I was in Brum most of the time.

Jasper and Malc Stent were going great guns over at The Boggery.

The Grey Cock on the rimgway wouldn't let me play there cos i said my main influence was ralph McTell.

Ian Campbell had replaced Swarbrick with a succession of musicians Colin Tomis, Aiden Foord, Andy Taylor, and the Jug of Punch was struggling on.

You could see Christy at Digbeth Hall for 50p but there were bombs going off - I didn't give nim my patronage - I didn't approve.

The drunks at the Broadway Folk Club kept booking Gerry Lockran, but they didn't pay him the coourtesy of shutting up.

Billy Connolly, Jasper, and then Mike Harding paid Alex Campbell and derek Brimstone the compliment of naming them as their main influence bu they were working for ten times their main influences fee.

My first paid gig was to Nic Jones . he pissed the floor singers off by staying downstairs and not listening to them.

The organiser at The Old crown in Digbeth confided - he could get Carthy forsixty quid (about what I was earning as ateacher per month) cos Martin was a mate.

Vin Garbutt was the new kid on the block Very funny and a good whistle player, but the music plodded, the Ballad of lesley seemed interminable.

Alex made an album called Goodbye Booze. But he still sang the last Thing on my Mind twice and didn't seem to notice.

And the hits keep coming.....