With all due respect to Nic Jones, who I rate highly as both a guitarist and a singer, I note that he tends to have taken a few liberties with the original words of other non-traditional songs. Prime example is Paul Metser's "Farewell to the Gold". OK, all part of the "folk process" I suppose, and I'm sure Paul is more than happy that Nic picked up the song and popularised it.

My gripe is not with Nic Jones, but with the authoritative attitude of the person who criticised my singing of Paul's words at a recent festival because I had "changed Nic Jones' original words". Hmmm. My efforts to explain fell on deaf ears; Nic Jones words were apparently set in concrete as far as this person was concerned, and the man could do no wrong!

Hope he didn't hear the several renditions of "Wee Pot Stove" at the same festival.... :-)

Again, I stress that I highly respect Nic's work, and I am saddened by the unfortunate life-changing accident that befell him. But the "Sacred Cow" treatment that surrounds his work in some quarters I find annoying, to put it mildly. I'm sure that Nic would find it equally so.

Rant over.