Sorry I have not been able to respond..........busy day.......

Manitas at home
I have read the mudcat thread on the origins of wild rover and I guess the more I read the more it appears that no one can give a definitive answer so let's all share it!

Paul,
      Yes I thought your info would be really useful for someone starting out trying to find somewhere to play folk music. Have done a few WI'S and you are right they are great fun but can lead to sudden weight gain!

Dave,
    Your thread started me thinking and led to this thread. Folk Karaoke.........now there is yet another idea!! I can see it now...at a festival near you ..in the beer tent....Oh nurse the screens!!

Leveller,
          So it is YOU who has stopped me getting my ugly sleep at festivals.... I can see your point..... however because I sometimes have to drive us home from a festival night as we have a gig the next day I have had to stay sober and some of the late night sessions I have seen have been....well lets just say that had they been video's some people would have red faces..... Like gathering in peoples homes for music.....again we get 5-10 bookings a year for private parties in people's houses....

Sleepy Rosie,
             Good point.....we have not tried the alt festivals and I have assumed rightly or wrongly that this is more the home of the "young" folks... would love to hear any young folks opinion on this.

Mark,
    Interesting that WI's come up again could they be unwittingly helping a type of folk music to survive...has anyone ever done a "tour" of WI's

Essex girl,
          We have performed at Rochester Sweeps festival a few years ago so know the pubs...what response do you get from the locals? Are the evenings attracting people in to the pub or are the locals leaving the pub to the singers?

Chas,
    Una my partner's sister lives in Malmo so Una has been to Sweden. Interested in the Church gigs as here in the UK churches are doing a lot more live music but at the moment it seems to be classical/coral/light opera. Churches would seem a natural fit for folk music so anyone have an idea why folk is not in churches (or have I missed it)

Greg,
    Very interesting point..Why do established performers not try and do missionary work by playing non folk/festival gigs? these people should be our ambassadors..........very interesting point and will think about this one............anyone else have a thought about this?

Zen,
    You are another member of the unsung folk heroes!

thank you for the comments so far.

Tony