Perhaps if you said “I personally don’t like” rather than saying something or someone is bad, people wouldn’t dismiss you Jim.

We are all aware of your work in the field of folk and I amongst others have been grateful for the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of your endeavours.

It doesn’t make you the arbiter of taste, definition nor state of this field of entertainment though. Stop trying to tell me and others what folk is or isn’t. It’s all the definitions and much more.

It’s also in good hands for the future. It’s merely the venue platforms that are evolving.

I help run two clubs, one singaround type that gets 15-30 most weeks and a concert venue that varies between 50 and full house of 115. Both have limited futures and neither attract too many young audience. Why sit in a pub or club when you can see lots at once at a festival then YouTube the rest of the time? That’s the future, not yours (although increasingly mine) and the music? Exciting young talent proving they can be stewards of the folk tradition. In any event, young festival goers love the sound it makes.