"Perhaps this is the source of the apparent confusion between us"
Then there is no great confusion.
In many ways, the clubs were are artificial as Sharp's drawing rooms - from what we were told, so were the pubs.
Sam Larner sang regularly in 'The Fisherman's Return' and competed in fishermans' competitions up the East coast, but he old Parker and MacColl, "the serious singing was done at home or at sea" - that's where he sang his loner songs.
In Ireland, all the music, singing and storytelling took place in farmhouse kitchens.
Travellers sang in family groups or at gatherings like Ballinasloe or Puck Fairs.
Again, they said, "you wouldn't get the attention for the big songs in pubs".
Walter Pardon's experience was at family/friend gatherings like Christmas parties and birthdays - he couldn't remember the harvest suppers.
The only time he ever saw pub singing was after an Agricultural Workers Trade Union meeting when he watched through the window when his Uncle Billy sang.
This is why it would be nonsense to attempt to revive the tradition.
The clubs gave us townies, or those who no longer had local singers, a chance to hear the songs and to hear some of the surviving singers - wouldn't have missed it for the world.
They provided us with venues at which we could sing the songs we fancied, meet up with other enthusiasts and swap ideas and material - something else I wouldn't have missed.
It enabled us to, to some degree, spread the awareness of folk song and maybe even put feelers out for local material - London and Birmingham did it, we did it to some extent in Manchester, and singers like Harry Boardman became known for his Lancashire repertoire.
The Singers Club pioneered The themed 'feature' and 'poetry and song' evenings.
The clubs allowed us to become creative artists after we'd washed the days dirt off and had our meal - now that's something I would not have missed.
As I said, virtually all my friends were workers - me and a mate first stumbled into the Spinners Club in Liverpool - I was an electrical apprentice on the docks, he was a fruit stall worker at Paddy's Market, most of the audience had similar jobs.
In Manchester, Terry Whelan was a trouncer (driver) for a brewery firm, my mate/accompanist, Barry Taylor was a clerk for a shipping firm at Manchester Airport, Eddie Lenihan was a retired building worker and Tom Gilfellon and Dave Hillary were students.
Jim Carroll