Of course I understand, Dick - I just don't agree with you about the relative place of folk clubs in the hierarchy of places to play.

We just have to agree to differ - nothing wrong with that.

I'll just make one more point about increasing playing skills. As far as I'm concerned, playing with other musicians - preferably those better than oneself, whether in private or in public - is a great way to up your game. As a young guitarist I learned so much from playing and jamming with people who were so much better than me, and learned an enormous amount from them - at parties, in each other's houses, in pubs, etc..

That's one of the best ways to improve - sit with good performers, listen to and look at what they do, and take in as much as you can.