While we all understand the threat to these sorts of events from the ever-increasingly draconian health and safety rules, can we keep in mind that if nobody attempts to resist this trend, we can expect it to continue to climb until we are not allowed to dance at all, lest we twist our ankles. Fox raids are more pre-planned and better organised than any other public performance I've taken part in. But the appearance of misrule is key to their partial purpose of maintaining a sense of excitement and unexpectedness in the event raided. As Mr. Fox pointed out, someone in a management position has always given permission, but the fact that the audience doesn't expect us is, in my opinion, a great boost to the sense of wonder and excitement they experience when we arrive.

Oh, and Mr. Duck: are we proposing to ban all teams who occasionally lose the drumming or stepping? I think you'll find numbers dropping rather precipitously...