Found this forum today as I suddenly found myself humming one of Eric's old songs to myself and memories came flooding back.

Eric uised to play in the Tudor Tavern in Friar Street Reading in the early-mid '70s. I think it was Saturday nights (but might have been Fridays). It was a bit of a hippy pub - although not too druggy and had a nice laid-back atmosphere and my local untuil they had a change of landlord and he decided that he would not allow jeans anymore and he cancelled the music. Pub was vibrant before that but almost died overnight and a few years later became a comedy club I believe.

Really liked Eric and his songs and realise probably partly where my loved of Folk/Country/trad music comes from today. Some of the lyrics would be questionable perhaps today but I donlt believe there was never any malice/racism/misogyny intended - as I said, it was a hippy pub and most of us were easy-going lefty, equal-rights, yoghurt-munching types.

Example:
"Be I Berkshire?
Be I buggery,
I comes up from Fareham
Where all the 'ores wears calico drawers
and I knows 'ow to tear 'em."

Never knew if it was one of his own or traditional folk but we all sang along and as I said, no offence intended. Not sure I'd sing along these days though as I'm now an angry even-more lefty,equal-rights, (organic) yoghurt-munching type!

Sad to hear he's gone but not suprising given that I'm an old fart myself these days and he probably had ten years on me. Nice to read the comments and remember thim though.