I think enthusiasm is very much a symptom of the cultural autism which is a further consequence of the societal insecurities arising from the sort of world we live in today. In such a world culture exists by virtue of a past no-one is quite clear about but which is, none the less, accessible at the touch of a button. If the youth of the 1960s showed as much passion with retro-culture as do the youth of today, they would have been grooving to the sounds of Ace Brigode and His 14 Virginians. To what extent did the baby-boomer Folk Revival come of such a reactionary impulse I wonder? Either way, we are increasingly beset with the past, by way of heritage, in a way that is, I fear, more than strictly good for us. Personally I feel we're all craving definition and pedantic absolutes, but in facing the increasing uncertainties of the future, what else can we do?

I'm not complaining here by the way, I'm celebrating.

This Sunday in Fleetwood it's The Transport Festival - aka Tram Sunday - one of the Fylde's choice celebrations of a cultural autism we might all enjoy, fuelled as it is by enthusiasts of every vintage imaginable. If anyone's passing, it's a must!