I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.

Subject: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 04:42 PM

Well, it was Jones's Ale in Chester a million years ago because ......

I'm not really sure...... a wide range but mostly trady unaccompanied stuff with everybody giving choruses much stick. Some very silly songs... Who's pigs etc. and always room for tunes and Richard Thompson and Ralph McTell. Guests few and far, but greatly appreciated.

And...... Oh good Ale though art my darling......

I could mention Harry and Lesley at that pub at the back of Debenhem's

OK who's next?

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Blowzabella
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 05:03 PM

For me there were two - The Nursery in Hartlepool and the Red Lion at Trimdon (both NE UK) and I loved them because they were my first introduction to a music and a way of thinking about life that was to change the whole of my future (didn't KNOW that then, of course, but something must have given me an inkling. My brother took me to my first folk club - The Red Lion, Trimdon and the first introuduction I had to the world of folk was Roaring Jelly!!! Loved them, loved it all and I've never been the same again. I admit, my tastes have changed somewhat over the years and are probably now considered VERY traditional, but if I were only to hear a bass being slapped in a quizzical, music hall kind of way - anything could happen (and probably would!)

I remember seeing The Matthews Brothers at Hartlepool and seriously considering running away with them (mind, I used to consider that every week, whoever was the guest, but I really meant it this time...)

I was innocent, unknowing, naive - mostly I was young!! And I used to love watching the tendons in guitarists arms (don't ask - just don't ask!!)

Too much info by far - got to go now

The Dancing Doxy (by the way - my instrument allegiance has changed now too)

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 05:28 PM

I think Ross and Guru's sessions at Barton were a turninhg point for me. I had been put down a few times but a local Big Folk Cheese and they were not only welcoming but also encouraging. Thanks guys.

ZM

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 17 Sep 03 - 07:03 PM

For me it was Brentwood in the late 60s, early 70s. Superb choruses, great guests, a lovely young lady on the door who dissapointingly turned out to be married to a flash guitarist named Jones and something indefinable about the atmosphere that you just don't get in a club these days.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 04:03 AM

something indefinable about the atmosphere that you just don't get in a club these days.

The scent of youth!

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 08:47 AM

Possibly. Certainly not the feeling that it was the same old greybeards doing what they had been doing for the last 30 years. I can think of some clubs these days where the residents are technically excellent but just come over as dull.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: danensis
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 09:57 AM

For me it was the Jug o' Punch in August 1967. We were on a work camp at MAC and one of the guys said "I usually go to a Folk CLub on a Thursday". "What's a Folk Club" we said - "Come and have a look". The rest, as they say, is history.

One of the guys playing was John Dunkerley (what did he die of?) who was the son of one of our parishioners in Doncaster. I think Harvey Andrews was on one of the first times I went, and a couple of years later I went back with my wife, and she did a couple of numbers in the floor spot. Funnnily enough BBC Radio Birmingham were recording that night, so it was her first broadcast.

Ah, those were the days.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 10:04 AM

> a lovely young lady on the door who dissapointingly turned out to be married to a flash guitarist named Jones<

Oh yes? You'll have to tell me about that sometime :-)

I enjoyed the early days of Folk at the Rising Sun (early being 2001 I think). Despite the fact that sometimes there were only 8 people there, but it gave me my first real taste of singing at a club!

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,Crystal
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 10:05 AM

That last post was mine BTW!

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: muppett
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 10:05 AM

The Bay folk club in Robin Hoods bay, is a folk club I enjoying going to. Every time I've been there I've enjoyed it. There's always been a good mix of singers & musicians. And Jim always makes you welcome.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 12:28 PM

The first folk club I went to was the Jog of Punch in Ellesmere Port in around '64. It was run by 2 or 3 lads from various parts of merseyside.

Guests were mostly locals who ran other clubs, The Black Diamonds fron Chester, Pete McGovern from Liverpool. The main thing was access. By that time I had seen the Beatles and the Stones and dizens of Merseybeat groups and knew I couldn't plat that music. Everybody was really encouraged to sing at Folk Clubs.

I don't suppose we can ever re-capture the joy and fascination of a whole genre of songs and music to which we were suddenly exposed.

I liked the post about the lack of youth. The semi-pro end of folk youth are amazing. Perhaps we have to go extinct before new youth can re-discover and evolve folk performance for themselves.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 01:40 PM

As I have commented elsewhere there are some great second generation folkies around, performing to their parents' generation. What is missing is people discovering folk music in the clubs.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,sylvia
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 04:17 PM

I will always remember The Swan Folk Club in Wadebridge, Cornwall in the sixties where I first started singing. It was run by Larry Mac Laughlin.
That is where Rowena and I first started singing together(and still do), but now also sing with(for the last two years or so)Jinks Jenkin of Jinks Stack as Thorn and Roses.
The Swan was wonderful. Always packed, so popular in fact we met twice weekly.
I have so many fond memories of people like Alistair and Taff.
If any old Swan Folkies are out there please share your memories of those days.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: VIN
Date: 18 Sep 03 - 06:12 PM

Twas the Manchester Sports Guild in the old Long Millgate area of Manny for me with Jenks in charge (or Mr Jinks as Alex Campbell called him). Then there was the Unicorn, Black Lion with Pete Farrow & Marie & Paul Connor & J C Clarke, The Castle and (of course) the Ring-O-Bells pub that 'stands up Middleton way, with tales of hauntings you'll here the folks say....'

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Hovering Bob
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 07:46 AM

Huntingdon Folk Club, back in the early sixties, if only because it was my first introduction to folk music and folk clubs. Because of my inexperience I didn't realise that every club wasn't like that, packed to bursting point, throbbing, vibrant and fun!

A generation later, Cheddar Folk Club (late '70's), at the Bath Arms (and at The Caveman) with the room packed with people who acted like friends, even if you'd not previously met. Wonderful guests, residents and floor spots and an atmosphere so good you just sat, wishing the evening wouldn't end.

And now Herga Folk Club and Maidenhead Folk Club both wonderful Singing clubs with the same camaraderie I felt at Cheddar and Huntingdon. Fun, laughter and a wall of sound whenever you get to a chorus. It's not the venue, the meeting night or other factors that make a 'great' folk club, it's the people!

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Leadfingers
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 12:47 PM

I have enjoyed them all,from High Wycombe Folk chamber in 64 through the Troubadour and various service clubs in the far East.Got to agree with H B about Maidenhead and Herga as well.I even enjoyed the graft of running Uxbridge in the eighties.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 04:36 PM

Herga, obviously. It was the first club I ever went to (aged about 15), was my introduction to the folk scene, utterly addictive and completely changed my life. In the 70s it was not just a folk club, more a way of life (as is Maidenhead). Not to mention getting people hooked on canals too.

In recent years I kept meaning to get to Sharp's and not making it, because of having to get home afterwards. Then I got offered a lift home, and discovered that it's another great club with a high standard of a) singing, b) banter/ heckling c) craic.

Kitty

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,skippy
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 05:21 PM

boston - lincs that is early 70's

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,Seaking
Date: 23 Sep 03 - 07:31 PM

Back in the mid 70s I started going to the Marsden Inn Folk Club in South Shields. It was run by a guy called Jim - a gentleman of real character who always started the evening by explaining the 'rules' of the club. These were just standard courtesy type rules (respect the singers by not talking etc) but it made a difference and set the standard for the night which was almost always fantastic. The club was full most (Sunday) nights and I saw some wonderful performers though the remainder of the seventies. Someone told me recently that the club had moved, I hope it's still doing well.

CK

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Greycap
Date: 24 Sep 03 - 03:11 AM

With me it was the Empress & West Park Hotels in Harrogate, North Yorkshire in the 60s. My founding years playing with Robin & Barry Dransfield... great times.
However, Life's a one-way street with no u-turns. Look to the future!!
Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 24 Sep 03 - 06:53 AM

Probably saw you at the Marsden Inn often around that time Seaking. The guy you mention was Jim Irvine who lead a briliant bunch of residents and that is high praise since I used to help run South Tyne Folk and Blues, the other club in South Shields. The Marsden Inn folk club has moved but just down the road to The Old Ship in Cleadon Village and you can still see lots of the old faces from both clubs there.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST, JIm Bainbridge
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 07:34 AM

Dave, It took me 12 years to notice it, but the old Ship was (and still is) in Harton Village, although it's not recognisable as the same place nowadays. Before the Marsden club moved there, the upstairs room was the scene of a weekly musical Saturday night.
There was Billy Waugh on the piano, also a mandolin player and a maestro musical saw player (Moonlight & Roses' was his speciality). I can't recall their names, sadly- it was well over 40 years ago now. Seppie Broughton, the local gravedigger, used to sit on top of the piano and perform with his dancing dolls, and there would be several local singers- one I recall was a Mr Mackie, who sang the 'Cliffs of Old Tynemouth' among other things.
I've been at many informal sessions and still attend these in Ireland, but the 'Ship sessions were as good as any, only about half a mile from my house. There are some great and very different live pub recordings- e.g at the Blaxhall Ship in Suffolk, and the 'Favourite' Irish session, just off Holloway Road but the Harton Old Ship Saturday night was as good as any- what a shame it only now exists in the memories of old gadgies like me!

nb Dave- there was a 'Ship Inn' in Cleadon about two miles away, but it was known locally as the 'New Ship'

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Mo the caller
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 08:42 AM

Manley Folk DANCE club when we started going in the early 80s. It introduced Jim to the joys of folk dancing which started a whole new way of life and led to some good friendships both in that club and those we went to later. Excellent live music, a lively crowd with their own way of tweaking the dances.
Nellies in Beverley and the Hull & Cottingham dance clubs Jim & I were taking turns with his mother so were very glad of the friendship when we were out of our normal circle. I liked the way Nellies was run. It was there that Ollie started a beginners session tune session before the main club (using David Oliver's books & Cds) which led us up another path.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 09:13 AM

Wow,intrestin to see a thread I opened 12 years ago springing to life. For the last 8 years we have runa singaround and tunes session in Chorlton:


Here

And here we are on facebook

A lot has changed but much remains the same as it should in our strange genre of 'popular' music.

I trust we hang on to what is best.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: The Sandman
Date: 31 Dec 15 - 05:07 PM

It was my first paid gig, Kingston upon Thames, Fighting Cocks, early 1970s

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 01 Jan 16 - 06:19 AM

I never knew that, Dick- I was a resident singer there while at college in the area- mid-sixties. Rod & Danny used to get some very good guests, as you might expect- Margaret Barry and Fred Jordan come to mind... and it was there that Rod heard the melodeon for the first time- me. Pete Wood of the Keelers was another resident and I sold him my Wheatstone concertina when I went back north in 1970- £45
I think.
The club was held in a room across a yard at the back of the pub and was a b... cold place in winter with that old boiler in the room & the Courage beer was terrible- I wasn't used to southern beer at the time, but the locals drank bottles of Courage Light Ale, and I soon understood why.
There was a Saturday night session at the same pub, but more informal and in the bar. I was amazed at the skill of some unlikely piano players in the pub- I'd never come across a 'player piano' before. Terry Vosper of Stepney used to come down and give us a great variety of Cockney songs & became a good friend- I found the club via the Melody Maker and am glad I did

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Vic Smith
Date: 01 Jan 16 - 07:46 AM

I remember the Fighting Cocks with great affection - doing gigs there, club exchanges with our club in Lewes and sometimes just going up there because they had an outstanding guest that I really wanted to see. The residents at the time that I knew it were Pete Wood, Sue Conklin (as she was then), Paddy Marchant and Arthur Knevitt.

Of present day clubs, I have a soft spot for the Chichester Folk Club because of the very special sense of community that exists there.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 01 Jan 16 - 12:15 PM

Two clubs that I really enjoyed. One that no longer exists and one that does! The one that has sunk is the Phoebus Awakes Folk Club in Catford. This was the first club I visited many moons ago. I was enticed into the club as "something I might enjoy" and I was hooked. Wonderful people, wonderful belting choruses and a guest list to die for. Interestingly two of the stalwarts live in my neck of the woods and we still sing and perform together. The other club is the Croydon Folksong Club. Still very active, it celebrated its 50th Birthday recently. Same accolades as above! Wonderful residents, wonderful guests. I am glad these clubs inspired my continuing love of folk music in all its widest sense.

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Jan 16 - 02:00 PM

I had some good gigs at your club Pete, did you know that Pam Colls organiser of Dartford folk club recently died, I am sure you were at the club in Dartford when Alex Campbell did a great night there, Ithink you did a floor spot and sang ANN bOLEYN

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Jan 16 - 07:18 PM

The Tree inn Folk Club in Stratton, near Bude. It hasn't existed for many years now, but the baton was passed on in the form of tune sessions at The Tree that still go on to this day. Without that club, with John and Cheryl Maughan at the helm, I would never have played music at all. I was too old to start, knew hardly any tunes and was pretty awful at times, but they relentlessly encouraged me and I never looked back.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: JHW
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 05:34 AM

I should have guessed this was an historic thread!

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 08:30 AM

I really enjoyed The Singers Club because I could go there very week and hear real folk songs well sung
Stopped going to the other cubs when they took away my right to choose what I listened to.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 10:28 AM

Real folk songs,presumably you mean songs that fitted the rules of the singers club, which were singers must sing songs from their own area.
Tom Paley and Peggy Seeger were allowed to sing songs from appalachian mountains even though they were both from the east coast.
Still with residents like that and Ewan the standard would be high.
How was your right to choose what you listened to, taken away?could you not have gone to Cecil Sharp house Folk club, were there no other folk clubs in London putting on trad music?

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 11:06 AM

............ it got me through divorce.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 12:29 PM

sounds like a standard piece of provocation from Mr Carroll- reply with caution.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Vic Smith
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 12:44 PM

Jim Carroll wrote:-
"Stopped going to the other cubs when they took away my right to choose what I listened to."

Well, let's hope that Jim B. is wrong. Could Jim C. give an explanation of what he means by this sentence because its intention is not clear to me.
I take it that he is not talking about small bears!

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 01:05 PM

Ok, before abusive nonsense breaks out can I remind posters that this thread is:

"I really enjoyed that Folk Club because."

If we can all stay calm and offer suggestions as to why we enjoyed clubs 40 or 50 years ago maybe we can help today's clubs to be at least reasonable.

Oh and best wishes for 2016

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 04:34 PM

I kept winning the raffle prize (always an lp) at the Golden Lion, Withington, Manchester UK, which was the start of a large collection I still have ...

. . . plus (in the mid 70s) seeing all the top acts of the day.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,George Henderson
Date: 02 Jan 16 - 06:42 PM

Seven Stars, Ponteland, introduced me to fantastic folk music. Leading to a complete life change. I now reside in Bray, Ireland and go to the Dublin singers club Goilin on Fridays and help to run the Bray Singers' Circle which attracts 50 to 60 people each month (3rd Saturday).

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 06 Jan 16 - 02:41 PM

Hello George- didn't see you for ages- I remember the Seven Stars as well, and have been to many excellent clubs since then- Birtley, Swindon, Lewes Royal Oak (also the Edinburgh 'Oak') Elsie's in Kent, the Fox at Islington and the Britannia in Darlington, to name a few. The last one claims to have the best quality heckling in the country- you better believe it!

I didn't mention my own club, the Marsden Inn in South Shields, but isn't it about time that Jim Sharpe, who's still very active singing in NE clubs, got some credit for starting it up in 1963?

Without Jim, I might never have come across those amazing guests we were privileged to hear, and meet in those formative days- e.g. Margaret Barry, Willie Scott, Paddy Tunney, Bobby Casey, Billy Pigg, 'old' Davy Stewart, Joe Heaney and Annie Briggs- how's that for a start?- hats off to Jim, I say!

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 06 Jan 16 - 03:24 PM

Seconded

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Jan 16 - 03:28 PM

Jim Carroll wrote:-
"Stopped going to the other cubs when they took away my right to choose what I listened to"
Ironic, coming from a stalwart of the Singers club, whose rules were proscriptive.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,FloraG
Date: 07 Jan 16 - 04:21 AM

I have a fond memory of the Wimbourne club when they said - of course as 2 people you have to have 2 goes.
On holiday, we like to visit other folk clubs. We turn up together and playing in the band we know each others work so often we are treated as one person. If every one is asked to do 2 things then no problem - we lead one each and spend the rest of the evening enjoying the other performers. If however, the rule is one thing each then one leads and the other plays wall flower. We tend not to go back to these clubs now since Wimbourne.
FloraG.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 07 Jan 16 - 04:41 AM

I liked clubs:
Where a variety of songs, mostly but not exclusively traditional were sung;
Where people went to the trouble of learning a song and singing it with appropriate feeling;
Where people understood their own voices and made the best of them; Where tunes were played, poems recited and even the odd dance was danced;
Where choruses were sung with gusto and sometimes harmony;
Where people gave background to their songs;

But mostly where people were friendly and polite and generally managed most of the above.

Best wishes

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,vectis
Date: 07 Jan 16 - 05:02 AM

The Chequers at Rookley, Isle of Wight - my first ever folk club and got me hooked.

The Swan and Sugarloaf at South Croydon - the first I finally dared to lead a song in.

The Singers Club in London where I got to know Ewan and Peggy.

The Troubadour - Red Sullivan opened my eyes to big voices.

Many other South and central London clubs, including Farningham and Catford, in the early 70s because each was different and I met so many lovely people there.

Seaford Folk Club where I tried to put into practice the best of what I had learned at other clubs.

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 07 Jan 16 - 03:26 PM

There was a lovely one at the Star, in Salford or was it Warrington?

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 04:30 AM

I started as a teenager in the folk clubs of North Midlands and South Yorkshire. I have fond nostalgic memories of them. Worksop, Kiveton, Barnsley, numerous Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham clubs, Mansfield, Chesterfield...   You could go every night to a good lively thriving club if time allowed without traveling too far.

Most tended to be stage or area at one end and you got up to perform. I liked that and these days, the singarounds that have replaced that format aren't the same for me.

On the very rare occasion I find a club on my travels that still use the stage format, I can leave thinking "I really enjoyed that folk club because.."

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 04:45 AM

Where do you live Musket?

The Star

Best wishes

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 06:51 AM

"Real folk songs,presumably you mean songs that fitted the rules of the singers club"
No Dick - songs that in some way or other fitted the documented and long tested description of folk songs and weren't Urban Spaceman or September Song - in fact - what it said on the tin.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: I really enjoyed that Folk Club because.
From: Stanron
Date: 08 Jan 16 - 07:04 AM

The Star in Salford was in Back Hope Street. Wednesday nights if I remember. It ran for a very long time.