Fred,

Yes, I know it's cowardly to remain anonymous - but in this case my judgement says that it's probably the wisest course - fear of the old 'collateral damage' I suppose (especially given the fierceness of some of the exchanges above).

For the record, I mainly admire you for the independence of your views and for the quality of your writing (especially on MusTrad). Your reviews are fierce, erudite and knowledgeable and are always a pleasure to read - even if, on rare occasions, I find something to disagree with. At the risk of too much flattery I was also deeply impressed by your notes to the Topic Joe Heaney compilation - a great tribute to a great man.

Anyway, I'll shut up now and sneak away - it's not my fight and I probably should not have butted in (especially anonymously!). Before I do though, and for the sake of balance, I admire Jim and Pat for their ongoing dedication to the memory of Ewan MacColl and for their collections of traditional materials from members of the Traveller community and from Walter Pardon.