i think that the scene has changed considerably , i made this remark to Martin Carthy when we were both attending a festival, he agreed whole heartedly.
I think it is foolish to pretend because there are a lot of listings in a local folk magazine, that all is well., on the other hand Iam surprised by the resilience of the uk folk scene, i moved to ireland in 1990, i thought the uk folk scene was going to downturn quicker than it has, i am pleased it still appears to be strong on teeside and the north east
but other parts of the country close to london my impression is a very different one, of course my experience is limited, however i have been involved on the scene since 1967, personally my best recent experiences have been herga club , birmingham trad , welly club. but i would like to thank all the organisers over the years who gave me the opportunity to perform, vic smith was one who has contributed to this thread