The Americanisation of British culture has been going on since the 1920s/30s and perhaps before. This is probably because American culture is perceived to be fresh, new and exciting. And let's face it, American culture has given much to the world: Jazz, mainstream cinema, Science Fiction, The Simpsons etc., etc. Unfortunately, they tend to export the worst and seediest aspects of their culture: Fast Food, Rap Music, Drugs 'n Guns etc.

I've also thought that (British) Folk and Rock don't go particularly well together (a bit like liver and strawberry!). And let's dispel the old myth that the Folk Rockers brought lots of people into Folk Music. Perhaps they brought a few but a lot of the ones I meet never seem to have got beyond the stage of thinking that "Steeleye Span wrote 'All Around my Hat'"!

I suppose the thing that dismays me more than the Folk Rock thing is that British policy makers now seem to be incapable of coming up with homegrown policies. Every initiative seems to be a straight copy of an American one. For example, I am the Chair of a local 'Friends of Parks' group but then I discover that the whole 'Friends of Parks' thing is an American idea. And just the other day I spotted a yellow school bus outside my local Primary school (in Manchester) ... I'm sure that there many, many more examples.