Oh my word! I really am devastated to hear this.

Apart from the numerous accolades for his promotion of Forest Tracks records, as an individual and treasured colleague on the Traditional Song Forum, he was incredibly supportive to me and others, promoting Hampshire's role in The Tradition.

He was recently very helpful in my work on a singer from the Petersfield area which should reach fruition in a forthcoming edition of 'Living Tradition'. On a more personal note, he put out bespoke CDs on my old Farnborough school teacher Mike 'Guttapercha' Sadler, and trying to make sense of a recorded-from-the-back-of-the-room rubbish tape cassette of Roy 'Cobblers' Harrison - projects which Paul tackled with great empathy.

He also guested in with the Bursledon Village Band and played percussion at the Sidmouth Volunteer when the late Dave Williams led the pit band in the days when John Howson ran the concern.

Paul. May your spirit live on!