Hi Steve. Sorry we weren't able to get involved in Yorkshire Garland. For various reasons I won't go into here, our lives just got a little too frantic. We have been following it with interest and it really is a fantastic project.

BTW when Ray sang Dalesman's Litany at the launch, it was the first time I'd heard it sung.

Nutty, as a book collector I'd love to buy the above volume. It's about three noughts above my price range, though.

Anyone interested in the social history of begging and the huge numbers of 'masterless men' who roamed the country in the 17 & 18th centuries should read Christopher Hill's excellent book, 'Liberty Against the Law' which looks at the history of the time through the songs and popular culture. And, of course, there's Gay's 'Beggar's Opera'.