I'd never played in pub "sessions" as such until about 15 months ago when I met up with an old friend from 60s folk club days. I'd listened to the odd Irish session here and there, and had done one or two stints with a ceilidh band in London in the early 70s, but that was about it.

However, through picking up the tenor banjo in the early 70s, and coincidentally getting hold of some traditional fiddle and pipe tune books around the same time, I started working out some of the repertoire - in the privacy of my own front room!

There was certainly a huge tune tradition being carried on in the London Irish community in the 60s and 70s, with modern-day players such as Maggie Boyle and Ben Paley being brought up in that milieu. Duck Baker also moved in those circles and brought out what, to me, is still one of the definitive albums of "Celtic" guitar - "The Kid On The Mountain". (I don't particularly like the "Celtic" tag for this music, but it's a common enough marketing term to be understood).