Sedayne, it's not a question of taking any kind of high ground, moral or otherwise. I don't understand why both you and Les seem to take almost everything I write as a challenge or an affront - the term pagan is usually a reference to someone's spirituality, religious beliefs or practices. It is usually defined in opposition to organised religions such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Jainism, Hinduism etc. I have met a number of pagans (self-styled, perhaps, but why not? Most Christians, Jews, Moslems etc are also "self styled") and met a remarkably low amount of conformity or unquestioning fundamentalism. There are many different pagan groups or "paths", some of which have very little in common with others. However, reverence for nature and all aspects of the earth tend to be where there is a degree of common thought - whereas most organised religions are centred on a notion of the human relationship with a deity or several deities. Not much to do with revelling youngsters out on the tiles as far as I can see.

As it's obvious we both have a very different idea of what the word means it's probably best to call a halt to a totally pointless discussion.

But my own parting shot is simply that I'm still astonished by the level of generalisations made by both you and Les. Because some people make unsubstantiated claims about the authenticity of their traditions doesn't mean that all claims of authentic family traditions are fake, exaggerated or daft. I'm not any kind of a gullible fool and the friend I've been referring to throughout isn't either - nor is she, you will note, attempting to "cash in" on her traditions or convert others to them. Have the humility to recognise, as I have done, that there could be a far more fascinating and complex variety of traditions in these islands than you might have thought up until now.

I'll be seeing my friend at the weekend and I dare say she'll find all of this as silly as I do. Two people I've never met except on line doubting the existence and veracity of someone I've known well for over fifteen years ... I wonder who I'm more likely to take seriously?

Anne