Your view of a "session" is then different from mine, Jim - and we must agree to differ. You describe a "singing regular session" which, on my terms, would constitute a singaround and not a session.

I run a small session in my local pub on a monthly basis - and when I say "run" I mean facilitate in such a way that everyone gets the chance to perform. Unless a performer indicates that their turn is to be a solo effort, or perhaps a duo with a friend, then everyone is encouraged to join in - that's what the session is all about. And there's enough common sense around the table for people to understand and appreciate what's appropriate.

I particularly encourage newcomers and beginners to join in, however nervous they might be - some take up the opportunity and some are more reluctant. We have some fairly basic beginners and some very experienced and talented musicians - all are there on an equal basis, and I hope more than anything else that the newbies/beginners fee confident enough to join in and learn something from the more experienced players. The regulars who come to listen also love it, and there's lots of banter and good-natured heckling (and counter-heckling) through the evening as the beer flows.

That's what I call a session - communal, acoustic music-making with good fellowship and tolerance - all for that essential element: fun. There are plenty of other venues in my area where I can go for, say a more purist Irish session or a more purist French tunes session or a more purist English tunes session, should I feel the need. Some of these sessions are joyous and relaxed - others are not - and there's not necessarily any correlation between the seriousness of the attitude and the quality of the music. Needless to say, I avoid the joyless sessions like the plague because, if there's no joy in music-making, we may as well turn our faces to the wall.

To be honest, Jim, much as I respect your experience, I feel there's little point in trying to have a debate with you as your attitudes towards what happens musically over here have been fixed and unyielding ever since I started reading Mudcat threads, which is about 5 years now. You have a personal party line which, in spite of the ever-changing scene and regional variation in music-making over here in that time, you follow and never change. You seem to have no idea what the scene is in my area, but still the party line is trotted out about "cultural vandalism".

If you're so fixed and unchanging in your attitudes towards the British scene, then why bother to say anything at all - why not keep quiet and let us get on happily with our obviously inferior cultural vandalism? You think it exists - I don't - so let's just beg to differ.