BOOKENDED by snow, this year has certainly not been short of drama, as far as the local folk scene is concerned.

Almost all of the local folk clubs have remained in business, despite the down-turn in the economy, and barring a few notable sad departures, both audiences and performers seem to be all still full of vigour and enthusiasm for the year ahead.

Looking back, a few highpoints leap out for me.

Hartlepool’s Tall Ships Festival, apart from providing us with a memorable spectacle of the ships themselves, also attracted a sizeable folk audience to it’s singarounds, concerts and dance displays on the Headland, and the festivals at Saltburn, Whitby and Bellingham were all keenly supported.

After the cancellation of Gateshead’s Phoenix Festival and Brampton Live, however, a question mark could hang over the future of some of these bigger events for 2011, as money gets tighter and the cruel cuts in arts funding get sharper.

On a brighter note, the year ended with huge acclaim for Vin Garbutt’s Teeside Troubadour film, which should be available on DVD for us all to enjoy in the not-too-distant future.

Gateshead’s Sage has continued to provide us with regular thrills, by not only promoting new musicians, but also giving us the chance to hear some legendary figures in person, with Buffy St Marie, Don McLean, Suzanne Vega, Judy Collins, and the Transatlantic sessions all gracing the stage over the past 12 months. The Sage is also now making a point of presenting more local acts in the year ahead, and acknowledging the strong traditions of the local scene over the past half century.

Meanwhile, the future of another bastion of taste and culture, Darlington’s fabulous Arts Centre, seems in peril as the year draws to a close, but the music it has encouraged over the last 30 years is bound to continue in other places, and hopefully I’ll see you there.