Most people at a singarounds sing. although a few sadists drag their wives, husbands and occasionally dogs along.

People approach their performance with differing levels of professionalism. that's because we're all different.

Sometimes you get a professional folksinger doing an item from his act, sometimes you get the local amnesiac with the words of the Wild Rover in an exercise book. Other times you get people with a slight professorial air about them and a huge loose leaf folder of songs - and when it comes to their turn, they start dismantling the folder, and saying actually I didn't prepare anything.....the implication being that their singing is so integral to the folk tradition, whichever song they alight upon will be a contribution of substance.

My favouite club is The vernon Arms in Spondon, a suburb of Derby - I suppose I drive about 16 miles to it - there are two clubs nearer on that night of the week, but I prefer the Vernon.

there is great PA system. Gary who heads the committee who runs it, has a ceildh band. there are three or four pros who turn up every now and then, jack hudson, No Fixed Abode . There are loads of really good semi pro singers. On a singers night, which is three out of every four weeks - you might see fifteen different acts. You pay two quid if you don't want to sing - one quid if you do. This stops people who don't to listen just drifting in. there is a free buffet and raffle in the interval.

there is every kind of music - a guy who sings in Gaelic, numerous instrumentalists, singer songwriters, poets, traditional folk singer - singers of trad material that is. Everybody gets two songs.

AND its on ground level so disabled folk can get in.