Al's last post on this subject was very revealing. He has a massive grudge against a group of people who he castigates as 'high and mighty bloody folk aristocracy' and 'the officer class'. Who and why Al?
I do not pretend to revere The Wild Rover, where the hell did you get that idea from? My preference is playing in our band - melodeon, bouzouki and flute - and we play anything that we like, songs and tunes that we can make work whether they are English, French, American, Irish or Welsh. (We've got a set of Welsh tunes, a bit like Breton andros). The point is no-one tells me what to like but fRoots, uniquely, gives me information about the kind of music I am likely to be interested in which is why I value it. Can I also say that I agree entirely with Blandiver. I love folk music but it does have some adherents who fit into the tosser category.