I didn't mean to suggest you were deprived.

I do all of those things you do AND I go to festival with professional performers. And I am a regular attender at folk events. But I am retired and lucky that way.

But I can't sing, cant play, cant do monologues, can't tell jokes - in fact I am indistinguishable from Des O'Connor. So in many ways at sessions I am like a french kiss at a funeral. And there are a lot of people like me.

All I object to is those who argue that what THEY do with their mates is REAL folk and what I do - some of the time listening to professional artistes is passive listening.

I don't see it like that.