@Jim Carrol Quote: "Barney who - sorry - doesn't ring a bell?"

Barney and Mary Wood, with Bob Wakeling were part of the original resident band of the Herga Folk Club, Harrow. Before that they formed the original Herga Song Club in 1959. I didn't claim it was the first. But it can claim to be one of the first.

From a Bob Wakeling biog.

In 1973 the same trio began and hosted the Pumphouse Folk Club, Watford

Pump House Folk Club 40th

In the photograph the performers are l to r, Barney Wood, Mary Wood and Bob Wakeling, who is still performing.

Barney did a lot to raise interest in folk song, since his early days in The Woodcraft Folk. I sang with Barney and Mary as 'Folkus' in the mid 70s and Barney danced or played drum with my NW side, Cottonmill Morris in the late 70s & early 80s. Barney and Mary frequently guested a the Steamer Folk Club St Albans.

Dirty Old Town was one of Barney's favourite songs. He would sometimes introduce it by saying, "Here's a song by a guy called Jimmie Miller. You might know him better now as Ewan McColl." As the song first appeared as part of a play in 1949, it could possibly have first been written when he was still JM. But does it matter?

"Garbage? Utter bollocks? It is possible to have a reasoned discussion here without resorting to such bar-room language.

Tone