I'm not sure about other countries but when I was a kid, most gatherings were setup with chairs around the walls like an old school dance. It was just purely practical. Everyone could see each other and interact.
This picture is well before I was born, my dad is on the guitar. It's a curious thing for me. I never really looked hard at the guitars he was playing in the pictures I have of him. I find it fascinating that I gravitate towards the same types of instruments generally.
There he is playing a Fender Strat, which I gig with.
Despite everything, I would give just about anything to spend some time with him and would love it if he could have been at my CD Release in 2013.
Happy Trails,
Bug