Folk music in London (and elsewhere) is going through one its periodic revivals, with banjos and mandolins flying off the shelves of the capital's music shops.
Over at folk music site Mudcat they've been discussing the London folk clubs of the earlier 1960s revival, and a few SE London venues get a mention.
In the early 1960s, there was a Friday night folk club at the Railway Tavern on Catford bridge, and a club run by the Young Communist League in Forest Hill. Seemingly, 'There was often a sing song in the Three Tuns, Blackheath... a fine 'alternative' pub in those days'.
In 1967/68 venues for folk clubs included the "Rising Sun" at Catford, the "Mansion House" in Deptford, the two "Tigers Head" pubs (Old & New) in Lee Green, and a club called Tramps & Hawkers at a pub on Blackheath Hill. This may (or may not) have been at The Green Man at the top of Blackheath Hill, where a club was held in the mid-1960s with notable guests including Paul Simon. The pub has long gone, replaced by housing in Alison Close (according to Edith's Streets, developed in 1972).
There was also at some point (early 1970s?) the Quaggy Folk Club somewhere near Manor Park.
As with all SE London musical histories, would be interested in any memories of these or similar places.
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The Three Tuns was the birthplace of Blackheath Morris who are now based at the Ashburnham Arms, Greenwich.
The Rising Sun, Catford, was empty and boarded up the last time I went past.
There was also The Melting Pot Folk Club which started in Streatham at the Manor Arms and continued at various venues including The White Lion in Streatham High Road. The principle house musicians were Bob and Ros Allen and various floor singers appeared dependant on who was there plus a main guest each week. This was run by the Streatham branch of the Young Communist League. The club closed long ago and Bob and Ros now reside in France. However it is still fondly remembered by many people some 4o years later.
Anyone know of the cavern folk club in the basement of a pub on the South Side of Tower Bridge. I remember Cliff Aungier playing there weekly.
The Dungeon Folk club, which took place in a pub called The Copper, in Tower Bridge Road. It was run by Ian Grant BBC producer, of Country Meets Folk, and Cliff Aungier.
The BBC released a live album in 1969, recorded at The Copper, called 'Dungeon Folk' with various artists, including Cliff Aungier and Shelagh McDonald. Details at this link:
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Dungeon-Folk/release/4956530
John Martyn also played there:
1968-08-06 UK, London, The Dungeon Club, The Copper, Tower Bridge Road. Cliff Aungier presents John Martyn, Shelagh McDonald.
I co-hosted the Dungeon Club with Cliff Aungier and also sang two tracks on Dungeon Folk. From this came 'Folk in Worship' which I recorded with The Crown Folk. Would love to know who's still around. Dana Stirk (Scott).
Have great memories of The Dungeon….think also The Strawbs?
According to Strawbs Timeline at this link:
https://www.strawbsweb.co.uk/tline/timeline.asp#1969
... they played at the Dungeon Club, Tower Bridge Road on these dates:
1968: 2nd January, 30th April, 3rd September, 3rd December.
1969: Tuesday 11th March, Tuesday 24th June.
The Crooked Billet, in Penge High Street, held a 'Folk Plus' evening on Fridays in the early 1970's. It was hosted by the resident group Wild Oats with various guest artists. I played the drums (softly) in one of the guest groups, called Plastik Bukit, that played there twice – Friday 19th November 1971 and Friday 21st January 1972, which was reviewed in the local paper:
“While the Top Twenty may have borrowed a certain tradition from folk music culture, the folk followers have, in turn, drawn lyrical themes and a degree of musical sophistication (both in terms of interpretation and equipment) from contemporary sources. Plastik Bukit, one of the guest groups at the Crooked Billet, Penge, on Friday, illustrated this influence in a number called 'S.W.16 – 1 a.m.' which, like much of the original material in their repertoire, possessed references which mirrored the 'seventies – the essence in fact, of true folk music.”
I was quite chuffed to read this review as I had written the lyrics to 'S.W.16 – 1 a.m.' whilst living on my own in a 2-room flat in Streatham and it was my first attempt at songwriting!
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