
Folkiedave: If they turned out to be really awful, would you put them on again if they turned up the next week?
The Snail: Yes. I'm speculating there because this has never happened but I'm pretty sure we would. Performing in an atmosphere of people who are inclusive, welcoming and who clearly care deeply about their music would be bound to have a beneficial influence. They could hardly fail to improve. We've had some who, while not awful, were somewhat short of wonderful. Watching them develop has been a joy.

How about we have the 'improvers' running from 7:30 to 8:30 before the main part of the audience arrives? Promotion to getting a floor spot after 8:30 could be a real goal for some!
I really ought to check with the other residents but I think we would find that anathema. A folk club is a social occasion. You can't expect people to pass a test before they are considered full members of society. What do you do about visiting strangers? Would we put Dave and the Goths in the improvers only to discover they were travelling incognito on their way home from Cropredy? Did the collectors use the same policy? Would Jim Carroll have told source singers "That's not good enough. I'm not going to record you until you've done a bit more practice."?

The folk scene around here is thriving. As Breton Cap said "Maybe [other parts] could adopt some of the ideas we have used down here.