If you were avoiding the folk clubs, how can you be so sure what was taking place in them? It seems to me that you had made up your mind, perhaps based on a few experiences when you first returned to the UK.

During the 80s I was actively involved in some of the clubs in Manchester and the surrounding area mentioned in another current thread. I remember seeing most of the artists MtheGM mentions in the clubs, together with many more top names, most of them performing traditional material. And yes, I saw Mike Harding and Jake Thackeray too, but so what? It's easy to dismiss Mike Harding now for his radio show, but he was a damn good entertainer, and sang a lot of songs between the jokes, not all of them humorous. As for Thackeray, he was just a superb songwriter - nothing to do with folk, of course, but I'm glad I had the chance to see him. The folk club scene I was part of was strong enough to accommodate these alongside traditional performers.

It's true the clubs did start to see a gradual decline in numbers towards the end of the decade. I put this down to the aging audience getting sidetracked by family and professional responsibilities - certainly my own club activities were severely curtailed when I had a family.

I share your delight in the current revival, although I'm slightly disappointed that it's largely taking place away from folk clubs. At their best, they were superb, and it's a pity there are now so few regularly booking top-name guests.