Will Fly* wrote
"I can't recall, for example, anyone ever bringing in, much less using, music stands and folders in clubs in those days."

... and nor can I and I must have been going regularly to folk clubs for over 15 years before I saw one. I was horrified the first time that I saw it and still consider it unacceptable. When new singers turn up at our club with their huge volume of song words - complete with stand - and sit and study them carefully - generally to the detriment of paying attention to other performers, I usually have a sharp comment for them such as "Have to come to read us a song?" and they go to the bottom of my list of people that I will give a floor spot to. Luckily, we usually have far more good floor performers than we have time for - even at one item each. The residents put their heads together at the interval and decide who will perform in the 2nd half. The criteria is always who we consider can perform best and offer variety to our paying audience. The only exception would be to ensure that newcomers get a go and also to put a good performer at the top of the list if we have left them out on a previous visit.

A few years ago we had a blind singer amongst our regular supporters. Unlike most people who came out the front to sing, he understandably stayed in his place and sang his unaccompanied song with bags of authentic style from his regular seat behind a table. One evening, I went up to him to thank him for singing and added that I found it remarkable that he knew so very many songs and never forgot a word. His sightless face broke into a huge grin as he pulled a sheet of braille out of pocket. He told me that he always used his braille song sheets under the table and that I had never noticed!

* The alter ego of Will Fly is Mike Ainscough. He is booked at our folk club in Lewes on January 26th in the company of Alan Day. Knowing Mike as I do, I now fully expect Mike to turn up on that evening and wave a book of song words in front of my face... the bugger!