Scots John, a stalwart on the folk scene, entertains the gathering, which numbered 80 at one stage. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 1098960)

I’ve always found the drive to Les Douvres Hotel a bit of a challenge. Those lanes in St Martin’s were never meant for two-way traffic – and don’t start me on the roadworks.

I have this theory that someone in the States uses St Martin’s as a testing ground for new road-digging schemes before unleashing them on the rest of the island.

Navigating the dark lanes of the southern parish with fog and drizzle closing in and the thought of missing Man Utd and Masterchef on the television, I could feel my level of general grumpiness rise.

But as Bob Dylan once sang, The Times They Are a- Changin’.

Wednesday night was the re-birth of the Guernsey Folk Club, the ‘New’ Guernsey Folk Club, no less, ‘The Home of Acoustic Music’ the flyers proclaimed.

I arrived a good half-hour before the scheduled start to find Phil Capper pacing up and down, Fabio Capello-style. How many people would turn up to perform? How many people would come to watch?

The injury list was already starting to mount. Capper (throat) was a definite non-starter and Dumbleton (wrist) was considered doubtful.

Anxious times.

It’s been almost 11 long years since this island has had a folk club to call its own. Not that folk music died out completely in those bleak years. The odd folk session was arranged at a variety of venues, but there was nowhere to call home. Until now.

On the last Wednesday of every month at Les Douvres Hotel there is an open invitation for all things acoustic. Fancy a go?

I can guarantee an extremely warm welcome.

As the evening progressed some familiar faces appeared and, more encouragingly, some new young guns (sorry, this is the Guernsey Folk Club, young guns is anyone under 40). The pile of guitar cases grew at an alarming rate, with Phil Capper’s fretting turning to how he was going to fit everybody in.

James Dumbleton dragged himself off the physio’s bench for an a capella session and we were off.

The philosophy behind the new Folk Club is a simple one. Everybody’s welcome, there is no charge on the door, although it was good to see the infamous Folk Club raffle back in action – buying tickets is obligatory, by the way.

No longer, when you enter the Folk Club, are you faced with someone on hands and knees trying to coax life out of an intransigent sound desk with a mile of leads twisted into every conceivable knot. This is true acoustic music – just a chair and music stand to fuss over.

The evening was an outstanding success. There were several in the audience – which numbered around 80 at one stage – who promised that next time round that they too would bring their guitar and play (I have to admit that I was one of them. Well, here’s the date for your diary: Wednesday 30 March.

Phil Capper, welcoming people along, kindly asked before the first act started if everyone could kindly turn off their mobile phone.

The last time I went to a Folk Club the mc that day reminded everyone to stub their cigarettes out in the ashtrays provided and not on the carpet.

The Times They Have a-Changed.