I'm for the highest performance standards in trad music and totally opposed to the 'good enough for f*lk'/'why bother to tune'

Funny thing is, countess, so am I. Which is certainly part of the reason I have run a folk club AND a folk festival for twenty five years. Not just showcasing traditional English music either. We have had dancers from the Ukraine, a storyteller from Ghana, Blues nights, Jazz gutarists, Christmas pantomimes, Easter pace egg plays and a whole gammut of things for all ages and tastes. The only difference between us seems to be in our approach.

Just because I don't like something, and I have already said what I don't like, I would not dream of insulting those that do. Your final point about enabling people to keep their wallets shut is a particularly nasty one. You have no idea at all about how much time, effort, energy and money I have spent supporting local folk clubs yet for some reason you suggest that I am some sort of miser? Even at the club I organise I still often pay my door charge, buy raffle tickets and spend £10-£15 on a CD from the artist.

I attend a few folk festivals and buy tickets for concerts as well. Not just for me. I have a family and think nothing of buying 4 tickets at £25 a piece to see a band or act that we all want to watch. Yet for soem reason you chose to make the comment those continue to consider it OK just because it enables them to keep their wallets shut.

For the last time, I hope, stick to the venues you like and I will stick to mine. Just please stop casting aspersions on the characters of people you know nothing about.

Cheers

DtG