Late again, but never mind . . .


The Morning Star is (was) the paper of the Communist Party

No it wasn't (isn't). It was produced by a co-operative society (the Morning Star Co-operative Society, to be original). It sponsored a club, and sessions at the Metropolitan, the site of which I pointed out to visiting performers on the way to Islington Folk Club last week. For most of the time that I was a journalist there (including the seven years during which I compiled the folk column) I was a Labour Party member. When I was leaving to go back to university, Karl Dallas, who had agreed to replace me, wandered down to CP headquarters to rejoin (having been expelled for Maoist tendencies). He said they didn't really seem to care whether he joined or not but were glad enough to take his subscription. It is interesting (or maybe not) that the route from my house to The Horseshoe passes all the venues that I can remember where Islington Folk Club ever stood. And many others, all now bereft of any live music whatsoever. Indeed, along the length of Upper Street it was once possible to stagger from bar to bar and do a song. It is not, however, necessarily a Bad Thing that this is no longer the case. Quality control is winning out. Just.