The Empress of Russia was a great venue. Saturday lunchtimes were very enjoyable a good mixture of singers and musicians. I don't know if the organisers were the same folk who ran the regular club but it was a very enjoyable place to spend an hour or two before or after visiting the west end record and book specialists.

I happened to be at the final night of the club a few days before the "Empress" closed to be converted into a restaurant. That night was mostly old time fiddles and banjos with a couple of bluegrass pickers thrown into the mix.

I may be mistaken here but doesn't this club still continue as the Islington Folk Club which has operated from several different pubs around the Islington area for years.