Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting

Subject: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 03 Dec 02 - 11:43 AM

In March 2003, Herga Folk Club will be celebrating 40 years of continuous running in the same venue (The Royal Oak, Peel Street, Harrow Wealdstone, London). I believe this makes it the longest running club in the same place (any challengers out there?). Over the years may of the leading lights of folk music shook the plaster off its walls (the wallpaper bears witness), and its current set of residents (Johnny Collins, Graeme Knights, Kitty Vernon, Mike Sparks, Bob Hambleton, Mary O'Connor) is continuing the tradition and adding to it.

The Mother Of All Parties is planned for the event - it will be a "tickets only" night, so when you get the chance, book early. We certainly hope to have some of the old friends of the club turning up from the US and Canada and other points abroad (who knows, Paul Simon may remember the club that gave him an early booking once).

C U there?

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: harvey andrews
Date: 03 Dec 02 - 02:29 PM

Herga beats me to 40 years by six months. Congratulations to all.
Got your PEL licence for the next 40?

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: breezy
Date: 03 Dec 02 - 03:00 PM

he means 60

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: My guru always said
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 08:52 AM

I was scanning the thread list, saw this title & just knew you'd written it George! You're a phenomenom, you've got us singing your songs in English but with the odd Greek emphasis, it's just Fab :-)

Save a seat for me, what a party this'll be.....

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Fortunato
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 09:21 AM

Congratulations, Herga. My wife Susette and I had a lovely time there last year, singing with Johnny Collins and Micca. What a treat to sing a"Dark As A Dungeon" and find every voice in on the chorus. I hope to return soon. In the meantime, keep up the good work. Best regards, Chance

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 11:30 AM

I'm going to keep this thread going, if only to collect the messages from the wellwishers, to read out on the night.

ChrisHilid, you'd better start practicing; Breezy, we'll need something special for the night - the new version of Idlers & Scyvers might be it, with JC fronting it, MS on bass, JB on guitar and GPG on 12-string. And ChrisHilid doing a "Supremes" on it.

Oh my God, I've created a monster in my mind!

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: bill\sables
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 11:39 AM

I remember playing at the Herga in the 60's when John Hayden was organiser. In those days I played guitar, jews harp, musical saw. and melodeon. The melodeon was not as popular as it is today and that is the only club where I met another player who turned out to be Hugh Ripon. When I moved to Yorkshire I met a lady who was a member of Herga before she moved , she was called Helen Richmond but she would have been called something else in her Herga days before she married.
Best wishes with your birthday.
Cheers Bill

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 02:49 PM

Hugh Rippon and John Heydon were also founder members of Herga Morris... whose "widows" started Flowers of May / Whitethorn etc. I'd better remind Bob Hawkes to update the family tree.

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: breezy
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 03:03 PM

And Knights? , wow what a prospect, I'll leave you to pull it all together.I see a s-g in the making.

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: My guru always said
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 03:13 PM

Ok, starting diet now, I've got just the right cocktail frock.....

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: breezy
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 02:56 PM

will you wear it on Monday at herga for the                      keith donnelly gig?

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: My guru always said
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 07:55 AM

Ha, Just found out that Keith Donnelly's up for Straw Bear too! Wearing that sort of frock in front of Him would be asking for it..... It'll take a six-month starvation diet anyway, guess it's the jeans again *G*

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: GUEST,Dan in Nova Scotia
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 08:09 AM

Hello El Greko, Breezy and Kitty and all.

I just wanted to send best wishes to you all and say, can you have a drink and sing for me? I wish I was there to help you celebrate. Please give my best to all at the club as well as Johnny and Graeme.

I'll hopefully be over again in the fall of next year and will be able to add my voice, albeit a little late.

All the best, Dan

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: breezy
Date: 07 Dec 02 - 04:07 AM

All the best Dan

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From:
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 04:01 PM

Only another couple of months to go..

Hope everyone has a great time...

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 08:03 AM

"Not just a Folk Club - more a way of life !" as the Herga advert used to read when I was editor of Folk London.

I'll have to try and get to "The royal Oak" for that evening. Is it possible to book two tickets over the web, El Greko?, Kitty?

I think John Heydon (to me Hey-hey-Heydon - sing us a song John - not very long) was still running the club the last time I was there.

I can also remember an evening when Johnny Collins and Jim Magean recorded (or tried to) one of their albums there and everything went wrong. "Robot Nimb" did a wonderful pastiche of the event a week or so later.

Do Herga still run their wonderful "Cream Tea Workshops" at Sidmouth ? - I can remember that they had ones for Beginners, Intemediate, and Advanced.

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 08:10 AM

Tickets not on sale yet...but dive into the website (www.hergafolk.org) and you can get the details of the secretary (Bob Hambleton).

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 08 Jan 03 - 07:14 AM

The reason that the above clicky won't work is that unless you add two forward slashes to it, you will be trying to find the page on the mudcat website. //www.hergafolk.org should work OK - try HERE.

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: breezy
Date: 08 Jan 03 - 02:10 PM

Bryant has his uses, that was an example.
Why isnt the Greek featured on the Web-site?

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: DG&D Dave
Date: 09 Jan 03 - 09:06 AM

I only went once, in the mid '80s.

Great singing but dodgy beer. I hope the latter has improved.

I may turn up again sometime, you never know.

Best wishes for the party.

Dave Barnes.

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 09 Jan 03 - 03:53 PM

I think "dodgy beer" was an understatement - we suspected it had ullage recycled in it in the 1980s. Thanks for the good wishes - at least I'll have had a week to recover from the MBS reunion before the Herga 40th.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 10:12 AM

Ah, but it's Bombardier now....

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: breezy
Date: 10 Jan 03 - 12:55 PM

and Adnams and Tetleys

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Barb'ry
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 05:05 PM

Anyone know where the original Herga Morris Men are now? My other half - Andy Hindley - was one and has a truly horrible picture to prove it!
Barbara

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 05:13 PM

None left in Harrow I think (Ron Barnett in Ruislip probably the nearest to there) - they're dispersed to various parts of the country but have been known to dance on rare occasions, though I think some years since a formal appearance. Bob Hawkes is still the contact I think and probably knows where to reach many of them. The mummers still perform on Boxing Day and has members of the morris in the side.

Mick

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jul 03 - 05:52 PM

Herga Mummers

should get you the pictures. Bob is alive and well and living not a million miles away from us.

LTS

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 04:08 AM

Just heard the club on a R4 legal programme!
All the best,
Keith A

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 04:14 AM

Just noticed that this thread has had no postings from January til now. Were all you mudcatters so drunk at the party that it's taken you 'til now to recover.

For those who weren't at the party it was a really great night.

Just re-read that and it suggests that for those of us who were it wasn't, but you know what I mean.

The first half was MC'd by former organiser John Heydon and featured us ex-residents and regulars, and the 2nd half was MC'd by one of the current team and featured the current singers.

So effectively the first half was all the "old" old farts and the 2nd half was all the "new" old farts :-)

No sign of Robot Nim there 'though.

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 04:33 AM

Two-thirds of Robot Nim were present. Unfortunately Ron Barnett was too poorly to attend (still is, even more unfortunately).

The double CD of the party is available from El Greko.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 04:41 AM

Don't think I can get to Herga before Sidmouth. Any chance, Kitty, of picking me up a copy and bringing it to Sidders (I don't think El Greko goes).

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 08:04 AM

Kevin

I'm sure we'll manage to get a copy to you somehow! Probably at Sidders. I wonder if I could persuade El Greko to come to my Monday night folk club reunion in the Volunteer Garden Marquee, on 4 August, so he can be reunited with friends from Heritage as well....

Kitty

Subject: RE: Herga anniversary: 40 yrs and counting
From: Wotcha
Date: 12 Jul 03 - 09:20 AM

I grew up in Harrow ... and Herga Court was just up the hill. I'll have to visit "when this lousy war is over ..."

Cheers,

Brian