UK's Oldest Folk Club

Subject: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Hovering Bob
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 07:27 AM

On 3rd March 2003, Herga Folk Club will be celebrating its 40th Birthday, (we'll advertise the special event separately) and this made us wonder just which is the longest running folk club in the country.
We know of others that have been running as long, if not longer than Herga, but we have always been in the same venue.
Does this make us the oldest single venue club in the country?
We're not claiming any special kudos from the possibility but we'd be interested if anyone knows differently.

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Mr Red
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 07:31 AM

Cutty Wren, Marske? Woodman, Kingswinford? See creby.com for a link to the Woodman site. They are claiming some number in that region. And I am sure there is going to be more suggestions to follow. I once suggested C# House on a thread and someone tried to top that so here goes............

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: GUEST,paulo
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 11:00 AM

The Cutty Wren at Marske used to be at Redcar. If we're not talking single venue - on Teesside the Stockton f.c. at the Sun Inn has been running longer than the Cutty Wren.   Thats if its still going.

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: bill\sables
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 11:30 AM

The Sun at Stockton is still running and still organised by Ron Angel of the Teesside Fettlers and John Taylor is still running Marske and the Elliots of Birtley are still organisers of the Birtley Folk club which was well established before I visited it 40 years ago. The Bridge in Newcastle is still running after 40 plus years but I think it did have a break for pub refurbishment. The club that claims to be the oldest running folk club in the UK is the Topic in Bradford. Perhaps Mudcatter Burl might be able to shead a little light as he has been around for ever on the folk scene.I remember playing at the Herga when the organiser was called John Hayden ?? that was sometime in the 60's.
Cheers Bill

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Schantieman
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 11:34 AM

John Heydon was running it a few years ago, the last time I went, and is still to be seen at festivals - Dragon Records, I think.

Steve

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 11:44 AM

I can remember The Cutty Wren when it was at "The Royal" in Redcar. Mind you I can also remember Stockton f.c. at "The Stork and Castle", but it moved to "The Sun" towards the end of the 60s so I think it probably beats Herga. Incidently, if Ron Angel is still running the club then it probably gets the record for the longest serving organiser too.

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 12:15 PM

Ron no longer runs it, though he is as involved as health allows...

I agree, Herga is not the oldest club, but we still claim the record for the longest continuous operation at the same venue...

See also "Herga anniversary: 40 years and counting", it's a parallel thread

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 02:10 PM

The Topic in Bradford opened in november 1956 and was the first Folk Club outside London. It is still the longest surviving club, but has moved venue on a number of occasions. Originally in an upstairs room at a chinese restaurant, it spent many years on Friday nights at the Star on Westgate. Currently at the Melborn on Whiteabbey TRoad on a Thursday evening.
Quack!
Geoff the Duck (Topic F.C. committee 1981-84ish)

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 02:42 PM

How long did the Bridge in Newcastle move for? - even Herga had a few weeks in the Letchford Arms and Red Lion while the room at the Royal Oak was decorated, and the upstairs bar (which doesn't function on Mondays) was installed. Mind you that was a long time ago, and I think it's only been decorated once in the last 40 years....

Kitty

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: CraigS
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 04:57 PM

Depends what you call a club, and what you call folk. There is a certain case to be made for Bunjie's coffee house in Lichfield St, near Leicester Square. This has been going since 1954 and has been host to many musical luminaries over the years (OK, I admit I used to do the late shift on Saturday nights in 1975, but I'm not on their list of favourites). Whatever the case, it has always been a commercial venture with an (almost) paid musician as a host for as long as I've known it, but floor singers have always been welcome and folk music has always been performed most nights.

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: GUEST,Dave (Bridge Folk Club)
Date: 04 Dec 02 - 07:20 PM

Folk Song & Ballad, now called the Bridge Folk Club, was started in 1956 by Louis Kilen and Johnny HAndle. It closed for six months whilst the pub was refurbished, during which time we moved to the equally famous Joe Wilson's pub.

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: GUEST,Tom Hamilton
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 03:49 AM

The Irvine Folk Club in Scotland has been going since 1968 and the Stirling folk club has been going for a long time as well it's the oldest folk club in Scotland and the Irvine Folk club is the second oldest.

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: DG&D Dave
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 08:28 AM

Hi Herga-ites et al.

Peasmoldia FC in Derby started before 1960 and has had at least 7 venues. The club is currently resting but not technicaly closed.

Pease. has also had a long history of drinking alongside Herga in the Dove at Sidders. Ithink we won that one! :~)

Regs. Dave.

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Nemesis
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 09:58 AM

NOt the oldest but noteworthy ..
Arundel in Sussex The Willows www.willowsfolkclub.org 40 in 2003
Chichester also Sussex (link thru Willows) 40 this year .. both still going strong .

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 03:25 PM

DG&D Dave

I think the custom of Herga and Peasmoldia drinking alongside each other in the Dove at Sidmouth might now have lasted longer than the custom of Herga and Peasmoldia drinking at segregated tables (this probably ought to be checked for the 50th anniversary of the Sidmouth festival). When John Heydon was running Herga we used to have the AGM in the Dove because there were more members at Sidmouth than in Harrow.

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: breezy
Date: 05 Dec 02 - 07:10 PM

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: GUEST,Steve
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 01:53 PM

Wouldn't presume to know which is the oldest club in the country, but can confirm that Ron Angel is still very much the organiser of Stockton Folk Club and what's more was in very good health last time I saw him (about 4 days ago!!)

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 02:22 PM

Some crossed wires, I think. I suspect El Greko might have meant Ron Barnett, who used to be the Bagman of Herga Morris, but who never ran the folk club. He's not getting to the club very often these days, because of ill health, but he still provides us with wonderful (and erudite) posters.   He was also one third of Robot Nimb (the others being Bob Hawkes and Tim Edwards) who were responsible for many glorious parodies, including Untippled (Wrap me up in my bells and my baldricks) and the Robot Nimb awards handed out at Herga birthday parties.

Kitty

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: GUEST,Barrie Day
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 10:41 PM

What about Swindon Folk Singers Club, some where in the back of my mind I have it that Ted and Ivy Poole started this one in 1958,although it has had many homes I believe that it has always run without a break except for the accepted anual summer one.
I first went to Swindon when it met at the Greyhound.somewhere around 1963,what great days they were with some fantastic characters.

Ted himself is a great character and at 77yrs still going strong, but what has happened to the rest of them? I know that ''Lucky'' Luckhurst passed away a few years ago and will always be sadly missed but what about the likes of John Shales - Pete Yem - Angela - Colin Bathe - Dick to name but a few, if anyone else has memories or info it would be goog to hear from you||
Also does anyone remember the Castle Club in Swindon Old Town in the 60s when we had to queue to see the likes of Julie Felix - Caroline Hester Gerry Lochran - Alex Campbell = Nic Jones etc the list could be endless. Ah| What good old days||

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Judy Cook
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 11:18 PM

I've not been around very long, but there is a lovely feeling to a club that's been around a long time with a lot of the same folks who come all the time, enjoy each other's company and love the music. I've really liked singing at the Herga and Swindon the few times I've been there and am looking forward to Birtley & Stockton-on-Tees in March.

Judy Cook

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: GUEST,Barrie day
Date: 08 Dec 02 - 01:13 AM

Hi Judy

    Yes I totally agree with you, Ihave been on the scene for40 years and have met some great friends during this time at various clubs and festivals, some of them still around since the beginning of my foray into the world of folk music. The amazing thing is that even after all this time I am still meeting and making some cracking new friends.

The great thing about folky friends is that unlike most large groups,the majority of them are really genuine people and become lasting friends even though you may only see them perhaps once or twice a year at a particular festival it is amazing how they turn up trumps when you really need them.

About 15 months ago I became quite severely disabled through arthritus and it is absolutely mind blowing the number of folkies that have turned up out of the blue to see if they can be of help in any way, in fact on the day that we moved house about 8 months ago so many turned up that we had to have them in shifts ;cos there wasn't room for them all in our now rather small bungalow, so we had one shift helping for a while and the rest down the pub and this went on all day until we all went to the pub together in the evening. How fortunate we are to be part of this great Folk Family.

How ever going back to your feeling Judy about old established clubs, I also get a nice feeling whenever I find a new club opening because it means that this huge warm arm of real frienship is being extended once again.

In conclusion, a very big thank you to all the folkies who have made my life so much richer all these years and I hope will continue to do so for many years yet I just hope that I deserve it.

Bye now Barrie

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 08 Dec 02 - 06:07 PM

Barrie

I missed Herga for a couple of years (1980-1982) because I was living in Chipping Sodbury. Thank you for reminding me that Ted, Ivy and Angela used to make excursions west from Swindon to the Saturday night club...
Kitty

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: RTim
Date: 27 Dec 15 - 11:08 PM

The Fo'c's'le in Southampton has been running since 1963; first organised by John Paddy Browne and John Edgar Mann.
It started at the old Bassett Hotel, an off shoot of the Balladeer Jazz club. It has had many venues and different organizers over the years, but still continues to flourish, now at the Richmond Inn, Portswood - nearly every Friday!!
I was involved as a resident singer way back in the early 1970's when it was at The Bay Tree - and I remember singing in the 10 year anniversary concert at the theatre at So'ton University - and forgot my words...........
Someone should write a history of this great club!!!

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: RTim
Date: 27 Dec 15 - 11:12 PM

I should correct my own error - The Balladeer was the original name for the club, and it was an off shoot of the Concorde Jazz Club at The Bassett on Burgess Road, Southampton, that started in 1957!!

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: UK's Oldest Folk Club
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Dec 15 - 02:05 AM

see Long-lived folk clubs? 60yrs? which I started 4 years ago when Australia's Bush Music club was heading to it's 60th birthday - many UK club members answered.