How lovely to read your post, Dominic ! I have many happy memories of hearing you and The Riggers playing on Sunday nights at the King's Head, Hornchurch, and all the great guest performers, as well as venturing on the bus out to The Castle in Brentwood on Fridays and to Upminster: I think at The Bridge pub and then later at The Windmill Hall.   As you say, the late 60s/early 70s were a wonderful time for folk music in the area.

You and the others on this thread may not know that there is a vast collection of recordings from the folk clubs of this time that is now held in the archives of the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford. It is the collection made by John Durrant, and you can find the catalogue here: Essex Folk Archives You and The Riggers feature very prominently in the list, along with many other familiar names from those times.

As far as early live recordings of Nic Jones are concerned, I *think* the live recording of "I'm going in a field"(on "Nic Jones Unearthed") must have been recorded at Brentwood Folk Club ca. 1970-71, and maybe some of the other songs on that album, too. A guitar string broke during the song & Nic carried on regardless, and prior to that some of us (including me !) had got a note wrong in the chorus and we were kindly "reminded" to get it right by Nic - it's all on the recording.

With very best wishes. As you say, "nostalgia can be habit forming" - but I count myself very lucky to have so many happy memories.

- jeanie