I'm with you all the way Nutty and Georgiansilver. Being of advancing years is not an excuse, it's a fact of life, and no clubs worth their salt should be so dismissive.

Like yourself, Nutty, I'd much rather be able to give a better performance of a song and not have to worry about the lack of the safety net just to satisfy the ego of a particular member of the audience (however "professional" he/she happens to be).
As a matter of fact, some of the best singers I know (including some "professionals") always have a "prop" handy, and most times they don't even need to do any more than briefly glance at it (if that!). Needing that prop is NOT an indication either of lack of ability to learn a song or of lack of commitment (rather the reverse, I find).

Hey Greycap, your new singaround is otherwise most welcome in an area where there's nowt much happening on a Sunday (or Saturday too come to think of it).

But any potential attendees be warned - I have encountered similar snobbery in other local clubs and a distinct bias against some perfectly good singers I know.
(And why the exclusion of poets too? How uncharitable..... I thought "folk" was for everyone.)