Thanks for that, Gillian - but despite your rather picturesque analysis, no one's bullying anyone, simply reacting to a situation in which an individual artist appears to be co-opting our common popular traditional culture (CPTC) for his own personal arts project. He has every right to do this of course, just as I have every right to say what I have. I do this all the time in my professional life when I feel our CPTC is suffering in the name of self-interest - see HERE for one such incident involving storytelling and, yes, The Green fecking Man. Note here that rather than perpetuating the issue into protracted discussion, as has happened here, I've allowed the perpetrator to have the last word in the matter, though his unrepentant stories are ours to mess with attitude sticks in my craw.

In the present instance I (personally) would disagree that there is a need for such a museum, given that the internet provides that role anyway, without the agenda, the objectives, the proscription and the aestheticism which I (personally) feel are counter-productive to a wider appreciation of the subject as a whole - i.e. that of our CPTC which exists, and will continue to exist, regardless of projects such as this one. As I say, input any of the above customs into Google and you will find webpages, YouTube film, and photographs by the shedload. Neither do I feel the customs need promoting; God knows they attract enough attention as it is - last time I went to the Allendale Tar Barrels I was almost crushed to unconsciousness by the crowds. That said, I wish the venture well and might suggest a few events at which it would be very welcome indeed.

Always nice to see Doc Rowe's footage though; here's an idea - why not upload some of it onto YouTube and see what the reaction is? If my shitty little film of the Chester Cheese Rolling can get over 55,000 hits and inspire some choice inter-county debate on the comments board, I bet it would cause quite a stir AND create a broader awareness of the existence of the archive with people who have a real interest in such things.