Thankyou John. One sensed there was SOMETHING - some popularising agent.

Something between the gypsy's singing songs in caravans to the Hammonds, and Ewan and Bert lloyd and the skiffle cellars.

A sort of cultural Piltdown man of folksong - something I and my family could relate to. because god knows my parents couldn't get a handle on folksong as it appeared in the 1960's - particularly the folksong of their own country.

the disocciation of sensibility suffered by the English from their own folksongs, which for example Show of hands write about in their song, Roots - must have some sensible explanantion. And you don't hear much attempt to understand the phenomenon on Mudcat - only sneering at the majority of the population, who find that they are more sympatico with Americanana.