Thanks, Kitty, for singing my toast song on such an appropriate occasion.

I didn't know Bob or the Sidmouth scene, but the descriptions are vivid, and left strangers feeling they knew him too. It's lovely to have a connection.

I sang the toast song at Sharps when I was back over in UK a couple of years ago, and was made very welcome. I loved the way they ran it, and the roomful of great singers, so I could visualise the scene.

Thanks also for sharing the habit of giving ourselves a hard time by learning stuff at the last minute. This suicidal inclination must be worth a discussion thread. Last November I rediscovered on a Tuesday the words of a song in Macedonian I had forgotten 25 years ago, and sang it at the Loaded Dog, Sydney on the Saturday, with the crowd providing the bagpipe drone. I have finished writing songs in the car on the way to the gig. Every time I ask "Why do I do this to myself?" and there is no answer. I think it is the folk performance equivalent of BASE-jumping.

Chris