I promised I wasn't going to post again, and that was my intention, but I've been around so long that I feel I couldn't go without a last goodbye to those I've come to like and respect

It's always disturbed me that this forum has been used by a few as a platform for hatred and racist bigotry and I was disturbed when an attempt was made separate these subjects from this topic - Brexit - which, I believe, was sold on the basis of stopping foreigners from coming to Britain
These vicious outlooks gave us not only Brexit, Trump, Orban... et al, but a sharp rise in support for Neo Fascism throughout the world - including ethnic cleansing in the Middle and Far East - as MacColl's song nearly says, "Hitler Ain't Dead" - he's found Populism as a way of crawling to the top.
I was strongly opposed to Raggy's banishing refugees and asyylum seekers from this thread and, with I little difficulty, managed to persuade a Mod that they were as closely stuck together as are a lump of dog-shit to the sole of a shoe, and was happy to slog away

Ironically, the thread that Raggy opened to divert us away is now being used as a hate-platform against the Travelling people - people who have occupied a major part of mine and Pat's lives for about half a century - From Jeannie Robertson and the Stewarts, who were among those who introduced us to Traditional singing, to the thirty odd pleasurable and educational years we spent recording Travellers in the UK - all now energetically being depicted as "slave owners", thieves, disease ridden and untrustworthy anachronisms not fit for human society

I have always been unhappy that the Mods allowed a member of this forum to mount a several-years- long insult campaign against fellow Mudcatters, but I came to consider his abuse a conformation that my arguments were striking home
I was appalled when they did nothing when he upped his game into making the attacks against me racist - Anti Irish (rather stupid, as I am far more British than I am Irish - but racists tend not to be very bright)   

What has upset me the most has been when members of this form who I have come to like and respect, lumped my opposition to all this with his behavior and asked me to stop posting to this thread - and welcomed my message when I said I would

Anyway - didn't want to go without saying 'Goodbye and Thanks for the Fish' - it really has been a pleasure
I would be hypocritical to wish you all the best - maybe 'I wish you all you wish me' would be more appropriate
This will probably be deleted - perhaps it should be, but I hope enough of my friends see it before it is   
Jim
By the way - I will wear Iains "byesy bye!" and Bobad's "Wishful thinking." as badges of honour - both are exponents of everything I believe to be going wrong with today's society