punkfolkrocker said "but can't remember ever seeing or hearing the Fairports on TV or radio".

It was claimed in Friday's documentary that Fairport only ever appeared on TV once.

I remember seeing them twice, both times on Top Of The Pops. On the first occasion (1969), they performed Si Tu Dois Partir, with Ashley Hutchings dressed as a French Onion Johnny, bowing a double bass with a baguette.

The second appearance was in TOTP's "album spot", a short-lived experiment which allowed bands to perform two tracks from a recently-released LP, but only on condition that they agreed to mime.

Fairport played the title track from Angel Delight (so it must have been summer 1971), followed by the instrumental medley. In protest at having to mime, Swarb very slowly and deliberately put down his mandolin and picked up his fiddle, thus ensuring that the second tune of the medley was well underway by the time he started "playing". Dave Mattacks wore a T-shirt with "I am miming" on the front.

I also remember Tony Blackburn (!) playing "John Lee" (which Fairport released as a single from the Babbacombe Lee album) on his Radio 1 breakfast show in November 1971. He obviously didn't play it by choice, as he made a sarky comment to the effect that he "supposed Fairport fans would like it..."