Of course the folk scene is size-ist - the touble is that all these skinny people let the side down (we really must fatten up the likes of Raphie). Where would the folk scene have been without performers of the stature of Brenda Wooten, Jim Couza, Shirley Hart, Rosie Hardman etc.

I can remember a night with Cyril Tawney as the guest - when he was rather corpulent - the opposite of "The lean and unwashed Tiffy". Someone in the audience was heard to remark "If that belly was on a woman, I know what I'd say." Cyril retorted, "It was on a woman last night - what have you got to say lad ?"

Finally every time I go to a session of UK Mudcatters, I always seem to hear "Sixteen Stones" or the "Chocolate Song"........