Well put Matt!

One of the features of the folkie world that I entered onto around 1964 was that business of giving some kind of background to the songs we sang. The folklore and the fakelore of this process and content was often based on the close reading of album covers, a few books and anything said or written by the likes of MacColl and Bert Lloyd.

This was also alive and well in the world of Morris, Mumming and other Folk Arts. As far as I can see evidence was not really an issue.

It gave us all license to say almost anything we liked within the broad parameters set. Many of us have been cherry picking the folkie world to support all kinds of tripe ever since - I know I have.

Into this strange world "Darkie Days" and the Mummers of Cornwall fit rather well.

I say to all those who 'black up' - yes we know some people 'blacked up' for entertainment purposes in stage and folk arts during the last 5 or 6 or whatever hundred years. Amongst Morris Dancing their is almost no evidence at all until the arrival of "Blackface Minstrelsy" from the US Music Hall into the UK Music Hall.

1. The evidence for the roots of 'Blackface' are in Minstrelsey which was racist.

2. Most Border sides make up the dances, the kit, the tunes and play instruments never heard in Morris - great drama has been created - please stop blacking up.

3. Who is offended? Almost no one but then who knows or cares about Morris anyway.

4. Most black people probably know as much about Morris as the rest of the population but make no mistake many, many black people know much, much more about the history of racism then the rest of the population. Some are uncomfortable and some are offended.

5. So we have dance sides going out with the intention of entertaining the general public and furthering some strange understanding of an English Tradition and they don't care if they offend some people.