I'm not sure I have a chip on my shoulder. I rather enjoy a good interpreter of traditional material. As I say, loved the work of the late Tony rose, Martin carthy, tony Capstick and many others

I suppose I've got to my late fifties and (as is the way) a lot of my friends are dying, and its becoming increasingly clear an even greater number of them will never feature on a BBC2 3 or 4 or even local radio Arts programme and/or folk programme, big festival stage, get an Arts council Subsidy, etc. And yet they committed their lives to an arts movement called the folk club movement.

But their work has not been 'in the tradition'. A tradition which seems to me largely a work of creative imagination. Certainly no one in my family ever sung these songs, danced these dances - and I remember relatives born in the 1850's.

And day after day on Mudcat, I get these various arseholes telling me that what my friends did was not folk music. It sort of rubs salt into the wounds on a daily basis.

And so I say to PFR (who is obviously under some duress to conform to some idiots idea of folk music) - be an Eddy Grundy, rather than a Tom Forest. Who gives a shit, for 98% of us theres no money in it - so do your own thing. Perhaps you'll get co-opted into the Copper Family or marry a Waterson. Then all these 'traditional' singers will be asking you for tips - about your tradition.