Excellent thread.

As a kid reading The Opies Lore & Language of School Children started me off, then as a teenager obsessively twiddling the wireless knobs to get bits of mostly American folk, Then discovering The Watersons who ran my local club. That blew my mind and got me hooked for life!
Then my own family songs, and going out to do field recordings and finding unrecorded material. Becoming part of this amazing community. Discovering the Child ballads, the dancing, the drama, playing squeeze boxes..........Meeting hundreds of wonderful, like-minded people.

And now retired taking the music into schools and the wider community.
Helping to set up websites. Writing books.........

What a life!
Steve