Fay as @Tracey63 identified we are all in the North East of England, wonder if there is anybody else. I must say I admire your intention to sing as well I afraid that is something I will definitely not be doing.
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@MAT1953 It’s great to see a bunch of northerners here! When I use the term ‘sing’, it’s pretty loose because the effects can be random. I can never predict what sounds will come out! 
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I’m in Stockton-on-Tees.
I have that exact same thought about my ‘singing’. Last year I succumbed to encouragement and performed at a few of our Open Mic nights - singing songs eek! If I can do it … anyone can.
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@Richard_close2u - I admire you! If all else fails, I adopt a kind of beat poet approach. Not tuneful, but it does the job 
North Shields here.
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I am inflicting me learning to play the guitar on the family I am not sure they would accept me singing as well but you never know.
Those identified in the North East gets larger all the time.
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Thank you for reply and advice, will give it go and see how it helps, it just annoys me as I can do real well and remember the words then go and forget a couple of bars, how long do you spend trying to learn a song?
Charlie
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@Richard_close2u - well, there’s a rabbit hole for me to go down over the next few days. These are amazing! What an inspiration. I’m in awe
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Sounds good to me so not sure what yhe concern is. Keep motoring on. I started at 56 and it’s tough. But nobody breezes through it. Also, being g older means you’ve been round the block a few times so you’ll have staying power. We’ll done.
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Never say never Matt, it took me 25 years and now I can’t stop. We all have a voice but you need to find it. Check out singing lesson references of the website. 
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Charles
I am 4 years your junior and some songs just don’t bed in. I have been using SetlistHelper for a while to collate songs I know, songs I know and dont remember and songs I am learning. Its a combination of browser and app. A web based portal allows you to add songs, add there lyrics and chords (you can copy and paste chord/tab info from places like UltimateGuitar) create setlist, which could be for performance or just learning. You then use the corresponding app on a phone or tablet (bigger screen for our old eyes!) and have the song - chords and lyrics - scroll through as you are playing. I use it to prepare for our online Open Mic here and will be honest to say in the early days used it during the shows but now its more a preparation tool. And hey if you are making music who cares if you are looking at a crib sheet.
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Hi Charlie, With age, I’ve become more tenacious and more accepting of my limitations as well as better able to recognize my abilities. If I get a little frustrated with the time its taking to learn something, play it full speed, whatever, I stop, take a breath. I think about how incredibly fortunate I am to be almost 70 with the time and ability to learn to play the guitar unfettered by any pressure to achieve any specific goal. It is just so satisfying that the minor frustrations and annoyances don’t stick with me.
About “trying to learn” songs… As you might expect, the answer is: it depends. I can get an idea if the song is likely to be within my current reach fairly quickly. If it isn’t I put it on the shelf to look at later. For most songs, I learn them in steps/levels. Justin’s song lessons are done this way. Start with basic chords and rhythm. Then refine it with more accurate chords and rhythm until you have a good rendition going. The first step doesn’t usually take me very long, but the refinement process can on for quite a while. This is where the tenacity helps.
What’s great about this approach is that you can have fun quickly. I enjoyed using the beginner song app because I could play along at whatever level I was capable of: level of song, choice of chords, complexity of rhythm, speed.
I’m not good at transcribing, never was. I spend extra time on Justin’s transcribe lessons and trying to work out songs before I look at a tab. Having to listen to the song so closely is a help in remembering it, too. I still suck at it but I’m improving. Perhaps by 75 
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Hey Michael, never say never on the singing. @tony, we’ve got another ‘un says he wont’ be singing here. Come tell him!
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Haha. @MAT1953 - Michael, I never expected to sing when I started playing. Several reasons, first I was told it’s a lot harder to sing and play, second, I knew how bad I sounded when I sang along to songs on the radio. So my wife sang the first song I learned and she would have sung it maybe 50 or 60 times when I accidentally found myself singing along during the chorus.
A light went off for me and I realized it wasn’t so hard. Plus it makes it a lot easier to remember where you are with regards to the chords. And best of all, its fun and I mean LOTS of fun. My voice has improved heaps over time (thankfully) and I encourage any / all to sing.
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I actually can sing fairly well. I just can’t do it while playing guitar. Every time I try, the guitar playing falls apart completely. It’s like trying to move your foot in a clockwise circle while drawing a numeral 6 in the air with your finger. 
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For those old dogs, learn this new trick
You can you will but you need to work at it and understand the principles first.
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Greetings from another Mark. I had the exactly same situation like you described. But after I got very familiar with the most useful and versatile pattern old-faithful and couple of common open chords, one day I tried singing again and suddenly found I could do it! So I think there is really no trick.
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Thanks will take your advice and hopefully be successful, 
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Thanks for the encouragement.
It’s actual Michael, the MAT is my initials which is a throw back to work when I had to sign off on things and sort of stuck with me. No prizes for what the 1953 stands for.
Perhaps should have been more inventive with user name!!!
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