Richard in Manchester -

Thank you for this. It was indeed the Bakers Vaults, and I am almost certain that it was a 'Singaround - y' sort of meeting, and again almost certain that it was hosted by Gray, Bri and Bob. I remember them doing Tom Paxton's

'Zoo' song ; great versions of

"I had a cat and the cat loved me
And the cat went fiddle- eye - fee" ;

"Goober Peas" ;

and Bob, giving it "Ship in the Sky". This would be around '65, 66 perhaps.

I seem to remember a FC out at Hollinwood, near Marconi's, and 'Sandra' singing Mick Softley's 'Working Life' ; as well as a 'Blues' duo on the Stockport scene, 'Leo and Geek', who did an amazing version of 'Candy Man' ;

not to mention Joe Harrison, from whom I learned the words of the Big Ballad 'King Henry V's Invasion of France', to a tune reminiscent of 'Doffing Mistress', or the Frank Duffy (RIP) version of 'The Beggar Wench'.

There was a FC out at Brinnington which I played a few times, (in either a Liberal Club or a WMC) run by a chap called 'Bren' (I assume, contraction of Brendan) ;

and I recall a duo but can only remember one name : Ralph de Berry, who designed the cover for Rosemary Hardman's first album 'Queen of Hearts'.

I have a copy still, but whether it would still play is a matter for conjecture.

Any word at all about 'Big' John MacAtee ?

(It should be understood that my memory might well be faulty : I am well over pensionable age and now in a wheelchair pending surgery. I blame years of dancing the Morris.)

Before I forget : back to the first FC I ever went to in God's Little Acre, at Old Moat Conservative Club, Withington. Eventually I became a resident, along with Paul Levine, an American lady, Ellie ; a brother and sister duo -

very tall people - he played a Hofner archtop with a plectrum - they were the first I ever heard sing the "Mingulay Boat Song".

Frank Duffy played "the Moat", as it became known ; as did Harry Boardman ; Terry Griffiths ; Mike (Meic) Stevens ; Ian Chisholm ; Barney Dooney ; Maurice Walsh (solo) and an incredibly gifted Flamenco guitarist

who went under the name of "El Ron", until he IMO f*ucked things up by trying to sing.


Regulars included Irene C ; John C ; Martin C (RIP) ; Denize C, whom your correspondent 'copped off' with ; C P Lee ; and as I remember, the bar served a fair drop of Doctor Robinson's Patent Medicine.