The UK ended March 2019 with 39,135 pubs, 320 more than a year earlier, the first net increase since 2010. So there is a demand for venues where people can meet, eat, drink and make music.

Inevitably, some pubs and hotels will remain closed after the lockdown ends, so the downward trend is likely to resume this year. Some will find a new use, but others will re-open in due course, perhaps with community support. Folk clubs can be one element of this.