Well my goodness what a discussion this has become ! Yes it was me who started this thread having noticed the article pop up on the BBC website (when I should have been working !), and I thought it would be of interest to some mudcatters. However I haven't been able to view the subsequent discussion since via my work computer, as apparently the thread postings contained some offensive words which my work IT system then blocked !!

Now having found a few minutes to catch up on mudcat at home - in between playing at sessions, learning a new song, and restringing my fiddle - I think I am starting to feel perhaps the same as 'Guest The Hammer (newby)' 3 posts back. Having read, then scanned, then scrolled through a lot of the heated discussion - most of which notably seems to have been between a few individuals it seems, I was starting to get a bit bored with it all.
Generally I do find Mudcat very interesting and useful for some informed debate and knowledge about songs tunes etc. However clearly some people have more time on their hands to argue at length - or maybe the current heatwave in the UK is getting to them.
Just for the record, putting in my 'penny's worth'. I do think it a shame that Motley Morris were not able to pursuade the school to let them dance blacked up, and I wonder how much effort they put into this. Did they offer to give a talk to the audience/teachers/pupils about their costume? Did they suggest providing leaflets explaining their tradition to give out on the day ?

Sal the Gal