Captain Ginger (can I call you Ginge?)

I too run a folk club that's not too bad (one could always do more of course).

We started last November with 70 in attendance for the first night(Wendy Arrowsmith taking the main guest slot....who you ask, well my wife actually!!!). We have averaged 35-50 for the normal (monthly) club nights since then, main guests have included Tom Bliss, Richard Grainger, Keepers Fold and Bill Evans & Meg Lynch (who though all very good , they aren't household names outside the folky world). We had 110 paying customers for the Winter Warmer weekend we ran with Jez Lowe as the main guest ably assisted by Duncan McFarlane Band and a host of other local, regional and acts from elsewhere.

While I agree these may not be Wembley Arena sized crowds and I don't pretend all is well in the folk world (see thread above) it does show that there remains some interest. The club is situated in a small village in North Yorks 15 miles from Darlington and 7 miles from Northallerton....with no public transport links, people really have to try to get here!

We put on 2 or 3 booked acts (including the main guest)in the concert room for each club night and have a singaround before and after the "concert" in the bar. This means we can cater for all abilities in an appropriate setting, we also work hand in hand with Burneston folk club which is a weekly singaround club. It seems to be working OK.

Not for me to say if it is a well run club....I'll leave that to others....but people are coming in greater numbers than I expected.

.....it ain't all doom and gloom, cheer up mate!

Paul