"Harker's overriding argument that the very act of song collecting is in itself theft of workers' culture."
Concur absolutely - he seems to be a very odd character who could never decide his first love - workers culture or politics - the two could go together comfortably, but not,apparently with Dave
I remember him saying at one point (Sheffield again) that he had stopped speaking at public gatherings because of the number of challenges to his ideas.
I'm really not really comfortable with this, but Dave was special.

He wan't the only one - Pat once had an uncharacteristic blazing row with one rising lady star when she was told that collecting was an "intrusion into people's privacy"
She said she preferred to jot down overheard conversations in a notebook - I am not making this up)
She has since risen to the top of the folk milk jug as a new-age academic.

We got tired of our work being dismissed because we weren't members of the 'club" (ur choice of course) - again, we were told by.... (well too close to this particular discussion to name) that we had it all wrong about Traveller songs because she had done a college course on the subject.
I got more respect from some of my most wealthy customers when I spoke about the folk songs they heard me singing around their houses at work, than I did from some of these people (even if it was a little 'dog walking on its hind legs' at times.

I came into a part of the scene that was based on sharing, instant friendship and constant encouragement, no matter what you knew and how good a performer you were
That attitude put enough petrol in my tank to keep me going for the rest of my puff

Sorry about that - grouse over - there's some of the finest Irish music and song happening up and down the length of our one street town for me to waste time talking to you bunch of scruffs!
Jim