'Thirdly, what is it about folk music that the media just doesn't get ? Especially English music ? Seems to me that if you don't stumble upon it like Carthy [and me !] or were born into it, like Eliza, you'll miss out on so much.'

What they DO get and what you don't is that this isn't the folk music of England. The folk music of England isn't a subsection of Martin Carthy's repertoire for when he's not deconstructing Heartbreak Hotel - or some other piece of musical trivia that the rest of the world has come up with.

The folk music of England is the music of the English people - what ever it is, it sounds more like The Beatles that Nic or Martin. I don't go this apothegm of carthy's - just because you're English, it doesn't mean you understand English folk music. yes it bloody does. It's you lot that don't understand.

Having said all that I was truly sorry for Nic, what happened to him . My first paid gig was support to Nic at The Tree Barrels, Ampersand. I saw his gig many times and admired him as wonderful musician. people forget he was a great fiddle player also.

He never really introduced his songs. And he sang some songs that other people did in quite a brisk manner, like the Banks of Claudie in a very slow way, it seemed to me. His records were better than the gig - he was a brilliant recording artist.