Just to clarify, I do mention the village hall Rural Touring network (HQ based in York, yes, Ralph) which is an excellent scheme - I have 30 gigs through them this winter - and call for a big expansion (why should it be only rural halls that benefit.

However, in this area we are competing with other genres of music, drama, puppetry, storytelling, lectures, hypnotists, jugglers, drum ensembles, string and jazz quartets, novellists playing mandolins (yes, Louis does them too). The competition is fierce, with three 'sells' to conquer. 1) Getting into the rural scheme menu, 2) getting village the hall committees to buy, 3) getting the locals to turn up. It takes a LOT of work to set up a show with major publicity costs, and usually a lot more kit to install - so the end show fee for the night, after costs, is about the same as a medium club. (This is my current show Tales of Time and Tide)

So yes, village halls may be part of the solution, but no magic bullet. House concerts could be another - but both will take longer to develop that I have time to wait - though mayb e things will change is I wind up in, say, education, rather than as currently planned, TV

Tom

PS The ed has asked me not to post the article online for a while yet.