""Bit of a daft thread it seems no doubt, though I hope not...""

Not from where I'm sitting, it's not. "Traddies", when you come right down to it, is an unpleasant term in and of itself. It categorises a group which is largely mythical, and does so in a denigratory way.

Lovers of traditional music have somehow been misplaced into a pigeonhole which truly belongs to exclusive cliques, and those are to be found, as a small minority, in every genre of music and every aspect of the folk arts.

True, there are a very small number of folk clubs which are exclusive in the sense that they choose to operate within fairly restrictive parameters. That is their RIGHT, and generally it is at least mentioned, if not exactly highlighted in their publicity.

I have never met a folkie, to the best of my knowledge, who espoused folk music absolutely exclusively, and would have NO truck with any other genre. I do not believe that any such exist.

Richard Bridge is a perfect example of what I am talking about. He is as devoted a follower of traditional folk music as you will ever find, yet, spend some time with him, and you WILL hear some very feisty, and enthusiastic renditions of hardline 60s Rock.

It's like any barrel of apples. There will always be the odd bad one, but the majority are fine.

Don T.