BrianP: "(though naturally I've no interest in playing only to the converted),"

Jim worries about folk sessions potentially putting newcomers off. Yet by way of contrast it's nice to see how some people who are not used to hearing traditional stuff, can respond to it when they do hear it.

At the session run by Richard Bridge, the footie watching crowd (classic lager drinking blokes with hoodies, white trainers & shaven heads) in the other bar are often quite responsive - you hear the odd cheer and clapping or hollered appreciative comment. Sometime they even leave the footie to come and lean by the bar and have a proper listen. One chap who was having a fag out back when we left called to me and said "Thankyou for singing that song!", and he meant it. I don't know which song he was speaking about, but it was an unaccompanied E. Trad and probably thoroughly unlike anything he's familiar with.