She tends to teach by standard, rather than age, and has given encouragement to thousands of students - including this reporter. However, she feels passionately about the absence of venues for teenagers who reach a certain level. But there needs to be much more support for efforts outside the pub scene during the rest of the year. There are the contests, of course. They have their place, in terms of the experience that they offer, and they were a necessity in the 1950s when a standard had to be raised.
Competition has a harshness and cruelty about it for young kids starting off.