"The point about Bacup is that, despite the blacking up, I have never ever heard a racist comment there. Neither have I seen anyone, dancer or audience, do anything which could in any way be considered racist. For me, racism is a dead issue where Bacup is concerned"

i know someone (who happens to be black) who would say the Bacup Nutters wearing of black facepaint is racist. He would say, and regularly does, that all instances of white people wearing black facepaint is irredeemably racist.

Because all instances of white people wearing black facepaint is too close to racist blackface traditions of the 20th century for comfort. Plain and simple. The intentions of the people doing that are neither here nor there for him, they're an irrelevance.

One point made above in response to one of Eliza's comments – that we don't know how many people who, when faced by blackface morris simply turn away sadly shaking their heads rather than making 'formal complaints' - is a very good one. Most of the people I know - whether black or white - who might find this sort of thing crass or distasteful wouldn't make 'formal complaints' cos they are radicals who cherish freedom of speech and go more for protest and direct confrontation than appeals to the local council.

Me, I think it's fine as a local tradition, but I wouldn't advise any blackface morris troupes to perform in public around Tottenham or Brixton.