I was wary of adding anything to this thread as I know how quickly Mudcat often descends into mudsling. However I must speak in defence of Rick H who is one of the nicest people you could hope to meet.
Who here has not castigated the chavvy element which spoil so many of our festivals – especially Sweeps. I get the point he was trying to make, though certain aspects could have been omitted.

On the point of blacking up… yes we could change the colour of our faces and we have considered it. However the kit was designed to create visual impact over 20 years ago. Single bright colour tatters which provide a contrast to the black faces. We could paint our faces in the colour of our tatters but unless the face was exactly the same colour as the tatters – the impact would be lost. We have a vast array of colours and not all are available as face paints. The blacking is messy and sweaty in the summer but we feel that the visual effect is worth it.

You can see us dancing here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eonC7Wv_k5o