30th March

Hi all,
To paraphrase the late, great Frank Zappa " that's just what the world needs, another blog page".
I just thought that I might use this blog as a means of giving people a better insight into that clandistine world known as folk club organisation!
The club seems to have really come alive over the past few months which gives me great delight, or perhaps I need to get out more!
Ever since Hugh Diamond started the club over 4 years ago, audience numbers have fluctuated but we have always been fortunate in relying on a hard-core of 10 - 12 supporters, many of whom are singers, so numbers have very rarely been down to embarrassing levels, but attendences over the past few months have been truly wonderful. I had someone last week comment that he couldn't find a seat! A nice problem to have I guess.
Every month new faces seem to appear which is great, many return, which is even better! A group of visitors from Buxton turned up last week, and seemed to enjoy themselves, particularly Nick, a fine blues guitarist. Local musician Robin Brown, no slouch on the guitar himself, seemed to have found a kindred spirit in Nick, and they were to be found jamming away long after the club officially finished. Bar-maid Di had to enlist the services of the team of wild horses specially retained for such eventualities, to drag them out of the pub! It's spontaneous occassions like that which makes this folk club organising malarkey seem worthwhile.
Speaking of Robin, it's great to welcome local musicians to the club, particularly those not familiar to the folk world. Robin is more at home with rock/blues music but on the couple of occassions that he has played at the club he has gone down extremely well. Melodeon player/singer Russel is another young man who has recently been a regular and very welcome visitor, along with his young friend Katy, the possessor of a very fine voice that she accompanies with guitar and bouzouki. Kathryn Ledger has been a staunch supporter of the club virtually from day one and following years of my cajoling she has recently taken the plunge and started to sing, which is really great to see and hear! Obviously the club could not exist without the efforts of all the regular singers and listeners that it attracts, so thank you to Mike & Mary J , Anne, Phil, Hugh, John, Jan, Rob, Tom, Rychard ,Mike & Mary S, Moira, Liz, Chris, Ian P, landlord Ian, Di and anyone that I may have omitted.
I hope to see you on 24th April when the wonderful Andy Clarke will be our guest.
Bye for now,
Martyn Hillstead