Diverting onto Shimrod's point about the presence of teachers in folk, may I perhaps make a couple of observations?

There is a pretty fair proportion of teachers in general population - you are more likely to meet a teacher in most gatherings than say an actuary, blacksmith or carpenter.

Teaching was - and I say was - possibly the perfect day-job for a folkie. Relatively short hours and long holidays. Work that was being constantly in front of an audience of a sort. Brain work and performance. Enough spare time to rehearse and gig. The possibility of symbiosis - the music, song and dance feed back into the classroom. So for a generation or so, that worked. I understand that Carolyn Robson, Peter Coe and Sting among many others have taught in schools.

Most of that observation comes from my wife. She taught. Retired. Misses teaching children but not the bureaucratic nightmare of the English state system nowadays. The job changed. Far too many hours, and far too much drudgery over pointless paperwork. She is strongly of the opinion that the school-teaching path into folk paid professionalism has gone.

Schweik, dear chap - thanks for the reminder on the Lewes workshops. Just a question of being good - or confident - enough to go to workshops.

Right, that's me kept out of the way for half-an-hour as instructed.

Merry Christmas, one and all.