Diane, I'd be very surprised if any of the restaurants in Lewes, or in most provincial towns, were serving meals after 11 pm. I'd be equally surprised if anyone in such towns wanted to have their evening meal at that time. And in any case, a couple who had to get back for a babysitting neighbour would surely have the courtesy not to extend their evening out until the wee hours, even if they could hang on until 11.30 pm for their dinner and find someone to prepare it for them then.

One minute you're saying things don't always have to be done in the same old way, and the next you're criticising people who want to mix-and-match their evening's entertainment in a way that suits their lifestyle, rather than stick to the time-honoured pattern of staying until after the last encore. Why on earth shouldn't they leave when they want to? I expect they paid the full entrance fee, and they were thoughtful enough to explain their reasons to the MC. Isn't that exactly the sort of adaptive behaviour that folk clubs (and what's your problem with that letter "o"?) need to accept and embrace?

Marje