Yes, you are right about SING's September 1961 "directory of folk songs clubs". It was trailed in the August 1961 issue, which said that the September issue of the magazine would be "on sale AUGUST 21". Eric Winter must have assumed it would be at the Soho Square venue.

Curiously, it was next mentioned in the November 1961 issue, at the top of a list of "NEW CLUBS". This listing says that it was open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (at both 7.30 and 11.00 pm on the Saturday) but, on Sundays, it opened at 6.00 pm as a members club.

SING did folk club listing inserts with its September 1961 and its May 1962 issues. I believe it did a third but I don't have that.

Come the April 1964 issue, there was a listing of folk clubs in Britain included in its printed pages. However, this list had been compiled by the EFDSS and did not include the Ballads & Blues.

Thereafter, SING ceded this compilation task to the EFDSS, so perhaps there's the place to go check.

The EFDSS did publish a "FOLK DIRECTORY" for 1965, probably at the end of 1964 or early in 1965. This included a list of folk clubs, as submitted by club organisers. Again, there is no mention of the Ballads & Blues, even though the club was placing small ads in MELODY MAKER, which leads me to this.

In respect of the Black Horse, this is the venue given for "Hootenanny, Ballads & Blues" in MELODY MAKER's "FOLK FORUM" column in both the 12 September 1964 issue (Malcolm Price and Sandy & Jeanie were the listed performers) and 13 February 1965 issue (Sandy & Jeanie - again - plus Rena Swankie and Joanne Hindley Smith). I cannot say what the venue was after that date.

ON A SEPARATE MATTER, what can anyone tell me about Dean Gitter? His name came up in something from early 1973 and it meant nothing to me. He was evidently an American in London but what else should I know? Can anyone provide more information about him?.