"We haven't forgotten the Breton and Galician traditions, but they really have nothing to do with this discussion. Question of geography, you know."

As I see this discussion it starts from wondering why the Enmglish don't respect their own traditions even when they are drawn to folk music - but that's just a particular case of a general question, because it's not just the English. The Dutch are the same, just for a start, and all kinds of other places. So what is is that makes the difference.

So talking about Bretons and Galicians is quite relevant. For one thing, they are examples of regions/countries which are on the edge of bigger countries, and the music is one way of expressing a sense of identity.

That would suggest that as England starts to realise that it's a region on the edge of a bigger unit, the same kind of process starts to occur. With the music involved not so much the older Morris traditions etc, but the multi-cultural amalgum that is developing, which is very different from that in other European countries.