Saw a good trad singer tonight in Mansfield - John Kelly of Wigan accompanying himself on the harmonium. Look out for him.

You might not wish to see some of the things you see in folk clubs - but its good for you - stretches your horizons - stops you from being an opinionated old fart who thinks he knows everything.

If all you want to hear is your prejudices confirmed - stick to watching Question Time - that gang of clowns have no option other than to keep trotting out the same old cliches to their fans.

Surely that's the saving grace of the folk clubs - a large measure of artistic freedom that the performers have - being outside the normal music industry. Of course freedom is not absolute and human nature being what it is, some people will abuse freedom.

However its that freedom which gives us the humanity of this institution that so many of us love.