Fred was very much in the thoughts of everyone at the Musical Traditions party over the weekend and it is a shame that he won't see any of the lovely messages in the card that was to be sent to him. I will give the card to his family to let them know just how well Fred was loved and respected.
I shall miss Fred terribly; besides being a fine singer and songmaker, he was very generous at sharing his knowledge. He always loved a good argument and I shall miss his lively comments. The weekly sessions at the Belvedere pub in Liverpool will be much quieter without his songs and obscure jokes - but I hope some of us will still carry out his project of singing all the Child ballads. Rest in peace old friend, Matthew