Point of order, Cyril was from Gosport in Hampshire which is stretching the west country thing a bit. Of course he did more than most for folk music in the west country and was one of the most encouraging men I ever met, a great musician and a fellow ex-submariner.

You're right, Sugwash. I mentioned him because he did a lot for west country folk as you say (in particular the Plymouth/Devonport area).

Although most people don't regard Hants as part of the west country, I always thought it was spiritually so. I spent some years growing up in the county as a lad and the accents there in those days were very much what most people associate with those counties further west. You wouldn't know it today though - like a lot of other counties, the local accent seems to have all but disappeared except among older folk.