I certainly am not going to claim that there are lots of youngsters at folk clubs. But there are a hell of a lot of them at festivals, both performing and as punters.

The Young Coppers launched their new CD at Cecil Sharp House in London on Thursday. The concert bill was packed with younger folkies. In the audience (and the post-gig bar) were a member of the Beautiful South and Graham Coxson from Blur. Not kids, I grant you, but young by folk standards...and from the pop scene.

Cambridge and Towersey festivals usually get particularly large numbers of young attenders, but others such as Warwick, Shepley and Sidmouth attract robust younger audiences, especially evident at the late night events.

In terms of artists - well, the scene is chocka with younger people at the moment. I can't be arsed to make a list. Perhaps what you actually mean, Gene, is that they're not booking you.

Re Mudcat: this is one tiny and quite specialist niche of the folk scene. The majority of young people with a burgeoning interest in folk will never find their way here. There are many other avenues for them, though.