'I respect people who shave, but I sure like my beard.   -Joe- '

I knew a wise man once who said "Nobody grows a beard - it's just that some stupid people shave". I've just grown another [about my 5th] at age of 77 becoz got sick of horrible sore-making shaving. Trouble is , it has come snow-white this time — village pub have already offered me job as Father Xmas... One young friend said that, even so, it took years off me; hides my double-chin, I suppose.

Is this drift or is growing a beard an unfolkie activity? I don't seem to be first to have mentioned it anyhow [cf Joe Offer quoted above], so guess it OK - unlike my daring to intro a mention of Anglo technique on the ongoing English Concertina thread which got the OP there all twitchy; but that's another story...