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Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: vectis Date: 16 Feb 10 - 07:13 PM Ah! The Croydon Folksingers Club. An early incarnation at The Swan & Sugarloaf was my regular and the first place I dared to sing out. Those were the days. There was another club nearby at Parsons Pightle Rugby Club on Mondays (I think) which was very good. Used to go to The Singers Club fairly regularly and had a few good natured rows with Ewan about singing from your own tradition as my tradition was mainly contemporary stuff. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Edthefolkie Date: 16 Feb 10 - 05:22 PM Mention of the Troubadour reminds me of a gig there by Muckram Wakes (Roger Watson, Helen Watson, John Tams) somewhere around 1973. The place was full (not difficult) and hot, and there seemed to be rather a lot of Swedish backpackers in the audience. I remember Tam looking round with slight amusement, or terror, but the band went down a storm! I don't know how the Scandinavians interpreted "Mrs. Merry's Ball", the introduction to "Cow in Th'Gate" and Tam's references to Banties (small 'ens), but there you go. Tam and Barry Coope are currently revisiting this repertoire by the way, and Roger Watson is doing lots of gigs and has just put a fantastic new album out (shameless plug by old schoolmate) - see link http://www.rogerwatson.co.uk/ |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Bonnie Shaljean Date: 16 Feb 10 - 04:53 PM There's also an untitled pic of Na Fili: Tomás Ó Canainn (pipes), Matt Cranitch (fiddle), Tom Barry (whistle). Can't believe how young Danny Meehan looks! Also love the shot of the redoubtable Brendan Mulkere and Brian Rooney (was just listening to him on R na G tonight). |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Kevin Sheils Date: 16 Feb 10 - 03:50 PM I'd agree it's Paddy and Sean, John. Not so sure about the suit |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: John MacKenzie Date: 16 Feb 10 - 03:14 PM Well that's a fine set of piccies. There's one of 3 people, on page 2, not captioned. It looks like Paddy Maloney from the Chieftains on the right, and it MIGHT be John Pearse on the left in the suit. The middle face is familiar too but can't place it. Maybe Sean Keane Paddy Maloney 1975 Sean Keane |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Gealt Date: 16 Feb 10 - 02:30 PM For John's myspace google- ofivelamps. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Gealt Date: 16 Feb 10 - 02:15 PM Angieb mentioned the Favourite pub, well there are some great photographs of Sunday session people on John Cullen's MySpace. http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=167127262 |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: The Borchester Echo Date: 16 Feb 10 - 01:05 PM The Singing Toby Jug (Dave Calderhead) complete with North Sea crossing Netherlands stylee woolly thing contributes to this forum from time to time. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: John MacKenzie Date: 16 Feb 10 - 12:54 PM Better than a Toby Jug Diane ;) |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Kevin Sheils Date: 16 Feb 10 - 11:35 AM I haven't seen a Pewter Tankard in Walthamstow in all the years the club has been running Diane. You'll be mentioning Aran sweaters next. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: The Borchester Echo Date: 16 Feb 10 - 11:32 AM 'Tis me, though known ATM as above for sort-of Archers-associated reasons. Sometimes seen around London clubs? That makes me sound like a pewter tankard. Not a lot but more usually Elsewhere. Roger Fleming, eh? Still doing shanties and riding a bike? |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Kevin Sheils Date: 16 Feb 10 - 11:23 AM Yes Roger that's Diane Easby, still to be seen around some of the London Clubs. Good to hear from you Roger, I remember yourself and Karl well. If you feel like chewing the fat you can send me an email via the Walthamstow Folk Club web site and I'll get back to you. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Roger Fleming Date: 16 Feb 10 - 10:57 AM I took over from Jack & Margaret King with the running of the Folk Cellar at CSH for a number of years. I remember Paul Simon dropping in to sing from the floor and asked for a booking. I also used to do holiday reliefs at the Hampstead Folk Song Club and at the BBC Folk Club at Broadcasting House. Singers would arrive thinking they were going on air when in fact it was a club for the staff. I used to sing at times with Karl Wahnig (an ex Up-Boat POW who remained in this country.) Karl has now passed away. Kevin is mentioning Diane a few times. Would that be Diane Easby who attended the Folk Cellar, the Enterprise and the Engineer? I gave up performing and running clubs when it became too much like work and the pleasure went out of it, but now aged 72 I've taken up the 5-string banjo and the Hummelchen small bagpipes and have performed recently at the Quay Theatre Folk Club in Sudbury, Suffolk. If anyone would like to contact me they can get in touch via Dom Bonito. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: dombonito Date: 16 Feb 10 - 09:06 AM Re: The Enterprise. Does anyone remember the night that we had Simon and Garfunkel? I believe it was their first gig together in the UK, because Art had arrived here on the Saturday and The Enterprise was on the Sunday. They cost us fifteen quid! Happy days indeed. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Judy Dyble Date: 13 Feb 10 - 05:44 PM "Now that Judy has brought us back south of the Thames again," Oooh! Have they moved the Thames then? I always thought Fulham was still slightly North? :-) Judy |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Vic Smith Date: 13 Feb 10 - 04:29 PM Now that Judy has brought us back south of the Thames again, I can mention that Tina and I and an old friend, Murray Shelmerdine, used to run a folk club which called Tramps & Hawkers at a pub on Blackheath Hill in 1967/8. It was supported by a lot of the singers/musicians who went to other S.E. London clubs like those at the two "Tigers Head" pubs (Old & New) in Lee Green, the "Rising Sun" at Catford, the "Mansion House" in Deptford and even John Barker et al from the Dartford Club. Yes, I can remember the name of all the other pub folk venues that we supported and they supported us - but I can't remember the name of the pub that we had our club in! It is probably long gone and we left London in 1968. Can anyone help me? |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Judy Dyble Date: 13 Feb 10 - 03:54 PM There was another (probably) long gone folk and blues club, The Atlas,in Seagrave Road SW6. I have a membership card (not transferable it says!)pictured on my website.. The excellent guitarist, Derek Hall was resident there I think.. he made a very much sought after ep with Mike Cooper called 'Out of the Shades' |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: The Borchester Echo Date: 13 Feb 10 - 01:27 PM The Greyhound? . . . Yorkshire Grey, I think. Further along on the corner of Farringdon Road there stood once The Metropolitan, never a club as such but scene of some mighty sessions including Bobby Campbell from the nearby Morning Star, Rod Shearman, Gordon McCulloch and Bob Davenport. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Mick Pearce (MCP) Date: 13 Feb 10 - 01:25 PM Bonnie - I bumped in to Roger Holt at Sidmouth, but probably more than 10 years ago now. As I recall, they'd moved to the West Country then. I've no more recent information though. Mick |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,BarryB. Date: 13 Feb 10 - 01:08 PM I remember you Dom, both at the Enterprise and the Robin Hood. the Robin Hood is no longer there (demolished many years ago). I seem to recall a club in Holborn, I think it was The Greyhound at the junction of Grays Inn Rd./High Holborn, I remember a night there with Cyril Tawney. I hada coffee in the Troubadour recently...seems to have had a serious makeover (gentrification!)...Presumably the old folk club downstairs is long gone? |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: The Borchester Echo Date: 13 Feb 10 - 12:55 PM . . . but I don't think anybody had mentioned the Knave Of Clubs off Bethnal Green Road, home of Combine, which began after the disintegration of the Critics in 1974, I think. Marvellous agitprop song and theatre reflecting what was happening politically in those tumultuous times. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: The Borchester Echo Date: 13 Feb 10 - 12:34 PM There was a nostalgia night at the K&Q about three years ago run by Martin Carthy and Pete Stanley to commemorate the time Martin got Bob Dylan to sing from the floor when he was here for Nightmare On Castle Street. For some reason I got an invite (or at least I didn't have to pay to get in) which was quite strange as I too am far too young ever to have been there . . . |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: John MacKenzie Date: 13 Feb 10 - 11:51 AM Sunny Goodge Street Donovan On the firefly platform on sunny Goodge Street Violent hash-smoker shook a chocolate machine Involved in an eating scene. Smashing into neon streets in their stonedness Smearing their eyes on the crazy cult goddess Listenin' to sounds of Mingus mellow fantastic. "My, my", they sigh, "My, my", they sigh. In doll house rooms with coloured lights swingin' Strange music boxes sadly tinklin' Drink in the sun shining all around you. "My, my", they sigh, "My, my", they sigh, mm mm. "My, my", they sigh, "My, my", they sigh. The magician, he sparkles in satin and velvet, You gaze at his splendour with eyes you've not used yet. I tell you his name is Love, Love, Love. "My, my", they sigh, "My, my", they sigh. "My, my" - sigh. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Kevin Sheils Date: 13 Feb 10 - 11:44 AM Quick Check, Dom. shows that Diane mentioned the current Musical Traditions club which meets at the King and Queen but no one seems to have mentioned the old club as far as I can tell. Before my time of course! "When the Jester sang for the King and Queen in a coat he borrowed from James Dean......." |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Bonnie Shaljean Date: 13 Feb 10 - 11:44 AM Are you the AngieB that I'm Facebook Friends with? If so, Hi! As you probably already know, Roger Nicholson is no longer with us - he passed away just before Christmas. I spoke to Kay on the phone not long afterwards, who's dividing her time between London and Co Clare, and sounds in good form. It was great to talk to her again and we have threatened each other with mutual visits. I remember the Sunday Irish sessions in The Favourite, plus a whole raft of others. We were spoiled for choice on Sundays ("...you don't know what you've got till it's gone...") and loved to go out playing, with a curry afterwards. Usual haunt was Biddy's in Kilburn. I know there was another thread about this awhile back, which I don't remember yielding any definite conclusion, but this seems an appropriate place to re-ask the question: Anybody know what became of Roger &/or Helen Holt? They were living in Hornsey* when I first met them, with Meic & Valmai as their downstairs neighbours. --- *I think it was Hornsey, or somewhere around there. The building was called Eagle Court. Why is it that I have perfect recall about insignificant details like that, and then can't remember where I put the car keys eight nanoseconds ago? |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: dombonito Date: 13 Feb 10 - 10:13 AM I too was a resident at the Potters Bar folk club (Pre Enterprise) in partnership with a guy named Frank Beer. We were also residents at the Peahen in St. Albans, where a young lady named Maddie Prior used to sing from the floor. Whatever happened to her? (Just kidding. I'm not that senile. Yet.) Does anyone remember the King and Queen behind Goodge St. station on Monday evenings? Alex Campbell was the resident and all kinds of people used to drop in.(This club might have been mentioned already, but I can't be arsed to scroll through the whole thread) |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Kevin Sheils Date: 13 Feb 10 - 04:27 AM Angieb - Sheila and Dympna Messenger (no longer with those surnames) are still occasional visitors to the current Walthamstow Club. Neither are directly involved with folkmusic anymore I believe but Sheila is active in Theatre work. Jim Younger was one of the founders of our original Walthamstow club but not as frequent a visitor now as we'd like but always welcome. Off topic but I'd recommend his first novel "High John The Conqueror". |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Angieb Date: 12 Feb 10 - 07:39 PM Hi. I've just stumbled over this thread (being new to Mudcat). What a trip down memory lane. Fond memories of the Tower Folk Club, with Dympna and Sheila Messenger as residents (also Paul Havell?) plus others. The club in Middlesex Street at the Kings Stores was the Peelers Folk Club, run by Joe and Anne Palmer and Roger and Kay Nicholson. The Peelers group then were Joe Palmer, Tom Madden and Jim Younger. Great Saturday nights at the club, then back for a 'session' somewhere and then off to the Favourite for a wonderful Sunday lunchtime session. (Sadly the Favourite is I believe now buried under the Arsenal car park). Also Friday nights at Hoddesdon Folk Club with the Crownsmen. Bounds Green on a Sunday night. I believe 'Bonded Boots' (Dave Walters and Howard Bond) were residents there. Also many visits to Dingles and the Black Bull at Barnet. Great Days. I was there for your first gig with Packie, Bonnie, memorable!! You've got me thinking now. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: John MacKenzie Date: 12 Feb 10 - 04:49 PM Elton Hayes I always remember his version of The Owl and the Pussycat, with affection |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Barry B. Date: 12 Feb 10 - 04:44 PM I was amazed to stumble across all this, so many mames I'd forgotten. Used to frequent the Enterprise in Chalk Farm, so sorry to read Maureen Seaton passed away, lovely person, and under-rated singer. Anyone remember the "Robin Hood" club at Potters Bar? I used to help run this for a while with the "Folklanders". We once booked a singer called Elton Hayes (just for something a bit different)..he used to sing the ballads in the old TV series of Robin Hood. It was a memorable evening. Barry |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Herga Kitty Date: 11 Feb 10 - 02:29 PM Forgot to say, also, that George Papavgeris has recently been contacted by Michael Pollock who has reel to reel tape recordings of the Herga Singers that he made at the club in the 1960s! Kitty |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Herga Kitty Date: 11 Feb 10 - 02:26 PM I rarely went to the Enterprise, but I have a memory of Packie Byrne singing about the dustmen's strike .... Kitty |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Kevin Sheils Date: 11 Feb 10 - 11:13 AM Just to add another link to the Hampstead Folk Club memories. Brian Grayson who was resident in 1974 returned to Australia some while ago and out of the blue got in touch with me a couple of years back. He was at that time still involved in the scene in Australia but not sure if he reads mudcat! |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,ray.P911 Date: 11 Feb 10 - 06:33 AM The harp player is Mox(ie) Gowland, who regularly played at the WC with John Lamont- don't know what happened to him but Mox has lived in France for 30 odd years I think. A true character with that incredible hair and bag of harmonicas. Great little club, saw loads of good bands etc there, but was a restaurant when I last passed a few years back and difficult to see where it once was. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: dombonito Date: 11 Feb 10 - 05:17 AM I'd just like to clear up the Dom/Don business once and for all. I was always known to my family as Donny when I was a child which I hated when I grew up, so it was shortened to Don. My real first name is Dominic so about 30 years ago I started using it when I became a teacher. I thought it sounded a bit more classy. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Edthefolkie Date: 11 Feb 10 - 03:52 AM Just had a look at an Enterprise flyer from 1974 (some people collect bus tickets......). It quite clearly states DON Bonito as a resident along with Brian Grayson so no wonder we all thought he was Don! I humbly apologise Dom, nearly 36 years later. Incidentally between July and October Dave Burland, Mr Gladstone's Bag, Pete Stanley and Roger Knowles, Vin Garbutt, Lazy Reel, Peter Bellamy, Martin Carthy, Lamplight, Alex Atterson, Hoddesdon Crownsmen, and Dave Goulder were advertised. Not bad eh? Not to mention the Norf Landon wide boys downstairs. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Leadfingers Date: 10 Feb 10 - 09:54 PM Ooops !! AND Mat McCann !! |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Leadfingers Date: 10 Feb 10 - 09:53 PM A couple of Names mentioned earlier - George MacColl and Alan Young are still active - I see them regularly in Brentford ! |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Davethedrum Date: 10 Feb 10 - 06:55 PM Thanks Kevin Huntingdon is V Close Ray Tomey is close by - I smell a reunion! |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,FrancesTurner nee Seaton Date: 10 Feb 10 - 04:31 PM The Hampstead Folk Club actually started its life at a pub in Pond Street but after the first week and with guests booked for 3 months the landlord informed us he had not got a music licence so Red Sullivan and Martin Windsor agreed to sing with no gate money being taken and they passed the hat round at the end of the evening. The next week was spent with the five of us Don, Maureen, Dom Terry Gould and myself doing a pub crawl of Hampstead finally ending up at the bottem of Haverstock Hill at the Enterprise the rest as they say( and the ice creams) is history. Can't remember the name of the pub in Pond Street it was'nt the Roebuck. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Claire (Bonito) Allen Date: 10 Feb 10 - 12:12 PM Great idea. Am registering now. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Vic Smith Date: 10 Feb 10 - 07:33 AM Claire (Bonito) Allen wrote:- Dad and I were thinking we ought to photograph it and get it up on the web somewhere for all to see. Any suggestions? Surely the place should be the thread on the fRoots Forum that is currently dealing with Dom, Don and Maureen should be the place. Unlike Mudcat, you can insert photos on that forum. It is at http://froots.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5077 |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Claire (Bonito) Allen Date: 09 Feb 10 - 01:47 PM I don't think he is much different in any way these days. He's just a slightly more lived in beardy old bugger now. A lot of people call him Don, don't think he minds too much to be honest with you. I saw the bits on Folk Brittannia. It was quite surreal watching footage of my parents and other rellys from before I was born. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Kevin Sheils Date: 09 Feb 10 - 01:24 PM Been away for a few days but just catching up on this thread. For Dave the Drummer. Brother Gerry still knocking around the scene. He lives in Huntingdon now so I think his "local" club is St Neots. He drops in on us in Walthamstow from time to time and is always ready with a song or monologue. Regulars at the Volunteer in Sidmouth will recall his monologues there ove a few years at the turn of the century! Ray Twomey was around my local clubs a few years ago as well but not seen him for a while, but Dave Armitage is regularly seen, usually at Towersey. Not seen the Buttercup Dave for a very long time. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Kevin Sheils Date: 09 Feb 10 - 01:13 PM There was quite a bit of The NW3 on the Folk Britannia a few years ago including film of Dom and Frances attending a Pete Seeger gig (I think) in what looks like the old Irish Dancehall "the Buffalo" at the back of Camden Town station in the mid sixties. Must get out of the habit of calling him Don I guess so many people called him Don in error. Dom looked no different really when I saw him last at Clive Woolf's 60th a few years back. Oddly somebody who used to go regularly to the Enterprise in those days turned up at Walthamstow last week and was asking about people. We do have an Enterprise regular Dom may recall, Trevor, still regularly attending W'stow and Sheila Miller's Cellar upstairs club |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Claire (Bonito) Allen Date: 09 Feb 10 - 12:52 PM Also, I think I have seen it mentioned before. There is a table cloth signed by those who played at the Enterprise. Well. I currently have this cloth in my possession, I saw Dad this weekend and Mum (Frances-Maureen's sister) wanted to borrow it as she hadn't seen it in years. It needs laundering, the sigs are safe as they were embroidered over by Frances' mum at the time. Dad and I were thinking we ought to photograph it and get it up on the web somewhere for all to see. Any suggestions? |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: GUEST,Claire (Bonito) Allen Date: 09 Feb 10 - 12:37 PM I've never seen that picture of my old Pa (Dom) and Maureen and Don (Aunt and Uncle). I always knew my old Dad was a bit of a legend ;o) |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Morris-ey Date: 08 Feb 10 - 11:02 AM Dingles - probably the worst beer of any folk club; Freemasons Arms, Covent Garden, Sunday night sing-around and probaly the best beer. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Vic Smith Date: 08 Feb 10 - 10:38 AM I got a quick response! Over on the fRoots Forum, Ian Anderson showed this to NANCY WALLACE, nominee at this year's folk awards and she said, "Oh my God it's Ma and Pa! And uncle Dom! This makes it DOM BONITO, DON WALLACE and MAUREEN WALLACE (though she was Maureen Seaton at the time of this photo. She died about 18 months ago) They performed together as THE NORTH WEST THREE. |
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Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s From: Vic Smith Date: 08 Feb 10 - 10:00 AM Dom Bonito said I've just discovered this thread and I noticed my name cropping up in connection with The Enterprise. There might be a few people out there who remember the original resident group the North West Three, featuring myself, Maureen Seaton and Don Wallace. Sadly, Maureen passed away about 18 months ago but her daughter Nancy (Wallace) is doing rather well having been nominated for a BBC Radio 2 Folk award.If anyone's interested, I still have a pulse and quietly vegetating in Saffron Walden, This probably means that Dom Bonito is the ideal person to answer the questions that I have asked at http://froots.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=21263#21263 on Feb 8th about who are the three musicians who appear on the cover of the 1965 Folk Directory. But, of course, it needn't be Dom.....any knowledgable verteran London folkie is welcome to answer...... |
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