The tragedy of the Lost Leader catalogue is not just a case of a few revival artists caught by contracts which, possibly unwisely, signed away their publishing rights simply in order to get produced, iniquitous, unfortunate and heart-breaking though that has proved. Of course, many of these have been illegally dubbed or else re-recorded as this is the only way they could be heard. These could have been sales for the Bulmer empire, as they have been in the very few cases in which the rights have been sold back either to the artists or to Neil Wayne for Free Reed retrospectives. Noses, cutting and spiting spring to mind.

No, the enormity of the crime against music lies in the vast traditional catalogue, starting with the very first Leader release, Jack Elliott of Birtley through Seamusses Ennis and Tansey, Walter Pardon, Billy Pigg, the Border Minstrel and all the other grey gatefolds, Janet Kerr's Blue Ridge Mountain Field Trip and even the Copper Family's box set, A Song For Every Season.

As for the revivalists, no it's not just the high profile ones (sad and outrageous though that is), but the list of those musicians affected in one way or another encompasses just about everyone active on the scene in the late 1960s and 70s: Peter Bellamy, Andrew Cronshaw, Lea Nicholson . . . good grief, even Steve Heap and Mike Harding.

There's a complete discography on the Musical Traditions site where you can wonder and weep at what's being kept from the ears of the world.

Now, wouldn't it make Mr Bulmer happy to be lauded and loved as the man responsible for making all that available again (OK, maybe not the last two)? I think he knows where I am if he wants to write me a letter but he'd be better advised to talk to those in a position to do a deal which would benefit everybody. Even him. So, Mr George Clarke, do let him know.