Turning once again to Bert Lloyd, at the start of his book he says something to the effect that England has got to the point where people can make a living out of folk song. There is, he says, nothing wrong with that.

But within the folkworld several threads seem to define folk in opposition to the commercial. This maybe some sort of Sharpian/Victorian nostalgia for pre-industrial days of old, or it may be leftish anti-capitalism, or it may be some combination of both.

I think this is why when it is pointed out that much of the stuff relating to Pardon and, indeed, the Copper family, has been disseminated via commercial routes, some people get so agitated. But it is a simple fact. The Copper family, or some of them, have been on national television singing stuff from a commercially available CDS! Deal with it, people.

I will point out once again that it was Joe Offer who praised Copper for being a showman. For me the overexaggerated response to what was intended to be praise is OTT and bonkers.