Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday

Subject: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 13 Sep 12 - 09:18 AM

Aberdeen Folk Club will be celebrating its' 50th birthday next month. A weekend of events is planned as follows :

Friday October 12th :

8.30pm - Concert : "Blyde Lasses" - Tich Frier - Arthur Johnstone, and "The Star Band" [ Brian Miller, Charlie Soane and Gavin Livingstone ], with MC Frank Robb. - Tickets £12 / 10

Saturday October 13th :

1.00 - 2.30pm : "The Wye It Wis" - with Lindy Cheyne, including launch of birthday weekend commemorative Arthur Argo CD collective produced by Ewan McVicar - admission free.

followed by :

2.30 - 5.00pm : Open Mic, with compere Frank Robb. Open to all to come and sing, play or listen, featuring special guests throughout the day - admission free.

8.30pm Concert with Siobhan Miller, Ewan MacPherson and Lauren McColl, Frank Robb, with MC Danny Couper - Tickets £12 / 10

Sunday October 14th :

1.00 - 5.00pm : Open Mic, with compere Frank Robb. Open to all to come and sing, play or listen, featuring special guests throughout the day - admission free.

8.00pm - Concert : Tich Frier, Paul Anderson & Shona Donaldson, John Crawford, Geordie Murison, Bob Knight, with MC Danny Couper
Tickets - £10 / 8

All events are to be held in "The Blue Lamp", 121 Gallowgate, Aberdeen AB25 1BU

Tickets are available online at -

http://www.boxofficeaberdeen.com/

I'm sure there are many people who contribute to this website who have been to the club over those 50 years, whether as club members, visitors or as guest performers. We're hoping for a big turnout over the weekend - everyone is welcome.
Anyone who can't be there - if you'd like to post any memories you have of the club, please post them here, and I'll try to have them displayed over the weekend.
If it's OK with the moderators, I'll "bump" this thread once a week until the events kick off.
Many thanks, Kenny Hadden

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 13 Sep 12 - 10:22 AM

I wish I could come, but finances are not what they were. Have a great birthday.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: The Sandman
Date: 13 Sep 12 - 10:47 AM

a great old club , i have played there a number of times over the years, hope you all have a good night

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: JennyO
Date: 13 Sep 12 - 02:12 PM

Aberdeen was our local folk club for a while a couple of years ago. We are thinking of coming up to Aberdeen for a visit later in the year (November or early December probably) We won't be up there for its birthday (Banbury's that weekend), but we wish you guys well. May there be many more!

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Sep 12 - 05:08 AM

I don't suppose there's anywhere nearby, that I could park a motorhome is there?

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: Northerner
Date: 14 Sep 12 - 05:34 AM

A lovely club! It was my regular club from 1972 to 1973, and I remember it with great affection. I was friendly with Janice Clark and Stanley Robertson. A few years ago I bumped into Stanley at Whitby Folk Week and he eventually became my mentor. When I lived in Aberdeen I only did unaccompanied singing. Now I also do storytelling, write poetry and play guitar and ukulele. I do occasional bookings. I hope you have really good celebrations. A bit too far for me to come from Middlesbrough.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: Northerner
Date: 14 Sep 12 - 05:58 AM

I forgot to say that my name is Diane Taylor. You probably won't remember me as it is almost 40 years ago. If Janice Clark is there it would be great to be in touch again. You can contact me through this website - PM me maybe.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 18 Sep 12 - 03:17 PM

Thanks to all above for the kind comments.
John MacKenzie - I'll ask around tomorrow night, and get back to you.
Diane - that must have been when the club was meeting in "The Highland Hotel" in Dee Street. Would you also remember Allan Carr, Keith Fraser, and the "Ghille Mhor / early Gaugers" crew of Arthur Watson, Tom Speirs, Bill Leiper, Dave Robb [ "Bloggs ], Sandy Cheyne, Ian Hamilton ? I'd just returned to Aberdeen as a student, and was staggered by the talent among the regular performers at the club at that time.
I met Janice at that time, and she's still a good friend, still a great singer, and one of the few from that time still in Aberdeen.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: Northerner
Date: 19 Sep 12 - 02:32 AM

Hello Kenny! Yes! Yes! I remember them all! Sometimes after folk club we would go on and get a haggis supper then go back to someone's house and continue singing. When we did the Christmas songs we went to someone's cottage in the country and practised them and we called our show The South Deesside Road Show because that was where the cottage was. Great to share memories!                                                                      Diane

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: Northerner
Date: 19 Sep 12 - 03:14 AM

Tam Speirs used to tease the life out of me - I was a little bit shy and easy to tease. The band's line-up was being called Henry and the Hernias at one stage. I remember Bob Cooney came up for a visit one time. Lizzie Higgins used to sing occasionally but I didn't know her very well. A few years ago I came up to visit my cousin in Turriff and I called on Stanley but didn't get to the folk club unfortunately.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 19 Sep 12 - 05:10 AM

Were you at the Aberdeen Folk Festival in 1972, when they called themselves "Hector McEnema" ?
Mentioning South Deeside reminds me also of Graeme and Cath Watt - you might have known them too.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: Northerner
Date: 19 Sep 12 - 06:52 AM

If the festival was in the autumn, and I think it was, then yes. I think thy played with several names. I remember that Jeannie Robertson was in the audience but no longer singing. Yes, I believe I remember Graeme and Cath - they sang a beautiful version of Band of Shearers. It's so long since I've heard that sung. I was very sad to leave Aberdeen as my time there was very happy. I had to complete my degree in Bradford and I never got back to the folk club. I believe Blogg was also called Bloggs Junior.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: GUEST,maggie
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 04:39 AM

Hoping to make it for at least one event - we have visitors from the states arriving on friday so might find it difficult..... Found some amazing documents - the 21st birthday programme from the celebrations that Jane Fraser and I organised and a chapbook!

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: GUEST,Calum
Date: 08 Oct 12 - 06:38 AM

Crkey, seems like only yesterday you had John Renbourn & Jacqui McShee up for your 40th.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: GUEST,Maggie Stewart's Grandson James Stewart.
Date: 28 Feb 13 - 08:14 AM

I still say Jeannie Robertson was one of the best north east, ballad singers that Hemish Henderson recorded, Scotland lost a good folk ballad singer, Jeannie's times when she sung in the blue lamp folk club, I know? My grandmother was Maggie Stewart and Jeannie Robertson she was Maggie Stewart's niece,

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 01 Mar 13 - 07:49 AM

Hi James - I don't think anyone would dispute that Jeannie Robertson was one of the greatest singers ever in the Scottish tradition. She never sang in the "Blue Lamp", though. It's only a few years since Aberdeen Folk Club moved there.

Subject: RE: Aberdeen Folk Club 50th Birthday
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Apr 18 - 04:55 PM

I have fond memories of this club going back to the late seventies and a harmonica player who was a postman arthur middleton, i still have his cassette