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the virtual folk club - gtr. manchester

Welcome to the Virtual Folk Club

Here is compiled a wide range of sound and video recordings from as long ago as the mid 1970s.

 

Of course, given the age of some of the earlier recordings, the quality is, to say the least, 'variable' but regardless of the quality the content is a valuable record of performers and venues which  provided the opportunity for thousands of people to perform, listen socialise and  share their interest in live Folk Music.

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For convenience the content is divided

into sections.

Included are audio and video recordings

of former clubs and concerts, photographs

and other memorabilia such as posters,

flyers and tickets, and links to current

clubs and performers.                                                                                                        

                                                                                                 Use the buttons to navigate to other sections

THE STAR INN FOLK CLUB, SALFORD            GO TO

PETE SMITH  & JEANNY DENNY                            LISTEN  HOWARD BOND                                                               LISTEN  BLACK 'EDDS                                                                     LISTEN

DICK MILES                                                                       LISTEN  THE TWO BEGGARMEN                                                LISTEN  HOLLERIN' POT                                                               LISTEN  STEVE TURNER                                                                LISTEN 

MARTIN CARTHY                                                              LISTEN

BRAM TAYLOR                                                                   LISTEN

GENTLEMAN SOLDIER                                                   LISTEN

WITSEND                                                                             LISTEN

STANLEY ACCRINGTON                                                 LISTEN

PAUL DOWNES                                                                  LISTEN

HARRY OGDEN                                                                  LISTEN

STANLEY ACCRINGTON AND                                       LISTEN

HOLLERIN'  POT  - AT THE

WHITE HART, TODMORDEN 1984

(A Star Inn 'Folk On Wheels' Event

THE LAST NIGHT OF THE LEGENDARY                   LISTEN

STAR IN FOLK CLUB 21.01.1998

THE DUKE OF YORK, ECCLES                              GO TO

BARRY OATES - JANUARY 1982            ​                      LISTEN

THE UNICORN F.C. MANCHESTER                  GO TO

SARA GREY                                                                         LISTEN

SINGERS' NIGHT  - 28.01.1984                                      LISTEN

SINGERS' NIGHT  - 04.02.1984                                     LISTEN

SINGERS' NIGHT - 11.02.1984                                       LISTEN

SINGERS' NIGHT  - 18.02.1984                                      LISTEN

MARK HEYWOOD & MALCOLM RAMSKILL            LISTEN

THE UNICORN VILLAGE BAND - 03.03.1984           LISTEN

PETER COE - 10.03.1984                                                  LISTEN

GORTON TANK - 12.05.1984                                          LISTEN  SINGERS' NIGHT - 19.05.1984                                       LISTENSINGERS' NIGHT - 09.06.1984                                      LISTEN

SINGERS' NIGHT - 16.06.1984                                       LISTEN

LOL & JANET LUNCH - 02.06.1984                              LISTEN

THE UNICORN VILLAGE BAND - 22.12.1984            LISTEN

FOLK ON THE HILL, MANCHESTER               GO TO

SINGERS' NIGHT - 17.08.1990                                     LISTEN  

SINGERS' NIGHT - 08.03.1991                                     LISTEN

LYNN & BARRY HARDMAN - 03.05.1991                  LISTEN

HANK & THE WOLF - 09.08.1991                                LISTEN

MARTIN GITTINS - 11.10.1991                                      LISTEN

PETE COWAP - 12.06.1992                                            LISTEN

FLIXTON FOLK CLUB - BIRD I'TH HAND         GO TO

RESIDENTS AND REGULARS 1992 C.D.           ​          LISTEN

                                                                                         

                                                                                            January 21st 1976 - January 21st 1997

 

In November 1975 'Pint 'n' Half' (Martin Gittins and Rick Rybicki) stood in for Mike Canavan to play a gig at a small back street pub in Salford. They were immediately re-booked for a return gig in December and, they were so taken by the venue, they agreed with the landlord 'One-Armed Wally' Marshall that they agreed to try a regular weekly Folk Club starting in January of the following year. and so The Legend was born.

 

In the 23 years that followed the Star Inn Folk Club hosted a guest performer EVERY WEEK - a total of 1149 nights of live music, a record unlikely ever to be surpassed.

Residents in the beginning were Pint 'n' Half and  'Johnny Crescendo' (Alan Houldsworth) although Alan left after the first year or so. Later, when Rick moved to Todmorden and 'Pint 'n' Half was dissolved, Martin continued alone for several years before teaming up with long-time mate Bob Ashworth for the remaining years.

Below is a small selection of nights from the club including the last 40 minutes of the final night (which featured John Cartain, who had been the guest on the very first night, among a crowd of other performers.)

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THE LEGENDARY STAR INN FOLK CLUB

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Pete Smith & Jeanny Denny - 12.05.1982 (Part 2)
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     AWAITING PHOTOGRAPH

Pete Smith & Jeanny Denny - 12.05.1982 (Part 1)

PETE SMITH & JEANNY DENNY -  MAY 12th 1982 (Recorded by Mark Dowding)

Martin Gittins - Andrew Rose, Ale

Mark Dowding - Brown Photographs, Man that’s growing old

Steve Woolley - Guitar Shuffle, Johnny Mars

Pete Smith & Jeanny Denny - Is your love in vain, Bonny Hawthorn,

Will you go to Flanders, Xmas Song, Heights of Alma, Fair Maids of February,

Hammer it Weld it, Banks of the Ponchartrain

Martin Gittins  - Allouette

Kinigad Slashers - Belfast Hornpipe, Slow Air, 2 Reels

Pete Smith & Jeanny Denny  - Jan Cole, Bonny Light Horseman,

Chinese Bumboat Man

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Howard Bond - 26.05.1982 (Part 1)
Howard Bond - 26.05.1982 (Part 2)
Howard Bond - 26.05 1982 (Part 3)

HOWARD BOND - MAY 26th 1982 

(Recorded by Mark Dowding - Photo by Roger Liptrot)

 

Pint & a Half - Sweeny’s Polka, Darcy Farrow, Dumpy Doodle.

Mark Dowding - Last Days of Steam, Man of the Earth.

Raymond (?) - Tunes on whistle.

Howard Bond - Frozen Rose, Man of the People, Maid of Coolmoor,

Café Armageddon, Passing Cloud, Daddy’s Sauce

 

Pint & a Half - Chastity Belt,

Mick Barkis - Big Rock Candy Mountain, The Very Thing

Steve Cowley - Electronic Guitar Tunes.

Howard Bond - Five minutes to midnight, In love without you, Grimaldi,

ody on the Line, Danny’s fiddle

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Black Edds - 19.10.1983 (Part 1)
Black Edds - 19.10.1983 (Part 2)

BLACK 'EDDS - OCTOBER 5th 1983 (Recorded by Mark Dowding)

Black Edds -  Boy Scouts, No Room For Me, Blow Ye Winds, Blue Suede Shoon,

A Sailor’s Life, Juke Box King, Isn’t It Strange, Jimmy Two Stroke

 

Tony Hill (R.I.P.) - Pit Disaster Song

 

Black Edds - Constable Larkins, Goodbye To Santa Claus, Underground,

It Beats the Grind, 8326105, Loving Doll

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Dick Miles - 19.10.1983 (Part 1)
Dick Miles - 19.10.1983 (Part 2)

DICK MILES - OCTOBER 19th 1983 

(Recorded by Mark Dowding - Photo by Roger Liptrot)

 

Dick Miles - Bonny Little Brown Jug, Tommy’s Lot, Sizewell Alphabet, Dunmow Flitch, Primrose Polka, The Rebel Soldier,

 

Dick Miles - Woodland Flowers, Richard the Third, No One With Endurance Like The Man From The Insurance, Lovely Nancy, Dill Pickle Rag, The Cock