They can always get better. The day you sit back and relax and think that the audience will turn up is the day you get a nasty shock. There is always room for improvement.

I changed the name from Market Rasen Folk Club to Faldingworth Live to better identify it as a concert venue.

I also try to steer away from referring to performers as folk singers as that drives away the locals who when they hear that word, run a mile.

Operating in a rural area and in a Village Hall with a community of about 300 aging residents means that it would not survive if they were the only people attending.

We tend to get between 60 to 90 attendees for each concert. Of that about 30% represent the villagers and 70 % from other areas.

The 30% have never heard of the performers before, whereas the 70% are into the folk world so know who has been booked.

To keep the audience up to a level that pays the bills, we advertise in the papers, on radio, by website Faldingworth Live including myspace and diary websites such as Folktalk, Display posters, hand out diaries and word of mouth including phoning people who want to go but have a tendency to forget (must be the aging process). There is little point putting artists on and not promoting. We also rely on artists promoting their gigs at Faldingworth by notifying their fans.

We try to make everybody welcome and have a bar on most nights.

Barring unforeseeable problems we start on time. A very important point in my opinion.

We are on one level and have disability parking and disability toilet facilities.

We try to keep the prices as affordable as possible.

We have our own PA system and portable stage. We have a very good couple called Gwenda & Terry Cater who do a wonderful job as PA technicians. We have 3 people who work very hard from the village in relation to the hall and bar.

We are definitely not a folk club but in all honesty, most of the performers are well known in the folk world.

To see pictures of the hall http://www.faldingworthlive.co.uk/faldingworth_live_photo's.htm

Yes we can make improvements and over time that is what we have tried to do.

I like to think we are successful, but we are well aware that things could go pear-shaped overnight.

Having said all that, one of the best Inclusive Singaround folkclubs in Lincolnshire is Gainsborough Folk Club. However I will leave somebody from there if they so wish, to explain why they are so good.

I have posted to give an idea of how we do it. I strongly believe that it up to each place to decide what they think works best and stick to it. Yes you will get the whingers who never get off their arse to help, but know how to do things better. That's life.

Above all I have to say that as a group overall, I think that folkies are the nicest people in the world.