Last night I saw the Duncan McFarlane Band at the Otley Folk Club and a few weeks ago I saw the Boat Band at Swinton Folk Club. Both in small rooms at the backs of pubs.

They both produce incredible, exciting music by playing together extremely well. They both play mostly traditional music and some written by people recently. What these bands and the club organisers, residents and floor singers do is to continue to create and recreate a musical experience that goes back a very long way. This is the living tradition.

I think this is what we enjoy and value and why we are suspicious of the BBC Folk Awards. And nothing much that they say at the BBC or Smooth Opps reassures.