From: GUEST,sturgeon - PM
Date: 07 Sep 12 - 12:49 PM

I see from Jack Campin's home page that he plays those highly traditional instruments the recorder, washboard and clarinet, and has a subsidiary page devoted to his cats. I certainly wouldn't want to spend more than a micro-second in his company.

Oh come on now - what has any of that to do with the discussion?

I met some of the Doyles at Whitby and they seemed perfectly friendly. I also heard (I think) Simon issuing, from the back of the Met theatre, a very quiet heckle at a song introduction by Gavin Davenport which made me smile but could have caused a similar argument.

I've met Jack on a number of occasions and always found his company very pleasing. I've also been on the wrong side of his e-tongue many years ago on Usenet and, whilst at the time I was youthfully livid, I know see that that is his communication style - no more, no less.

The whole disagreement is, in my view, caused by imperfect communication and, perhaps, a little insensitivity on both sides.

None of it, however, justifies an attempted character assasination on the basis of a musician playing, amongst many other instruments, a recorder and liking cats.