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1979

10th May    

John and Penny Sykes and Alan and Maggie Wood launch the club with a singers night at the Waggon Wheels bar of the White Lion, High St, Spalding. Over 50 people turn up, some from as far away as King's Lynn. 'We had originally planned to open on the 3rd May, and it was always the first Thursday in the month after that, but the date clashed with the general election so we put it off for a week. Margaret Thatcher still got in anyway so it didn't make any difference' (John Sykes)

This was not the first time there had been a folk club in Spalding - in the early seventies there had been a club for several years at the Mail Cart on Pinchbeck Rd. 'The club folded up in about 1975 - on the last night about 6 people turned up to see Jasper Carrott' (Barry Drew)

7th June  
 

About 80 people turn up for the second meeting, another singers night.  The event even gets a whole article in the Spalding Guardian, written by Sheila Robson

 

5th July


Martyn Wyndham-Read is the very first guest

During the next 12 months booked guests include: Nic Jones, Jon Betmead, Bad Business, Martin Simpson, English Tapestry and Tom McConville. There are already thoughts of changing the venue (the first of many such changes) because of unwanted noise: 'The landlord of the White Lion kept alsatian dogs in a kennel right outside the door of the clubroom, and they barked all the time Nic Jones was playing' (John Sykes)

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