Eashing & Shackleford, Surrey - 1971 - 1983

@ The Music Institute - @ GBH Ceilidhs

A brief introduction The Stagfolk club began in the upstairs room of The Stag public house at Lower Eashing, near Godalming, in 1970. Although it closed at Shackleford Social Centre thirteen years later, in 1983, its contribution to the local folk music scene continues. Many of its organisers run other clubs in the area to this day, including The Music Institute, the barn dances at Godalming Borough Hall launched by Stagfolk in 1976 are still going strong, as is the women's morris side Fleur de Lys, founded by the club in the same year. It was also in the bar at the Social Centre, in 1979, that Ian Anderson had some of his initial discussions that led to the publication of The Southern Rag which later became fROOTS magazine. A brief history Using posters, handbills, newsletters and adverts in the folk press it has been fairly easy to produce a full list of all of the artistes booked over the club's 13-year existence. Less easy has been identifying all of Stagfolk's organisers over the years or, more precisely, the periods during which particular people were involved. So the following brief summary gives only approximate dates - and apologies to anyone who has been inadvertently omitted. The Stagfolk Club was started by Ken Ingram, Kevin and Anji Baker and Angela Hughes in 1970. During its first year it met in the function room of The Stag at Eashing but, with the refurbishment of the pub and the loss of the room in 1971, new premises were sought and the club moved across the A3 to Shackleford Village Hall and Social Centre during the summer of that year. At the end of 1972 Ken, Kevin and Anji moved away and Roger Learwood (who ran the Godalming Singers Club at the Half Moon, Meadrow, Godalming), David Johnson and Sue Rideout joined the organising committee. Roger left within a year and was replaced shortly after, at the beginning of 1974, by Lawrence Heath. Towards the end of that year Angela Hughes moved back to Yorkshire and in 1975 David Johnson retired from running the club and Peter Brough took his place. During this period the folk club began running concerts at other venues in the area, most notably a series of twice-yearly concerts with The Yetties at Guildford Civic Hall, the success of which secured the club's finances throughout the remainder of its existence. After a few more leavings and joinings the committee, in 1977, consisted of Lawrence, Pete, Janet, Ros Larcombe and Linda McLaurin plus John Gardner and Julian High who reopened and ran the Singers' Club at the Half Moon, under the auspices of Stagfolk, for a couple of years. Three years later the committee line-up was Eddie & Ros Russell, Linda McLaurin, Lawrence Heath and George Frampton, plus Peter Jones, who assisted with the running of the Godalming barn dances. By 1982 Eddie & Ros Russell and Linda & Lawrence Heath were looking to run a folk club in Guildford, with Mary and Matthew Alexander and Chrissie and Brendan Buckley, and handed over the reins of Stagfolk to Dai Jeffries and Rebecca Over by the end of the year. The new club, Horncastle, took over the organisation of the Godalming barn dances and the series of occasional concerts at Farnham Maltings that had been previously run under the Stagfolk banner. Stagfolk closed in the Summer of 1983. A not so brief list of guests The following links list the singers and bands, and occasional speakers, workshop leaders, and Punch & Judy shows, booked by Stagfolk over the years. The listing is approximately 98% definitive! There were a handful of dates where the artistes advertised in the folk press were not those listed in the newsletter which suggest late cancellations or rearranged bookings. The name of the artiste featured in the advert or newsletter published nearest to the date of performance is the one listed here. Any corrections or additions to the details listed on these pages, or in the brief history outlined above, would be gratefully received by email. Back to 1970 Back to 1971 Back to 1972 Back to 1973 Back to 1974 Back to 1975 Back to 1976 Back to 1977 Back to 1978 Back to 1979 Back to 1980 Back to 1981 Back to 1982 Back to 1983

Click here for full details of the programme at "The Music Institute"

Click here for full details of the programme of dances at GBH Ceilidhs