Hello all, it's been a while. Forgive me this please.
    To clarify: I accepted the award with the purpose of publicising a worthwhile minority music. I don't believe that ticking the "no" box two months ago would have done anything to further that cause.
I do not believe in the monarchy or class systems but I do believe that the award of MBE is specifically given by "ordinary" people (whatever that means) to people who work at a grassroots level to benefit and further their communities, which I believe I have done.
GUEST, Anon, I also believe that I have perhaps done more politically than most folks my age to stick my neck out for this community that we occupy. I set out over twenty years ago, and continue, to debate issues of Englishness in the world and at home and promote English traditional music both in the world and at home in a way that I do not believe anyone else of my generation has done to the same extent, possibly just as a result of my longevity but also as a result of bloody-mindedness and early on, an unwillingness to undersell the wider argument which I felt was vital during a nationwide malaise and lack of confidence.
I have done the above in various ways, some of which have done me lots of favours and some of which have done me no favours at all. I have worked monstrously hard towards this goal (which is more of a process than a goal) with fluctuating interest from the world since I was thirteen years old, and I will be doing so until I drop. It is my absolute reason for being, and yes I do think we deserve it as a community.
There are in addition, plenty of things I have not yet done, compared to others my age. I have not engaged in teaching that much, and I am aiming to change that. Organising stages for people coming up is also something I have only had limited involvement in, but I'm working on that too. I always saw myself as someone holding the door open. It'd be nice if it was true.
There are people out there that just want to make records, and good luck to them. I am not one of those. Hopefully, good luck to me too? This is a thing that undoubtedly makes the phone ring, and I can continue to do what i hope is a good and worthwhile thing as a result.
I know that I started young as a result of the springboard my family gave me (i heard once that traditional music was a generation game. So perhaps that's natural, but you know, still grateful). I know that there are thousands of people in the world who work a lot harder than me who could do with a pat on the back at the very least. I also know that connections in art and community make people a bit happier, and that while I will never be Mother Theresa it's worth doing one thing that does that, and worth doing what you love and what you might be good at.
Thanks for reading. And sorry, but I haven't said it all out loud yet.
Unless you're a troll, in which case, like, well done and fuck off and stuff. ;-)
Xe