"It would be very pleasant, though unlikely, that this thread could be turned into just such a celebration."

Yes, it would, wouldn't it...but sadly, Ian's managed to make so many people fume that he's created exactly this kind of thread. He loves doing that, so I'm really not worried about him reading this, it'll send him into orgasmic chuckles, I've no doubt...but that's what fRoots is about, not giving a damn.

Ho hum.

And er...sorry guys, but much as you can throw as many quotes as you want at me about how incredibly supportive of Show of Hands, Ian has been, many of us are fully aware that the exact opposite was true, until recently.

Trust me, you had to have been a poster on the old BBC F&A board to understand this. It was where Diane, Ian and I got into some flaming rows over his attitude to musicians that he deemed not of his world, and Seth's entry to the Mercury Award was put into jeopordy by er....two people who know exactly who they were, one of whom is on this very thread...

I have no doubt, as I've said many a time, that had one of the more 'traditional' singers been entered into the Mercury Award, under the exact same circumstances, then none of that would ever have happened, just a mountain of support from those two people concerned.

There are some magazine editors who love 'control'...they also love 'control' on their messageboard too, which is why certain messageboards have the same small incestuous group of people all bowing and kowtowing to the Holy Editor.

Strangely, I choose not to write on such boards, even though it's real easy to get back on again, despite said Holy Editor almost blowing up half of his posters in an effort to ensure I couldn't get back...which gave me many orgasmic chuckles too! :0)

Jon, you were fed a total lie about 'trolls' by fiona, now no longer with us, who started this whole 'troll' business up after I became the focus of her grief, following the death of her father. Ask the Longdogs, they were there when it started to happen.

She targeted you, and you fell for it.

Up until that time, you and I used to write to one another as friends from time to time, outside the BBC board, as I recall. You chose to stop that and join in with her campaign. That was your freedom of choice, same as it was for all the others who chose to follow. It was only in the latter part of fiona's time on that board, the very latter, that she realised, how she'd made me feel, after Diane and I both, at the same time, asked her to stop stirring things up. Then when Ralph Jordan & Co, started their ganging up, she asked him, on the board, to stop. He chose not to of course. Those posts are still there should you want to look at them, in the 'Dave Gilmour - Living on an Island' thread waaaaaaaaay back.

For now though, I'll leave you all to keep pressing the complaints button on the BBC board, every time you hunt me down and think you've found me.. but please bear in mind that it's now in the hands of the Mail on Sunday who hopefully will be looking into exactly what happened on that board, and why it was allowed to continue for so bloody long.

And, just ask yourselves why you did it in the first place...because I spoke about more music, more musicians, more radio programmes etc..etc..etc..than most of you put together.

Oh...and if John Leonard is out there, I'm still waiting for him to return my phone call. I spoke to Vic, very nice chap, and he told me that John would hopefully get back to me. I'm waiting, same as I've been waiting for YEARS for the BBC Investigations Deptartment to come and investigate.

I'll put the kettle on.

And nope, Joe, I'm not taking this any further, and if you want to zap this message I fully understand why.