With regard to Derek Hobbs-Ainley's experience (Letters, July 13), a friend who writes fine songs phoned to book a spot at a songwriters' night recently.

On turning up she found they "couldn't fit her in", she suspected, because she was obviously over 30. What on earth makes the cool types in the live music media think songwriters die off at the age of 25?

Is their idea of a song essentially "Love Lost In New York" wailed out in a Yankee accent?

Perhaps the thought of an over-50 prancing about like a jilted teenage Elvis doesn't fit their image of live music.

But it's they who have a serious problem, from holding very narrow views on what a song must be about and how it is presented.

And what of older writers presenting songs they wrote when they were spotty youngsters?

Do songs go off when the writer matures?

Thankfully, a group of high quality, unknown, over-50 songwriters will be performing during the current "Celebrating Age" event on the community stage in the Brighton Centre in late July.

The emphasis will be firmly on songwriters who happen to be over 50 - not over-50s trying to write a song. Young strummers should come along and learn from us.

-Ian Fyvie, Brighton