just a quickie ....when i was a lad it was more the 'club-a-gogo' , the majestic & the mayfair but occasionally I went to the bridge hotel to see them 'stick their fingers in their ears' ...later on, when i had grown up a bit we went along to 'the cricketers' in Pelaw where a very healthy 'folk club' had tuesday night sessions ...they had some tremendous performers on both big names comedians and local lads and lasses (it was run by an off shoot of Hedgehog Pie ...the younger 'hebburn lads' 'meat and two veg' they were called. ...my personal favourites at that time were Vin Garbutt ...& Bob Fox & Stu Luckley.

I remember one tuesday night the MC was trying to drum up enthusiasm for a country & western night that was being held the next night " Noo aye nah not many people gan oot 2 nights running" he said and a voice from the audience shouted out "Brendan foster does" aye it was canny crack