Yes I was there (some of the time) and I confess to taking part in the piss-take of pretending to be a student from overseas till Ewan got wise and recognised me, and then very kindly asked me to come along to the Critics.

As for B&B policy, I was not in any way involved in formulating its policy. I merely quote Peggy Seeger's statement above. Read it then go and pick a fight with her if you want. Ask her if she is confused.

What it has to do with the Eliza Carthy programme is that Talking Head Stewart Lee said what I referred to above, and the film's there on YouTube. And this sort of invented misquoting does a great deal of damage to the music we all (?) would wish to promote. However, one of the programme makers has graciously agreed that this is the sort of quote that really ought to have been checked.

All sorts of people have stories of what Ewan is alleged to have said to them. If he'd actually talked to a tiny percentage of those who claim to have been prevented by him from performing, he'd have had no time left to get up onstage himself.