Well said Ralph! If the folk scene is truly as bad as Diane constantly portrays it, why on earth does she bother with it at all? If one believes something is truly awful and incapable of remedy, then abandon it and get involved in something that does give you pleasure.

As a young man I was very involved in British left-wing politics. The internecine in-fighting of the various very small groups had to be experienced to be believed. I soon realised that these factions were going nowhere so I turned my back on them.

And this is where another parody comes in! There are some sections in The Life of Brian where the British Left is parodied as the various Judean liberation movements. I laughed hugely at these whilst realising that they were very close to the truth.

The British folk scene is riddled with hopeless amateurs and characters who do not realise how laughable they are; that is indisputable BUT the movement still stands as one of the viable alternatives to the mainstream music industry whose methods and products I loathe heartily. For that reason, I shall stick with the folkies and continue to try to present that music I love in an acceptable and vibrant way as I possibly can. The numbers attending the weekly folk club that I run suggest that I am having some success.