"I have got to stop reading this thread - it gets more confusing with every post - I know longer know who is saying what why or when - maybe it is time to close it down, because it is not going anywhere.

Tim Radford"

It is very odd, Tim. I'm a definite outsider in all this. A folk club got me going and I'm eternally grateful, but I grew out of folk clubs twenty years ago. That sounds bloody arrogant but it isn't meant to be. Playing in a pub session with an incredibly democratic bunch of blokes got me playing ten times more traditional tunes than ever I would have played or heard in a folk club. And a lot of non-traditional tunes too. And a few songs, mostly of the Pete St John non-traditional variety, but then we were mostly all about Irish tunes, not songs. But let me just say summat. I love traditional music. Dunno whether you in-crowd guys consider Shirley Collins to be traditional, but I'm a Shirley completist. Is Woody traditional? Dunno. I'm a Woody completist too. I know bugger all about Morris or set dancing but I love to see it and can't be dragged away. Dare I admit that I also love the Pogues, Christy, Planxty and the Bothies? Beatles? Vaughan Williams? But when it comes to going out to play, I have one bloody aim. To have fun. I thoroughly respect tradition. But if I want to thoroughly respect something and NOT have fun I'll just go to Mass, thanks. The polarisation in this thread is mesmerising and it survives the occasional oasis of calm. I could do with a touch more knowledge, but I have enough to be able to glean that Jim loses the lot of you. Don't antagonise a man of such passion and you might actually learn something. There, that's me being all soddin' polarising. Damn.