Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Guest - Lin
Date: 01 Mar 10 - 03:17 AM

When I was on holiday in London I used to frequent The Troubadour in Earl's Court a lot. Loved their coffee! Then I would go downstairs to the Singer's night to hear various folk singers. I was not a singer but I did manage to muster up my courage and read a few poems there one night.
The club where I hung out the most was at Bunjies Folk Cellar.
So easy to get there on the Tube from my hotel and get back again afterwards. I really loved Bunjies! I went there a lot! I remember some great singers there, especially the folk duo, Brackenwood who had a regular floor spot. Their names were Jez & Clive but don't recall their sirnames. Also used to go there to hear a great singer named Rhatch. He had a really good voice and great guitar player!!
Another guy who comes to mind that I used to enjoy listening to was Mike Lee. He was a big Ralph McTell fan and used to sing many of his songs, doing really great covers.
I also remember a girl named Sippy who was a very good singer.
Bunjies was my favourite place! Does anyone remember these particular singers?
The Greek Lasagne was great too! I hear that Bunjies is no longer a folk club for many years now but don't know when it shut down for folk music.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 04:41 PM

There ya go. Looks like I even booked you once BarryB ☺

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 04:33 PM

Man walked into a bar.

OUCH!!


It was an iron bar.


Tommy Cooper

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Edthefolkie
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 04:00 PM

Re the Folk Cellar at Cecil Sharp House, we saw the Silly Sisters (June Tabor and Maddy Prior for them as doesn't know) there in the 1970s. As usual, the performance was punctuated by great galumphing noises from the dancers doing Sir Roger de Crasherley upstairs! I still have a scar from that gig as there was a solid beam (above the door I think, memory fades) which I came into violent contact with. Admittedly we had been to the bar or out to the pub at half time.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 02:21 PM

Noel now lives down in Cornwall, or is it Devon?
Web Site

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 01:47 PM

Noel Murphy turned to after-dinner speaking after an accident damaged his vocal chords. His sidekick Shaggis, however, reverted to being Davy Johnstone, musical director to Mr Reg Dwight.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger F.
Date: 28 Feb 10 - 12:47 PM

Anyone know what's happened to Noel Murphy?
A few years after I left the Sharpe House I bumped into him in Edgeware Rd., London, carrying his guitar. I asked what he was
doing and he said still travelling around sleeping on club residents sofas or staying in cheap B&B's. Didn't sound too happy!
I've got a tape he made but that must have been in the late 70's.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 10:37 AM

Link for John re Mac McGann and Ralph McTell...
http://www.ralph-mctell.co.uk/leveebreakers.html

AFAIK, he's no longer with East of Ealing. (At least he's absent from their website.)

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 07:59 AM

It's possible then, Roger, that you were between Jack and Margaret and the 2 Tony's and a Dave, after which I took over with your returning help. But it's so long ago and I never kept a diary!

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 06:48 AM

I booked Jack and Margaret when I was running the Coach and Horses at Kew Green, and Jack came alone, said Margaret had a cold. I wonder if it was the nerves after all?

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 06:28 AM

I remember Margaret, who was a fine singer, telling me that she
suffered terribly from stage nerves and couldn't go on and asked
me if I'd take over as I sang there every week.
Being resident I was like a bear with a sore head all Saturday, worrying if we'd get any floor singers, if the guest would turn up and if we'd get an audience! Also stage nerves too!
There was an unwritten law that the same song would not be sung
twice at a club so I'd have to rehearse 7 to 8 songs in case a floor singer or the guest did a song that I planned to do.
Sometimes an experienced pro or semi-pro would turn up and ask to do a floor spot hoping to get a booking, so as resident I'd have to follow them rather than call up a local who was just beginning, and
do a shanty or comical song to get the level down. All too much hassle in the end!

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 27 Feb 10 - 04:15 AM

Roger

I have a slightly different memory/tiimescale of the Cellar.

I recall that after Jack and Margaret the residency was shared between Tony Rose, Dave Watts and Tony Deane and the Laymen. Dave W and Tony D are/were still active as part of Elsie's Band. It was Tony Rose who encouraged me to get more involved on the organising side rather than just doing the odd floor spot.

Then you took over and I joined you before you gave up. But it was a long time ago!

John M - probably the "Engineer". Always a mad dash down the road during the interval before there was a bar at CSH.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 05:36 PM

My first floor spot was done at CSH under the auspices of Jack and Margaret, and what an arse I made of it. I had been to the Railway [?] for Dutch courage, and was TOO full of Courage.
It was a long time before I tried again.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 05:29 PM

I wrote last item in a hurry. Actually, on Tuesday evenings at the Sharpe House, I organised the instrumental workshops when we had at
our busiest time 3 beginners' classes (folk guitar), one I took myself. One intermediate class and one advanced class. I booked the teachers and arranged holiday reliefs. After the classes there was a Song Swop at which beginners were encouraged to perform before an audience. Also, experienced singers and instrumentalists would drop in to try out new material before using it at a club, such as Terry Gould, Peter Knight of Steeleye, Dave Cousins, etc.,
On Saturday evenings there was a folk club called the Folk Cellar originally run by Jack & Margaret King (anyone remember them?), I took over from them, and then Kevin Shiels followed me when I gave it up.
In the large hall above, folk dancing took place at the same time.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 02:12 PM

Cecil Sharpe House is the HQ ofthe English Folk Dance & Song Society.
The President of the EFDSS now is Shirley Collins, well known singer and banjo player of old.
I ran the instrumental workshops there in the 70's when we had 3 beginners guitar classes and one banjo class. People came from far afield such as Herne Bay to learn finger-style guitar as there was no where else to learn that type of playing at the time. Not like now when you can buy a DVD!

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 02:08 PM

Mac used to play with the Levee Breakers, the full lineup of whom, I cannot get right.
I think it was Mac, Johnny Joyce, King Henry and Beverly, (later to marry John Martyn). Mac is also on a couple of Ralph MacTell albums, the first two I think.
Still not 100% sure if Ralph was involved in the group too.
Mac could do something I never managed to achieve. he could play sitting down with his legs crossed, and keep time by tapping the foot of the top leg, on the stage. Try it, it's not easy.
BTW I found out that Johnny died a year or so back, pity. A nice bloke, and a great luthier too.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,BarryB
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 01:51 PM

CSH=Cecil Sharpe House, London's Folk HQ in Camden Town, where it all began.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,CSH
Date: 26 Feb 10 - 09:15 AM

What does CSH stand for? Like in ' the Folk Cellar at CSH' .....

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,JonR
Date: 25 Feb 10 - 11:06 AM

Small correction to Leadfingers' post of the 10th. (Yeah, takes me a while to catch up here... ;-) )

It's Mac McGann, not Mat McCann. He and Alan Young still (AFAIK, I haven't been for a while) run the open mic night at the Watermans Arms in Richmond on Monday nights - a great place if you want a real taste of those vintage folk clubs: just a small upstairs room with no PA (yes NO PA!), no bar.
Mac and Alan were on the bill of the first ever live performance I saw, at a school concert in 1966 (including the late great Cliff Aungier, who blew me away). Mac still plays that double-neck acoustic. As I think you know, his wife, the great blues singer Dorris [sic] Henderson (who I was lucky to play guitar with a couple of times), passed away a few years back.

(I already listed my other 60s/70s club memories at length in an earlier post, so I won't repeat them...)

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,BarryB
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 01:39 PM

Yes it could, and is!...I'd forgotten about the Gatehouse.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Splott Man
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 06:49 AM

The armadillo instrument is a Charango.

300 BTW

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 06:34 AM

Barry B? That name remiinds of another London club, The Gatehouse in Highgate.
Could it be Barry Beattie I wonder?

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: dombonito
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 06:06 AM

Anyone seen Rodney Lloyd lately? I used to see him at Cambridge every year but for the last couple of years he's been conspicuous by his absence.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,BarryB
Date: 23 Feb 10 - 12:11 PM

Sorry to hear of the passing on of John Pearse, his guitar classes at Cecil Sharpe House in the early 60's, were the springboard for many a future folksinger.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 10:53 AM

Oh yes, I remember John. He died not long ago, in the US.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,BarryB.
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 10:32 AM

I was partly responsible for getting Elton Hayes at the Robin Hood, Potters Bar. We got hold of him by getting onto the BBC who passed our query on to his agent. He was apparently so surprised at being asked that he couldn't resist accepting the invitation! (he was retired and running a chicken farm, I think in Suffolk at the time).
He appeared at the Hampstead club, I think a couple of weeks after the Robin Hood.
Talking of the guitar classes in the early 60's at C.Sharpe House, anyone recall John Pearse? (who took the classes) I believe he emigrated to the States back in the late 60's.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 07:50 AM

Anyone remember Dorita & Pepe (Doris & Pete if you knew them!)
They sang songs from Sth.America and appeared regularly at the Hampstead F.C. as well as on the radio. They played an instrument the size of a mandolin made out of an armadillo shell.
Also, Elton Hayes? He sang folk songs on the BBC Light Prog., during the war and afterwards would you believe. He also appeared as Alan-a-Dale in a British Robin Hood film & wrote the introductory music.
Well, he was booked at Hampstead once. Don't know how they contacted him (before the internet!) As he was getting on in years, his daughter brought him and he was attired in full evening dress. He was extremely pleased that he was remembered and booked for a Folk Club. We were dressed in tie-dye tops, striped coloured jeans and hair down to our shoulders (and that was just the women, Ha, Ha,) Still it was an interesting evening and he went down well.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 21 Feb 10 - 03:33 AM

Too many Brians obviously!

Good old nights in the Engineer after Tuesday guitar classes at CSH.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 02:48 PM

Jim's group, usually with Ollie on mandolin and as you say Kevin, Doug Mchattie, would either be guests in their own right at the Hampstead Folk Club, or they'd fill in at short notice if the booked
guest couldn't make it. They also had a double bass player. Can't remember his name but he was an archivist. We'd go brass rubbing together in his battered old van. He used to play with whichever group paid the most on the day!

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: dombonito
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 12:40 PM

To Kevin: The first spelling is the right one. The Mandolin player was Brian Oliver (known as Ollie). Brian Norman sang with Karl Wahnig. (known as Jack)

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 11:36 AM

Doug McHattie (or Mahatty) could pronounce it but never saw it written down.

I remember him and Jim. Was the mandolin player Brian Norman?

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 11:27 AM

To Borchester Echo
Hi, just discovered who you are!
Still got that big brass rubbing I gave you?
The bike was sold on a few years ago. Used to cycle to many clubs on that carrying my guitar... CSH, The Engineer and The Enterprise. At The Engineer used to have jam sessions with Peter Knight of Steeleye on fiddle, Jim Woodley on a large guitar (anyone remember him and Doug?), also a good mandolin player whose name escapes me at present.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,John from Elsie`s Band
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 10:09 AM

Vic,
      Robin Gray and I ran a folk club in "The Green Man" at the top of Blackheath Hill about 1965/66ish, notable among the guests was Paul Simon. The pub has long gone and is now up-market dwellings as, is the norm on Blackheath. Could this be the pub you speak of?

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,MrCrump
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 05:26 AM

@GUEST - thanx for the info re Derek hall, good to know he's still about somewhere - maybe he could be rediscovered/rerecorded like those old blues guys in the 60s! Wouldn't that be good!..

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 04:19 AM

To Guest (Mr Crump, Yes Derek was a fantastic finger-picking guitarist. In email conversation with Mike Cooper recently, Mike said he had recently made contact with Derek again but I'm not sure whether he said Derek was still playing..but at least he is still around..

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 04:08 AM

For Kevin,
Thanks for the advice, got it now! Only been on the net a month and still finding my way round!
Have sent an e-mail to you as you suggested on the info from
the Walthamstow Folk Club web site.

info@walthamstowfolkclub etc., or something like that!

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 20 Feb 10 - 03:41 AM

Roger

To get to the bottom quickly as with any web page "ctl end" buttons.

Assuming that's what you meant!

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 05:03 PM

Roger - click on the number of posts instead of the thread title; it gives 50 at a time and shows the reply box at the bottom of each page. Or, click the small d next to the number of posts - it does the same thing but in reverse order, so you'll see the last posts first.

Mick

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Roger Fleming
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 03:47 PM

To the Borchester Echo. Blimey, you've got a good memory.
I rode that old 28" wheel police roadster bike for another 30 years
until moving to hilly country on the Suffolk/Essex border when at last I sold it on! Is there any way to get to the reply to thread message section without wading through all the previous items?
Having retired from singing & playing over 30 years ago, I've now
taken up playing the Hummelchen Border Bagpipes and the 5-string banjo having sold my guitars.
I also ring church bells in about 4 local churches which keeps the mind and body active!

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Nostalgia
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 12:11 PM

Any one remember or "get booked" by Brian Willoughby who I think used used run a club in London during that time. He still performs today with partner Cathryn Craig.

Very interesting reading this thread it brings many names and past memories back to the forefront of my mind.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,MrCrump
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 11:23 AM

@ Judy Dyble - pleased to see mention of Derek Hall in your post of 13/2 - I used to see him a lot in the clubs around Reading (c'65/66), didn't know he had a London club residency; indeed, he was a very fine player - I have a much-treasured copy of the 'Out Of The Shades' EP he made, with Mike Cooper, & still love listening to the amazing work-out of 'Skillet' on that D28 he had ( he put in some stirling work on friend Cooper's 1st album, 'Oh Really?', too) - could never figure out how such a gifted player could seemingly just vanish, would dearly love to know what became of him..

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Patrick in Oz
Date: 19 Feb 10 - 01:59 AM

Blimey, Oldguit (Oct 09) you brought back some memories when you referred to the folk club in Clapham Common Old Town in the 60s. I still remember Sue, through an alcoholic daze! Thanks, Pat

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Brian Sweeny
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 11:42 AM

Further to my recent thread,Tara Browne,brother of Garech Browne(founder of Claddagh Records) was killed in a car crash in Redcliffe Gardens (not the West End as I said).The year was 1966.
   Redcliffe Gardens is not far from The Troubadour-Earl's Court/Old Brompton area.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 04:56 AM

Claddagh Records.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 18 Feb 10 - 03:43 AM

Thanks too Brian. I met Garech a few times at the Folk Shop at CSH in the late 60's but had forgotten what he looked like. IIRC I was introduced to him by Paddy Bush. Garech was (is?) a great enthusiast, now what was that record label called :-)

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 07:23 PM

Thanks Brian

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: GUEST,Brian Sweeny
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 05:45 PM

To John MacKenzie.The picture with the three guys from the 70s.Paddy Moloney and Sean Keane of The Chieftains(as you said).The suited one is Garech Browne.We're really talking posh here!.His father was a lord and his mother a Guinness heiress.He became a patron of Irish folk and traditional music,even started up a record label.
On a sad note, his younger brother,Tara, was killed in a motor accident in the West End when he was 21.This is commerated in John Lennon's song 'A Day in the Life'
You'll find more about him on Wikipedia.

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 08:33 AM

Too early Paul. Piers Hayman and John Pearse were the only two folkies I knew in those days, who owned a suit ;)

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: manitas_at_work
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 08:13 AM

Could the 'suit' be John Peel?

Subject: RE: Folk Clubs London 1960s & 70s
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 17 Feb 10 - 06:41 AM

Row with Ewan, surely not Mary! :)