I used to hang around Bunjies Folk Cellar all the time, from the winter of 1964 until 1969. I remember the first night Al Stewart arrived carrying an old "F"Hole jazz type guitar, and shook Peter Bellamy's hand, introducing himself to the packed audience and enthralling everyone with his own composition, "Pretty Golden Hair."
He lent me his guitar on several occasions to do the traditional "floor spot" when he wanted to nip out to the coffee bar for a quick thirst quenching drink.It used to get so crowded, hot and stuffy down there i'm surprised we all didn't suffocate! I also remember the first time he sang me "Swiss Cottage Manoeuvres," at his tiny bed-sit in Lyle Street, Soho. My late brother David also took some publicity photo's there for Al's first recordings on Decca .
I still keep that song as part of my repotoire today and often feel very nostalgic for those exciting bygone days of youth, forty years ago.