One thing I have learnt from these various threads is just how enormously varied folk clubs are and how equally varied are people in what they want from a folk club. Excellent. Run your club the way you want to and go to the clubs that offer what you want.

The Lewes Saturday Folk Club is what seems to be now called a Guest Club. We usually have a guest performer (solo or group) who does two 45 minute sets and the rest of the time is taken up by floorspots and residents. We have two main operating principles - to give the guest the best deal we can (we want them to come back) and to give everyone who wants one a floorspot if we can fit them in. Since this can be a significant proportion of the audience, letting floorsingers in free, or even cheap, would nake a significant dent in our first principle. At our club, everybody, including the residents/organisers, pays the same. I'm not saying this is the "right" way to do it; there isn't a "right" way. It's just the way we do it and it works for us.