I have fond memories of Poynton Folk Centre in the early '70s. The McCalmans and The Johnstons were my first introductions to folk clubs as a schoolboy, and I have been involved ever since.
Then there was the Deanwater, a rather odd place in the function room of a posh hotel. Hotel guests could apparently get in free, and on one occasion I saw one (complete with fur coat!) come in and sit down next to (what she though was) the wall. The guests were Five Hand Reel, the "wall" was actually their bank of speakers, they opened their first number with a power chord on the electric guitar, and this woman jumped about three feet into the air. She only lasted another few minutes before she walked out, and missed a superb gig.
Years later, living in Hertfordshire, I went to see someone I had never (at the time)heard of, who was described as "The Stockport Fruitcake" - Geoff Higginbottom. At the interval we were talking about the Deanwater, when he stopped and said "You went to Stockport Grammar School, didn't you". I had to confess I did. To which came the reply "You were that ba***rd prefect who always kept me in!" Fame at last!!