Martin Carthy, who was an early influence on Bob Dylan and Paul Simon, has become patron of the North Boarhunt-based Forest Folk club.

And to celebrate, Mr Carthy, a stalwart of the scene since the 1960s, played at the club's most recent meeting with his wife Norma Waterson and their daughter Eliza Carthy – both big stars in their own right.

The club, which began in 2001, has attracted some of the biggest names on the scene to their home in the rural village, just north of Fareham.

But Mr Carthy's patronage is a major coup for the club, and a full house of 125 people packed in to the community centre to watch the first family of folk perform.

Co-organiser Charles Gale said: 'It's quite amazing to get the man who's number one in the folk world.

'He has appeared here before in several of his guises, and he's always been supportive in what we're doing.

'This has grown out of that continuing relationship.

'The rest of the club is delighted – everybody likes to be associated with success. I sometimes wonder how on earth we've managed to do it.'

Mr Carthy was appointed an MBE in 1998 for his services to English folk music and is well known for supporting grass-roots folk clubs and organisations.

And he paid tribute to the club's organisers for what their work promoting the genre. He said: 'It was Charles Gale's desire to attract people who wouldn't usually go to folk clubs. His fiercely independent way of going about it, to say nothing of the hard work which he and Janet put in, had me delighted to agree to become Forest Folk's patron when invited by Charles himself.'

Folk music has received a raised profile in recent years with Eliza Carthy twice being nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

And other rising stars such as the violin player and singer Seth Lakeman have also helped it to cross-over into the mainstream.