"WHat I call purists are those folk who think that nothing modern can be traditional."

Oops, better call me a purist then. Or better still, 'someone who prefers words to actually mean something'.

"So-called traditional songs are about times past... We either want to be back there with the happy beer drinkers and simple country folk or want to wallow in vicarious self-pity for the emigrant or hanged criminal."

Er, who exactly are 'WE' here? Not me, for one.

"Even Tom Lehrer will be traditional one day!"

Funnily enough, I heard some of the local yokels bawling out 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' around a table in the snug of the Badger Baiters' Arms last Saturday night. Pull the other one!

'Traditional' was right there in the dictionary, last time I looked.