Quick update on this. Folk music has become 2 things,

A, The likes of us lot in pubs sessions playing traditional tunes and making friends across our community

and

B, A weird thing were people get paid to play traditional tunes back to us for money. Also a closed group as shown by this list

http://www.alanbearmanmusic.co.uk/about.asp

Bassically every act you will see at a festival next summer is through one promoter. Weiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrddddddddddddddddd.