Breezy - you had me scrathing my head about the Spotted Cow comments and friends who were involved many years ago.

First thought - did I get the pub name wrong - Laughing Cow perhaps? Or, as my friends are veteran folkies, they may have been involved with the SA folk scene before the 'living memory' of current supporters. I remember mentioning the old Dukes Head Folk Club (Addlestone) when I visited nearby Byfleet Club last year. People I spoke to early in the evening at least, didn't know anything about it (well it was the early 1970s!).

On Tab Hunter - Ben Paley; they ran a very nice fortnightly club for a while locally. Have not seen them for a couple of years but hear they go to the Royal Oak at Lewes from time to to time.

Capt Birdseye - I see where you're coming from and I'm not contradicting, more offering an different interpretation.

My overall view is that the gap between singers you'll only find in the Singers' Club, and those on the guest circuit is overblown. There are obvious commercial reasons here to do with the hype etc. that goes on in commercial music and other arts forms across the entertainment spectrum.

Making a guest circuit singer automatically superior to Singers Club singer is fraught with problems because there are really good singers who do not want to "go commercial"; COULD NOT go commercial for various domestic, lifestyle of work; or for less obvious reasons (ideological for example) so simply never wanted to.

Of course the guest circuit singer will probably be a more polished performer because they are going out several times a week in front of an audience. But that's still no reason to say they must be better than a Singers Club singer. There's the freshness factor. Many guest singers are doing an act. Maybe thats inevitable if you enterain for a job.

But an accomplished Singers Club singer can go out on a particu;ar night because they feel like it - no contract - no aggro; and any week they think at the last minute "don't relaly feel like it tonight" they can give it a miss. So its not hard to see how Singers Club singers can outshine various professionals.

On my friend who made the '"no better than us" comment; she was not relating to the floor singers at the guest club. She was relating that guest to singers at our SIngers Club. As to her own singing, she very good with a relaxed voice and plays guitar with feeling. As far as I know has never had ambitions to make money from her music.

By the way Capt Birdeye, did you miss out "If" before my name (last para) or have you actually heard one of the rare recordings I've made; or been to one of my extremely rare gigs (I did a 40 minute set at Raise Your Banners one year)?

Generally, I've never bothered trying to make any sort of living from Folk. Theres a reason several might identify with: if you do it for a living then it becomes a "job" - and I hate work! But I've done all that anyway as semi pro in three successful rock/cover bands whilst holding down a day job.

Lastly - and having said that about the rarity of my songs being recorded, one of my tunes was indeed recorded last night. The venue was just 200 yards from where Martin Carthy was guest at the folk club (we were probably recording while Martin was doing his first set.) The artist? Not me! The town's Brass Band - and they've made a really nice job of it.

Ian Fyvie