"The man's been dead over half a century."

Are you sure you knew him Jim?

Only he died in 1989 and I last saw him in 1985. Half a century ago was, let me see, when we lifted The World Cup, Sheffield Wednesday came second in the FA Cup Final and yer man wrote Sweet Thames Flow Softly.

I suppose the bickering can come about by differences in opinion over his work, leading to preciousness by those who chipped in to pay for his pedestal versus those who love his talent but don't wish their admiration to go as far as being seen to agree with his less savoury political outlook. I once sang a couple of songs from the radio ballads at a gig and had some prat at the bar assuming I agreed with MacColl's take on Cuba as per Companieros or however you spell the thing.