Only the other day, a few of us ex mudcatters who used to debate with him had a round robin email on the subject of his having been quiet lately.

His courage and conviction surrounding the rather high public profile of the death of his first wife is a matter of record and shows the man behind the persona he dealt on Mudcat. As a reviewer of folk music, he kept the genre in the public eye, especially throughout the seventies, and was a treasure trove of information.

His contributions here showed someone who stuck to his views and whilst many "crossed swords" with him, that is what debate is all about. I will always be grateful to him for providing me with background for many traditional songs and the history of them being sung in the revival.