Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP (12 March 2004)

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: GUEST,Mike Aungier
Date: 27 Mar 04 - 10:31 AM

Thanks to you all for your comments and memories. It's comforting to know a lot of people remember him fondly, often from way back. I'm planning to do a website in the near furture and will start collecting images, stories, etc. If anybody can send me any stuff I'd be very grateful: [e-mail]

Cheers,
Cliff's eldest, Mike.

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 11:47 AM

Gosh Johnny Joyce too, I was just telling some people at the weekend how he acquired a pretty little pre-war black Gibson 6 string. Makes you think that your name is going to come up on the list any minute now.
Regretfully....John

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 11:32 AM

Sad news indeed. Giok - Benbow and Alan Young are still kicking at the Brewery Tap and the Coach & Horses in Brentford every week though
Benbow had a nasty accident on his smallholding in Feb. Better now though. I don't know whether it got posted on this site but Johnny Joyce also passed away in February. I understand that Cliff was getting a web site set up and I believe that some of the photos from his personal archive that were to be on it are real gems, with many old faces. Sad.

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: Nick
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 10:34 AM

Sorry to hear that.

When my wife and I first started going out in 1979/1980 we used to go to a pub close to Richmond station (I forget the name of it but it was the smaller of two pubs that had regular music) and fall in love on friday evenings listening to music in very cosy surroundings - it was a small pub and the musicians were about four feet away from the bar. There was a trio who played regularly but occasionally other musicians would come one of whom was Cliff.

We had many a pleasant evening listening to him singing and playing. Often he would appear with a bass player and occasionally turn up with friends - I believe he arrived with Gordon Giltrap one evening though that may be my memory playing tricks.

I remember him as a cheerful guy and a good singer and player who always had time for everyone for a chat.

Lot of warm feelings about those times - sorry that the circumstances that prompt such fond memories for me must be giving others grief.

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 08:34 AM

I was at the Chase Folk Club's St. Patrick's Day gig with Murf last Wednesday when Noel told me about Cliff's passing. Apparently he had been ill for some time. Very sad. I saw him quite a lot back in the 70's. Remember his guitar? A D28 with "Cliff Aungier" inlayed along the fretboard. He once told the story of how a French student pinched it and later took it in to Ivor Mairant's guitar shop to see how much she could get for it. About six months, Ivor was thinking, as he phoned the cops!

Pete

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: scouse
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 05:51 AM

Well,the "Half-Moon." will be awash with Whiskey on the 31st of this month.. with the RIP concert for Jonah (John.) Jones being held and now this sad news..both regulars of the place in years past. God, I wish I could be there to raise a dram to them both.

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 05:16 AM

A wonderful guy. I warmed to him because he did bluesy stuff when there wasn't much of it around.

The thread has certainly awoken memories of a hazy yesteryear, peopled by the likes of Alex Campbell, Murphy, Denver, etc, and you could book Christy Moore for less than a tenner. I was helping to run a folk club in Newark in the 60s and the Half-Moon was just a distant Mecca. I did eventually get there, catching an earlyish Fairport set there among others.

That is the land of lost content,         5
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again.

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: mooman
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 04:51 AM

Also interesting John. The Coach and Horses was my local and "luncheon cafeteria" when I worked at the Jodrell Lab, Kew, in the 70s!

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 26 Mar 04 - 04:33 AM

I have just discovered 'among my souvenirs' a publicity shot of a very young Cliff Aungier, it gives his address as Heber Rd London N2, and his phone number as GLA 6790/6217, so that would indicate how old it is, before STD. Also in the same folder are similar pix of Steve Benbow, and Alan Young, there is also a list of the people I booked at my club,The Coach and Horses, Kew Green, and what I paid them for the gig. Examples from 1968 are, Noel Murphy 8 Guineas, Johnny Silvo £15:00, Hedy West £20:00, and Derek Brimstone £10:00 etc.
Oh for the halcyon days of my youth.
John

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: Bob Hitchcock
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 08:10 PM

This is very sad news, I remember Cliff playing in a club in Berkshire back in 1974 or 75 and I had a short conversation with him after his set. He was a very nice bloke, and a wonderfull performer.

RIP Cliff.

Bob

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: GUEST,eddi reader
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 07:44 PM

shock about cliffs passing ... he was one of the stars of the folk scene in london when I got off the train from scotland and headed to the Half Moon club in the 80's on the recommendation of Hamish Imlach ...
GOD BLESS YOU CLIFF....
eddi
xxx

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: mooman
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 02:49 PM

Dear John

I was also a denizen of the Half Moon and The Dungeon, and lived in Richmond. Jo-Ann was also a personal friend.

Ironic how a sadness like Cliff's passing reveals previously unknown connections.

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 01:55 PM

Gosh this one really hits me close, I used to go to the Half Moon at Putney every week back in the 60s. Cliff and Royd,along with Lisa Turner were the residents in those days, and many a swinging night was had in those days when I could have a couple of drinks and still drive back home to Richmond. That was the first place I saw Jo Ann Kelly among others. Cliff had a flat somewhere in south London [I think] and we used to go back there after Country Swamps Folk, and the Dungeon Club for drinks etc. In fact I was coming back from there one night with Sandy Glennon when he got breathalysed, and taken to the local cop shop, they allowed me to drive him home to Chelsea where he lived, and I had to walk home to Richmond at 3 0-clock in the morning, a long walk. Oh happy daze!
Rest in peace Cliff
John

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: mooman
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 09:53 AM

I am very sad to hear of his passing. He was the first live folk performer I ever saw.

May he rest in peace.

moo

Subject: RE: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: GUEST,JOHN FROM ELSIE`S BAND
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 06:09 AM

It is with much sadness that I learn of the passing of Cliff Aungier. We first met at the "Railway Tavern", Catford where he was a regular guest along with Royd Rivers. We have a lot to thank him for. When I was a member of Four Square Circle it was Cliff who recommended us and introduced us to Francis Line at BBC Light Entertainment from where we featured on "Country Meets Folk" a number of times. Our condolences go out to all Cliff`s family.

Subject: Obit: Cliff Aungier RIP
From: Lanfranc
Date: 25 Mar 04 - 05:45 AM

It was with great sadness that I discovered from the Ralph McTell/Steeleye Down Under thread that Cliff Aungier passed away on Friday 12th March.

I remember him as a fine Blues singer and guitarist, and have a couple of his albums in my collection. It is many years since I last saw him, and I have not seen his name on any guest lists for ages - the last time I booked him was probably back in the '80s. I wonder if any Mudcatter can fill me and others in on the story of his later years.

He was a regular (and organiser?) at the Half Moon in Putney way back when, and I recall many entertaining gigs there.

Another one gone!

Alan