yes it was an interesting and creative little period in the folkscene. arguments about what is folk music obscure the fact that this movement we call folk music, in common parlance has many such 'islands'. and being part of thismovement, largely unknown to the folks who stay at home watching telly still makes me proud.

Coventry at that period was fascinatingly so. I first went to see Pat Cooksey at Andy Dwyers folk club. He had a guitarist called Brian Patton and I was expecting the poet Brian Patten to be there.
Out of coventry at that time was Pete Willow - amazing double jointed guitarist; Rob Armstrong, the luthier and his mate Rod Felton; the Fureyss of course; Irish fiddler Owen.....wHOSE name escapes me; Mick Stewart blues guitarist.
very working class and respectful and simultanously distrustful of the more middle class music and folkscene.
one of my first gigs was at the dyers and most of this lot turned up. i was totally overawed and freaked by the company, and simply couldn't play. they were all very nice - but i knew they were all superior in skill to myself.