Back almost on thread: it would be interesting to know what was lamentable about those fiddlers that so irked Barbara?
Was it just that they were there, instead of a big bunch of singers singing rousing chorus songs?
Was it because, as happened to my friend and I, they were only playing for themselves, and not interested in anyone else coming into the pub, who, heaven forfend, might actually feel like launching into song?
Or was it their standard of playing? A large proportion of people who play in sessions are not professional musicians so you do get a bit of a spread of abilities, and some whose self-appraisal exceeds their prowess.