As Johnny Silvo had white hair, Tony Capstick used to call him "my negative friend."

Johnny laughed with the rest of us, although I'm sure some of the "you're black!" taunts from his school days were bubbling under the surface. We had a lad in our class who was half caste. As well as having to put up with the nickname "Hovis" (don't say brown, say Hovis) he can't have had a good time of school. I recall him saying when he grows up he can choose between black or white girlfriends. What is the betting his father said that to him to comfort his lad when he didn't want to face school?

The thing is, no racism was intended either with Tony & Johnny or indeed we school kids and Roy. Differences were being what our pc friends call "celebrated" and ripping the piss out of each other is what many of us do.

Reginald D Hunter got it right on Have I Got News For You" a few years ago, commenting on some celebrity get me out programme where a white actress was dancing with a black one and shouted "you pushing it out nigger?" Big uproar in the papers etc and Mr Hunter, after noting that we are crap st being racist in The UK, him having been born and raised in Alabama, said "A friend using street talk to you is just that. If she had been wearing a police uniform and using the same words, that's the time to start worrying."

Still, Morris teams have evolved in other ways to suit society, by modern fool props or even the advent of the melodeon (Cecil Sharpe may have thought it as odd as a Les Paul guitar and amp might seem to us watching Morris) so the term "unfortunate" can still hold.