Upnorth. Forgive me for I was generalising. I'm well aware that the Unthanks regularly attend several local festivals. However, taking customs generally, the ratio of celebrities to ordinary punters is far lower than media coverage would suggest.

Personally I'm getting fed up with people saying that they enjoyed the Unthanks without saying just what their presence was supposed to add to the event. Tell you what, the next time I'm at a traditional custom, I'll try and imagine how much my enjoyment would be enhanced if there were a couple of celebrities standing in the way and blocking my view. If it turns out that my interest or enjoyment or understanding would have been notched up by even the merest scintilla of a centimetre, I'll buy everyone on Mudcat a pint.

BTW. It's not just folkin' celebrities. I watched that programme about Joanna Lumley looking for Noah's Ark last night. Eek! Awful! Why couldn't they have cut the crap and got a proper archaeologist (no pun intended), or biblical scholar to front the thing instead?

I know, I know. Joanna Lumley's box office, and archaeologists very seldom are. All together now. "Yes, but look how enjoyable it was to watch Joanna Lumley instead of a dreary programme about musty old Nowhere's Ark."