cambridge folkies wanted...

Subject: RE: cambridge folkies wanted...
From: Grab
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 11:46 AM

Mary,

I'm in Cambridge, so drop me a line ("[e-mail]") if you want a natter.

I go to the Unicorn in Cherry Hinton (3rd Wednesday of the month) and the New Crown in Girton (3rd Thursday of the month). I'm planning, if I get time, to go to one at the Red Lion in Cherry Hinton this Wednesday, but I believe that's more a pub entertainment thing than an actual folk club.

Others I know of are the Portland Arms (never got round to going there yet) and the Stukeleys folk club (run by a guy who also comes to the Unicorn, but it's a bit of a trek for me). And there's a blues jam at the Boat Race on Sunday lunchtimes, IIRC.

Grab.

Subject: RE: cambridge folkies wanted...
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 07:20 AM

More years ago than I like to remember I was involved in running Heritage Society, the Oxford University Folk Society. But since we were the only folk club in town, we didn't worry too much as I remember whether people involved were students or not.

It all seemed simple enough - a stall at the Freshers Fair, a entry in the relevant lists of societies, a small committee to take care of business, such as making arrangements with a pub for a room for a weekly session, and booking guests, and MCing the sessions. In between the sessions, people would hang out together and play music and arrange trips and so forth.

You've got a couple of existing clubs in Cambridge, so I take it there's something lacking in what they are doing. So I suggest you just go ahead and do whatever you think needs doing to fill in that gap.

Have fun. (And I'm only down the road a few miles if you ever feel like inviting me along.)

Subject: RE: cambridge folkies wanted...
From: GeorgeH
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 06:58 AM

There is certainly a good Folk Dance soc. at the University (I know because some of 'em have been to a couple of ceilidhs I've organised - and have danced us old fogies off the floor . . ) There's also a Scottish Dance Society, and I think one of the International Societies does some Folk music things . .

You've clearly already found the Portland Arms . . . two Folk Clubs there, one on a Tuesday, one on a Friday. There are also various sessions and sing-arounds. The Boat Race (in the town centre) has fewer Folk acts than it used to (but we did see Martin Simpson there a couple of weeks back) and offers a weekly Celtic "session", on Monday evenings (I have to say we've not tried that one, having left early every Celtic session we've been to in Cambridge; they've been dominated by players trying to show-off how clever they are by playing as fast as possible with little feeling for the music . . )

If you have access to a car there are also good Folk Clubs at Ely and St Neots, while the best "folk venue" within travelling distance is Stamford Arts Centre, which is less than an hour away . .

There's also a "round the room" type folk club at the Red Lion, Wittlesford (8 miles from the city centre) on Friday evenings. We've not been since it moved there . . there's something about getting out on a Friday evening . .) but I do know they are a friendly crowd.

Oh, and Roy Bailey assures us there used to be a Folk Club at the University . . .

Also - if you do set something up yourself, remember to include Anglia Polytechnic University in your publicity - it about doubles your audience, and certainly their students have supported Mayflower events in the past (when the Cambridge folk clubs were both at the Man In The Moon.

We hope to be at the Mayflower on Tuesday (Dick Gaughan - may be worth getting there by 8.00pm to be sure of getting in) so try to have a word. It's also worth talking to the organiser, Bernie (lanky guy with slightly curly hair; defintely "one of the good guys"); I'd imagine he'd be very helpful.

Good luck . . feel free to email me direct if you think we can be any further help . . [e-mail]

Go for it!

G.

Subject: RE: cambridge folkies wanted...
From: The Shambles
Date: 20 Nov 00 - 01:55 AM

There are some links here at this site for a Cambridge folk club Mayflower Folk Club. http://www.cam.anglia.ac.uk/~operag/mayflower/index.html

Subject: RE: cambridge folkies wanted...
From: cujimmy
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 06:19 PM

You might get some info from the Cambridge Folk Festival site.

Subject: RE: cambridge folkies wanted...
From: Folkwise
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 02:15 PM

Mary

Suggest you go to uk.music.folk and ask there sometime ago one of the contributors put together a collective paper on how to run a folk evening. I'm sure if you ask you'll find help.

Regards Jeff

Subject: cambridge folkies wanted...
From: GUEST,mary*
Date: 19 Nov 00 - 08:37 AM

ive been in cambridge for nearly a whole term now and refuse to belive that there are no folk societies here! having asked practically everyone ive met im resorting to clogging up the mudcat with this thread (apoloigies everyone...) so - if you are presently at cambridge university england, and would like to help me set up a student folk society please get in touch with me via this thread, email me at mtfl2 or alternativly i'll be at the mayflower pub this tuesday evening. (and if anyone else has any top tips on how to start/run a successfull society i could probably do with some hints as ive never done this before...) mary*