You should get out for walkies more, WAB. English folk music is alive and well and living in the provinces, at festivals like Rydale Folk Weekend, Scarborough Seafest and in folk clubs like Kirby Fleetham were we had a magnificent feast of English folk music the other weekend. In fact, it's more localised than just English (and none the worse for that), as people sing traditional songs from, and write new ones about, their locality. I, too, deplore global Americanisation, but English music is in good shape to repel the invaders - indeed, welcome them and then show them how it should be done. :)