Gaia exists in the same way Folk does; as a secondary gloss of the evidence in hand, thus is their existence of a very different order to the evident corporeality of (say) Hip-Hop and Nuclear Power Stations, both of which would appear to be something of anathema to believers in both Folk and Gaia (respectively) but I like them well enough myself - just as I like (and believe in) Folk, though I am aware of the difficulties in convincing others of its existence. After all, you can walk many miles in the Real World without crossing paths with another Folkie*.

Folk is a thing we summon by Seance; it feels real enough in the back room of (say) the Beech in Chorlton where we used to go before it became infeasible for us to do so. Folk lurks in the ectoplasmic utterances of The Possessed and we might catch glimpse of something made manifest in the shape of a spirit guide - or guardian, which is enough for me. Folk is an aspect my Faith, just as Christianity is an aspect of my faith, but I no more believe in the literal existences of God and the Holy Spirit than I do in the 1954 Definition the Folk Process, but rather accept them as metaphors for something which remains, in essence, unsayable...

Just this morning a dear old friend of mine sent me a box set which covers Sun Ra and the Omniverse Jet-Set Arkestra's residency at the Detroit Jazz Center between December 26th 1980 & January 1st 1981 in its entirety! That's 28 CDs containing all 26 hours, 13 minutes and 16 seconds of Joyful Noise!! Tonight we begin a 6-day celebration of all things Folk here on The Fylde. I am thus, in every sense, a very happy bunny indeed.

Adios - S O'P

* I was talking to an elderly neighbour of mine earlier who has lived all his life in Fleetwood yet claims never to have heard of the Fylde Festival. Not that I doubt him, nor yet find any sort of fault in this; here on Planet Earth we might live between many worlds. Rest assured though I insisted he checked it out, if only the A69 Band who will be resident in the bar of The Marine Hall for the duration...