Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 12 - 08:13 AM

I have also have photos of the location as it is now.......very sad to see

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Nov 12 - 08:09 AM

I still have my membership card dated..available until Sept 1970.
I treasure of my younger days

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,BrendanB
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 06:43 AM

Re Frank McConnell - he did attend St Mary's College (Simms) in the late sixties and, what is more, he played guitar at our wedding! We were extremely right on and wouldn't countenance an organ! Sadly, we lost contact with him but he was and no doubt still is a belting guitarist.
I used to go to Cousins occasionally but my wife Chrissie was a regular before we met, she seemed to know everyone.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Lyn Field
Date: 21 Aug 12 - 04:59 AM

I went to Greek Street just last weekend and tried unsuccessfully to find the location of Les Cousins which I vividly remember visiting - it must have been April or May 1970 - I was 14 at the time. My brother took me to see our then idol - Al Stewart. I remember standing on the seat with my head just below the ceiling so I could see Al and of it being very hot and sticky. Al was fantastic (he still is in my opinion) and was singing songs from his latest album - Zero She Flies. I particularly remember him asking if "Anyone had seen Mandi?" - I guess they had just split up at that time. I remember having my hand stamped when I went upstairs to get some air and being given a membership card - which I still have somewhere. A lovely memory I will always cherish.
I now know that Les Cousins was 48 or 49 Greek Street so I will have a better look next time. Loved reading the entries on this website. Huge fan of Roy Harper too - looking forward to seeing him at the End of the Road Festival in September this year.

Subject: UNACCOMPANIED YOUNG BLACK GUY ON SOLO BASS!!!
From: GUEST,Derbyshire, now London
Date: 05 Aug 12 - 07:13 AM

Hi, I was on the streets around the Square & Dilly & somehow ended up seated in Cousins though I seem to recall lying on mats too.My agenda would also be to get inside & possibly crash too. I wasn't just a dosser & though not too clean had Brian Jones hair & self made 60s gear on so looked good for the times. I had no dosh so must have been let in for free somehow.. I recall Alexis & being blasted by his guitar (Gretch?) through Burns combo that was painfully sharp. I wasn't impressed & he didn't seem the real deal. I saw Harper there but also at the LSE sit in & I remember a long college scarf, Tombstone blues & him singing into the guitar sound hole & a miserable uptight persona. The main reason I Googled |Cousins is because one night I saw an UNACCOMPANIED YOUNG BLACK GUY ON SOLO BASS!!! I always wondered if it was Stanley Clarke though Funkadelic were around. I saw Moxey around & also Kossof around the music shops. It was around 66/67 & though I was carrying a BM classical around I had been playing electric awhile & my leanings were heavy, not folk. I saw more bands down Middle Earth later.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Bredda
Date: 15 Jul 12 - 03:46 PM

Dear Anna
So pleased to see your message. I have vague memories of when we all went our seperate ways - I think I was working at Ronny Scotts and Hazel went to South Africa? and Meg went to join a modern dance troupe in Italy and you got married! We were all so different - except we all wore the shortest skirts possible. Did we only share a flat in Westbourne Park Road? Vague momories of a flat in Notting Hill Gate as well. I remember cooking Sunday lunches for Noel and various visiting performers at Cousins after all of us working straight through all night at Cousins, and everyone quietly winding down sitting on the floor playing and singing. I don't know about Andy - He never posts anything on sites. Love to hear from you. xxx
[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jun 12 - 06:25 PM

Dear Bredda,
I cannot believe seeing the posts from you - I stumbled on this site just now and couldn't stop reading it! We shared a flat together in Westbourne Park Road for several months in 1967 with Meg Rees-Jones and Hazel. (I still see Hazel, she came to see me a few days ago). Meg used to go out with Noel Murphy. After we left that flat we lost touch with each other but I would love to know how you are getting on. What happened to Andy - is he still alive? Would love to have contact details for you so that we could have a chat.
Anna xx

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 02 Mar 12 - 10:12 AM

I remember Frank from the Hanging lamp too. I still see Ian Shircore who ran it; occasionally. Wasn't Frank at Simms in Strawberry Hill? If so I assume he went on to teach.
His name came up in a conversation I had not so long ago, if only I could remember who it was with!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 02 Mar 12 - 08:17 AM

AND Frank McConnell, names from my Richmond days.
Anybody have any information on Frank? He originally hailed from Felling on Tyne and I met him in the middle sixties as he was a mate of Terry Kelly who was a bandmate of mine and who now plays around the Newark area. Although Frank was very much of the contemporary folk scene i.e. Hanging Lamp etc whenever he was back in the North East he would hang out with us ultra traddies as a diversion from "the humourless south" as he put it. I stayed at his flat in Hendon back in 1969 and I think that I only saw him a couple more times after that.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,PiedPiper
Date: 01 Mar 12 - 07:11 PM

Some time back, an issue of the Soho Clarion magazine with a feature on Les Cousins was mentioned. For those who may be interested, you can download it here:

http://www.thesohosociety.org.uk/soho_clarion/PDFs/Soho_Clarion_144.pdf

Note: it takes a while to load.

Enjoy.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: David C. Carter
Date: 01 Mar 12 - 04:28 AM

But John,he did not say WHAT he was shaving!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Feb 12 - 12:49 PM

The Mox I knew never went in for shaving. I think you're fibbing Mr Shake. :-)

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Hokumsheik
Date: 29 Feb 12 - 10:15 AM

I remember Mox

In fact I saw him this morning
shaving.................

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Feb 12 - 08:44 PM

When I was a kid at Leighton Park School in Reading,   my posh middle class friends had nearly all visited Les Cousins folk club in Greek Street, Soho - they had seen guys like Donovan, Paul Simon and Bert Jansch

By the time I got to college, I was aching to go there.When I started visiting Cousins as a college student - the star turns were ragtime guitarists - people like Ralph McTell and Stefan Grossman. Usually with a couple of trusty friends we would hitch up to London down the A1 on a Friday night - about 100 miles. We'd catch the 7-11.30 show.   Then walk round London all night and all the next day, until Cousins opened its doors again at 7pm. From midnight there was an all night session til 6am.

We slept in National Porttrait Gallery, or went endlessly round the circle line on the tube, trying to sleep a little.

Nearly everybody assumed we were there to get out of our heads on drugs. I don't say we weren't quite stupid enough to do that - if we'd ever been offered drugs there. However - the intoxication was more to do with being near something important happening. Personally I hoped by some kind of osmosis, I would become an artist like the fabulous musicians that I saw there - people like Wizz Jones, Davy Graham, Ralph McTell, Stefan Grossman, Al Stewart, Spider John Koerner and Derek Brimstone.

Excerpt from Grantham Days Page on my website http://www.bigalwhittle.co.uk/

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Bredda
Date: 06 Feb 12 - 05:51 PM

Good to see Mox on the thread.   We had such good days and he is so part of my memories.   He may remember me as being very very slim. Regretfully I am no longer so slim.

Yes the stage did move. It was originally one room with the restaurant kitchen behind. When we started getting so packed it coincided with the restaurant business taking a dive. They had just changed the licensing laws. so the restaurant kitchen was moved upstairs, into the back area which had been a dining area used for parties when they were busy.   The stage, which was originally on the right as you walked in the door, with the bar running along the end wall, was moved to where the bar had been and the bar moved running along the left hand wall of the extension. The wagon wheel was moved to the side of the bar so became sort of the side wall of the bar and back of the stage.   They reused some of the red banquette seating from the restaurant in the new area, much nicer for people to kip on. I am sure Moxy will remember that - he used to come and sit and play and talk to me there.
I wonder what happened to Phil and his german girlfriend? She was working at I think, the Blue Angel?

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 10:00 AM

Dick - same period as me. I stopped going in '76, when I moved down to Sussex.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: The Sandman
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 09:53 AM

will fly has it how i remember it, i reckon i wa going there about 66 or 65 or 67

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: David C. Carter
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 05:43 AM

Hi Mox,glad to see you"came out"at last!

Give me a bell,come to lunch,we"ll do the same as last time.

David C Carter

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 04:49 AM

Somewhere in my dim and distant memories, I seem to remember that they did move the stage. First off it was almost directly ahead of you as you went in. Perhaps slightly to your right, with the coffee bar/counter immediately behind it. Then they moved it to on the left of the door. However, even as I type this I have doubts creeping in. It was all so long ago. 50 bloody years FCS!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 04:47 AM

As you went down the stairs at the Cousins, there was Andy, sat behind a small table, taking the money. There was a door to the left - going into the club. The stage (with piano) was on you left, facing the back wall. The coffee counter was on the right, leaving a space to mill around in (or kip in if you fell asleep at the all nighters...).

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 02:51 AM

I recall going down the stairs, turning left and the stage being on the right; but I can't recall where you paid to get in! At the bottom of the stairs?

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 08:49 PM

funny, i remember going down the stairs then turning left, and the stage being on the left.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Maggie
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 01:58 PM

I don't remember Les Cousins but I do remember the Witches Cauldrom in Belsize Park in the 60's. I spent many an evenings eating spaghetti, lovely memories.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Hokumsheik
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 10:14 AM

Waists too large !!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 10:12 AM

Hi Mox - good to see you here! Do you still have bandolier belt for the harps?

Keep on blowing!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Hokumsheik
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 09:57 AM

So it is true..
and it did happen
it wasn't just a dream
people say that I was there
so I must believe it's true...

I lived to tell the tale
thanks for all the memorys

Mox

BTW Still got the hair
regrown the mustache
never stopped playing

you can see what I've been up to here :
http://www.youtube.com/user/hokumsheik
http://www.youtube.com/user/harmopoint
(I'm the fat one in the middle!)

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,roderick warner
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 08:53 PM

Definitely a piano - I mentioned above somewhere I saw Champion Jack play it.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 12 Dec 11 - 07:16 AM

Oh, the piano was certainly present at the Cousins - as GUEST above says - at the very back of the stage, to the left as you went in. The very last time I ever saw Davy Graham play there was when he fell backwards off a high stool on the stage - right on to the closed piano keyboard...

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Dec 11 - 06:49 PM

The piano ,for there was one,in Les Cousins was behind the stage, against the wall.Champion Jack Dupree played it for one, as did Ron Geesin.As you went in thro the door the stage was on your right and the piano behind that. Above the door on a shelf was the Leak amplifier..stand on the stage and stretch up.One mike stand,one mic, one spot light and swivel chair or stool. I remember sitting on the edge of the stage legs up on the guitar cases,knees jammed under the piano keyboard for the whole of Nick Drake's first set on our first gig together down the Cousins. I was under orders from our mutual pal John Martyn to "look after Nick,man". I didnt have to do that for the second set ..I could never get him to do one.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Bredda
Date: 11 Dec 11 - 05:48 PM

Remember John James very well - v good guitarist and v nice bloke. Although I can remember you having a row one night with a guy who sang falsetto! Will check out your website.
Its a pity we haven't got a facebook page for Cousins on which we can post photos of the days of our misspent youth. I have looked at a lot of the postings and think I can place people in my minds eye but photos would be such a help. A couple of postings mention a piano - no chance! remember that narrow stairway - no way we ever had a piano in Cousins. Before its inception as a folk club it was for a time a rythm and blues club. I well remember the cursing of the poor benighted players trying to get their amplifiers down that tiny stairway - drums used to have to go through the restaurant upstairs, the Soho Grill, and down the wider back stairs into the club. The restaurant was owned by Andy's Mum & Dad. They were very kind to a lot of people - a lot of free sandwiches passed over my counter at their behest. And I can remember a group from Leeds? being put up in the basement for a week when they ran out of money and were waiting to go to an audition with a big promoter. We would have been closed down if anyone had found out. (elf and safety!)
Another posting mentions Bert and Jackson C Frank playing together - yes , I remember it. I was so very lucky to be there listening to stonkingly beautiful music every night.
Another posting mentions Alexis Korner, not my favorite person must admit -I have to say my favorite memory of him was when Chas Chandler brought Jimmy Hendrix down on his first night in London and asked if he could sit in on a set. I still remember Alexis's face when Jimmy started to play. It was a picture. Bliss.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Lon
Date: 18 Nov 11 - 04:54 PM

If anyone has a contact for Andy, I would be very grateful. And at this point, I will add in a hello from Perin, who I'm certain would not wish to be left out of this thread. Cheers. --Lon

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 12:54 PM

Just visited your site John, wow that took me back. Ian Shircore, AND Frank McConnell, names from my Richmond days.
Thanks for the link.
(Saw Ian a year ago)

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,Guest-John James
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 12:15 PM

Great to read these fond reminiscences of Les Cousins. Our memory can get a bit fuddled thinking back..but great to read such spot on stuff from Bredda, Will Fly & Rick Norcross. I played at the club many times from '68 on, ran all-nighters spent many an afternoon upstairs in the flat with Mr & Mrs Matthew (english spelling!) leaning out the window, with Mr (Andy's Dad..Andy still in bed..it's after lunch!)Mathew telling me about the soho police and what was going on. Of course it all came out in a big Met Police scandal.

One Mic.One Leak hifi amp. great performers.great music. great audience.great times.great memories.
All the more poignant now, having attended Bert's funeral last friday.

John James
ps I've posted some cuttings from Andy's Melody Maker ads for Cousins on my website.
www.johnjamesguitarist.com

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,keith degroot
Date: 04 Nov 11 - 05:33 AM

Searching for anything about my dear friend and lifesaver Judith Piepe and discovered this thread. I knew most of the folks mentioned .Amongst other things lived with Bert in Chalk Farm Rd.I wrote the notes on his first lp.My first allnighter ? Ken Colliers in Gt Newport St aged 13.Anyone recall Billy Mc Guiness from Finchs ? Love to read this stuff if a little tearful at the sad news of so many mates now gone .

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 10:50 AM

"Didn't go in the Coach and Horses after a....disagreement....with the landlord (me and a million others!). "

Sorry, I'm thinking of the Coach and Horses in Greek Street - don't think I ever drank in the Poland Street one.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 10:32 AM

Don't recall Al More but I probably met him, but I did meet Bob Godfrey from time to time, but I don't think I ever worked with him. Also worked with Nick Roeg, Alan Parker, Ridley Scott (whose partner, Sandy Watson, was TV Producer where I worked - just looking at a photo of us taken at a friend's wedding!) and collaborated on quite a few scripts with my good friend, horror film director, Gary Sherman.

Gypsy Larry - oh yes, now you mention it I do! Didn't go in the Coach and Horses after a....disagreement....with the landlord (me and a million others!). I spent many, many hours in the pubs of St. Martin's Lane: The Two Brewers, The Sussex, The Green Man and French Horn, The Trafalgar (which was burnt down by an IRA incendary bomb whilst I was in it), but not in The Salibury (too touristy).

I warned you not to get me going..........

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 10:09 AM

hours, days and weeks in grotty film editing suites and recording studios

Now... you didn't by chance know of film editor/producer/mover-and-groover called Al More, did you? Had a flat in Maida Vale and a studio in Wardour Street - a great pal of Bob Gofrey (who's 40th birthday bash we played for in a first floor room in some gaff by Cambridge Circus).

Soho... Soho... remember Gypsy Larry? the man selling roses who sold them from a tray while wearing a rose behind each ear, and then staggered around all afternoon pissed on the proceeds, while wearing the same roses?

Gawd, I'll be off on The Happy Wanderers next, and the drunken crowd in the Coach & Horses in Poland Street.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 09:57 AM

Oh no, don't get me going on The Marquee....or it'll start the Soho reminiscences...lost days and nights in The French, the basement of the Amalfi restaurant, George Melly throwing up without getting off his bike, buying homemade pasta from I Camissa, jazz at The Pizza Express, oysters and Guinness at The Toucan Bar, hours, days and weeks in grotty film editing suites and recording studios, being thrown out of his guitar shop by the unpleasant Ivor Mairants, and a lifetime in bookshops in Charing Cross Road to say nothing of the music stores in Denmark Street.......(warning: nostalgia overload!)

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 09:25 AM

Yes - apologies for all the reminiscing and name-dropping - but they were memorable days for a young chap in his early twenties, and it's nice to be able to mumble over them, through, my drool, on Mudcat, 45-odd years later...

Alexis Korner was a good bloke (didn't know he lived in Queensway) and a very influential blues man. He wasn't a particularly good guitar player - very average - but he did good work in the name of the music and helped many, many people. Also did a good radio show on the blues, after Mike Raven's stint on Sunday afternoon radio.

John Mayall trained as an architect in Manchester - probably built very smart doll's houses! I used to see the Bluesbreakers (with Mick Taylor at that time) at Klooks Kleek and at the old Marquee in Wardour Street. The band was the nucleus of Jon Hiseman's Colosseum, with people like Hiseman, Tony Reeve, Henry Lowther and Dick Heckstall-Smith in it. What a sound that was!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 09:11 AM

Ha ha. What a trip down memory lane this is turning out to be (apologies to everyone else)! Roger subsequently broke his Morgan in half whilst transporting a load of reclaimed bricks in it whilst rebuilding his derelict 15th century Suffolk farmhouse. John Mayall was a great bloke - he built doll's houses in his spare time- there was a certain groupie who I.....but that's another story. I also recall (a couple of years later) visiting Alexis Corner who lived somewhere in Queensway (can't recall where now) - he was the godfather of another friend and colleague and a truly nice bloke. I also remember the laundrette - went there on a couple of occasions when the one in the Gate was out of order. And the amazing Standard Indian Restaurant in Westbourne Grove. And, of course The Sun in Splendour pub......enough already!!!

Strangely, the one person I don't ever recall coming across personally was John Martyn. Mixed blessing!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 08:40 AM

I do indeed recall a very nice Morgan in Queens Gardens! They weren't that common at the time - or now for that matter - and it did stand out. We lived at no. 57, in a bedsit on the ground floor back. Before that, we lived in Westbourne Grove Terrace, in a block of bedsits owned by Michael Winner's father, a property owner and developer. Just down the cul-de-sac from us was Dave Dee, of Dozy, Beaky, etc. fame.

Across the road from the Redan, on the opposite corner, was a block of '30s flats with balconies. John Mayall lived on an upper-floor corner flat and could regularly be seen lowering his amps and gear down by rope to the old blue Transit van parked below. Just down from the flats, in Queensway proper, was the very first coin-operated launderette in Britain - and it's still there. We used to do our washing there on a Wednesday evening, after work, and drummer and singer Ray Ellington would often be sat next to us, reading the Evening Standards, while his smalls went round and round. His underpants had "RE" embroidered on them!

The Redan, of course was the then home of Diz Disley - the landlord (Johnny Watkins) was an ex-singer and guitarist employed by the Tito Burns agency - and Diz would often come down and sit in with us for the hell of it.

I also recall seeing Mike Absalom at the Holy Ground - sometimes with Jo-Ann Kelly. And as for John Martyn, he was extremely unpleasant on many occasions. He was singing Jelly Roll Morton's "Winin' Boy" at the Cousins one night and announced, in a very smug and knowing way, that "winin' really means FUCKING! Yes - FUCKING!" One of my mates who was a drummer and of tough Cypriot descent, went up to Martyn and whispered in his ear. Don't know what he said but it quietened him down a bit... Nevertheless, annoying as he was, he was a fine guitar player!

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 08:00 AM

John, I can't remember the Holy Ground, but then I did spend most of my time in a drunken/stoned haze so memory isn't all that reliable :).

Will, I've just remembered that my old friend, the writer and filmmaker, Roger Deakin, lived in Queens Gardens at that time. Do you remember seeing a very nice blue Morgan Plus 4 parked there? That was his.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: GUEST,roderick warner
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 07:32 AM

Re the beat up old piano - I saw Champion Jack Dupree play it a few times.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 07:05 AM

Hmm, had a few of those.
Do either of you remember the Holy Ground in Bayswater? I used to go there occasionally. The aforementioned Mike Absolom played there regularly.
Yes, wasn't the young John Martyn an annoying bugger. ;-)

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 06:56 AM

Oh, and I remember playing on a couple of occasions at a folk club in the Royal Oak in Bishop's Bridge Road where I had a memorable (and subsequently very drunken) encounter with Alex Campbell.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: theleveller
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 06:52 AM

Will, I went to the Marquis of Clanricarde a couple of times (it was in Sussex Gardens, near Paddington wasn't it? For a time I worked in Eastbourne Terrace)and I used to drink occasionally in the Redan and quite often at The White Swan (bit posh!) but our main local was The Mall Tavern in the corner between Bayswater Road and Ken. Church Street (when I got married for the first time I had the reception there). Moved out in 70/71 but it was a great time and a great place to live.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 06:44 AM

Quite right John - he would have done. I never saw him at the Cousins - always in other venues.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 06:40 AM

I think Ron Geesin played that piano there, once.

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 06:35 AM

John - forgot to say - in my day you went down the steps at no. 49, paid your cash to Andy, turned left into the clubroom - bar on the right and stage immediately left. There was a piano at the back of the stage that I never saw played - though I did see it fallen on to a few times by performers slightly the worse for wear...

Subject: RE: Remember Les Cousins, in London's Soho?
From: Will Fly
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 06:33 AM

Small world eh, Leveller? I know Clanricarde Gardens well - we used to live in Queens Gardens before we eventually moved out to Sudbury Hill. Did you ever get to the BBC Folk Club (Clanfolk?), which was held at the Marquis of Clanricarde in those days? I ran it for a year or so and booked people like The Thamesides, Ian A Anderson, Martin Carthy, the Yetties and many others. The pub was run by a big tough Irishman called Danny and the club was in the upstairs room.

My regular playing venue (and local hostelry) was at the Redan pub on the corner of Queensway and Westbourne Grove. We used to walk down to Portobello Road market every Saturday morning, then have a beer and a sarn in the White Swan on Bayswater Road and then fall asleep in a boat on the Serpentine in the afternoon if the weather was good!