The The Compleat History 1983 – 2013 by Steve & Diane Poole “Your Ram Needs Ewe!” Greyhound Folk Club, Weston Green October 1983 - January 1985 Hand and Spear Folk Club, Weybridge February 1985 - September 1987 Ram Club, Foley Arms, Claygate October 1987 – December 2008 Ram Club,Old Cranleighan Club January 2009 - present Thames Ditton www.theramclub.co.uk Pre-Ramble The Ram Folk Club has run most Fridays (give or take the odd Christmas, Good Fridays and Augusts) since October 1983. This updated archive celebrates our 30 years of our existence as an epicentre of Folk and Acoustic music. None of us remember much of the very early days, but gradually more bits and pieces have come to light. When we originally put together this archive for our 20th birthday we were a bit stuck! Like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient papyrus of the early gospels and pronouncements of who did what when got lost somewhere along the way. Typewriters of the day did not have memories, less so the scribes. And then - that flash of inspiration! We remembered that we have always advertised in Folk London. Sheila Finn, the editor at the time, very kindly went through all the back issues to tell us who our guests had been, and we are eternally grateful for her efforts. Updating the last ten years has been easy, thanks to computers and our webmaster and IT expert Neil Poole. Now it’s all safely stored for future folkeologists to marvel at, and beamed to all corners of the earth and beyond. We have moved with the times too, and we now spread our missives via FaceBook, Twitter and our YouTube channel. We do have one foot in the past though, as we still use snail mail. You cannot escape! The club was started at the Greyhound pub in Weston Green in October 1983 by Brian and Jane Ravenhill, and continued for many successful years under their stewardship (with help from others), moving briefly to Weybridge before finding its home of over 20 years at the Foley Arms in 1987. That’s where we became the Ram Club, as Bob Wood explains elsewhere. What nights we had in that shed, crammed in like kippers in a smoke house (and it was a smoke house too, before the ban). Some nights it was so full you couldn’t move or breathe, and it’s a wonder there was room for the act. And then in late 2008 we had to go, butted out in the name of progress, as there was no room for us in the new inn planned by Youngs Brewery. So began a frantic search for a new home! Fortunately we found our present home, the Old Cranleighan Club, fairly soon (with a little help from our friends) and we’ve been very happy here since January 2009. The club is now run by Bob and Maggie Wood with help from a small but enthusiastic herd of regulars. We don’t have a committee, it just ‘happens’. If you would like to help, just let us know. We have a loyal and evolving clientele (you) and, we like to think, a great atmosphere. We hope you agree it’s amazing to see the sheer variety of guests who have been to the club, many of whom are still going and quite a few who got lost along the way or have sadly left us. Meanwhile we look forward as ever to many more ‘unforgettable’ nights to come. Thank you for your support. Keep coming! Steve Poole, on behalf of all the Ram crew In The Beginning any Light-Ales ago, at the dawn of Drinking-Up Time, early Ram Man finally pulled himself erect from the primeval soup that was the previous night’s Watney’s. Full of remorse he saw the error of his ways and espied the golden goodness of the Real Ale of Youngs. T’was born of the spirit of the Ram God and imbued with its virtue and virility, so he drank with relish and it was good. Empowered thus, Ram Man discovered that his regaled tales of daring-do and brave deeds of yesteryore were better applauded in the form of lilting song. And in the courtship of fair maidens, t’was also true. The Ballad was born, and the fair maidens wailed with joy (or so he thought) as he serenaded them. Whilst idly twanging the string of his leaned-on longbow, he noticed that the beat suited the song and so came the guitar (and some have kept that same sound, ‘tis true to say). And his kinsmen put fingers to ear “for better to hear the sound” (or so they said). And he likewise did the same, as did many who followed, and each line of each song was begun with the sheep cry “Neeaarghh”! Ram Man clad himself with a woolly jumper with beard to match and The Tradition was born. And the Ram God was pleased and he declared Friday to be Ramday. So it was then and so it is now, although our musical prowess has evolved with the years (or so we think) ……… all under the ever-watchful gaze of our magnificent Ram …. GRAND OPENING - OCTOBER 1983 1984 Greyhound Folk Club , Weston Green, Surrey Jan-84 6 Mike’s Bar Band Oct-83 21 Grand opening night 13 Gordon Tyrrall 28 Heritage 20 Bob Davenport Nov-83 4 Come all Ye 27 Carole and Alan Prior 11 Sarah Morgan & Mary Eagle Feb-84 3 Singers' Night 18 Come all Ye 10 Dave Burland 25 Miles and Sylvia (Couchman) 17 Singers' Night Dec-83 2 Singers Night 24 Graham Pirt 9 Eric Mar-84 2 Graham Larkby 16 Crows 9 Singers' Night 23 Christmas Party 16 Nick Dow 30 Closed 23 Blowzabella 30 Alan Harlow & Maggy St George Apr-84 6 Stirabout 13 Singers' Night 20 Keith Marsden & Cockersdale 27 Steve Turner May-84 4 Pete Castle 11 Scotch Measure 18 Cilla Fisher & Artie Tresize 25 Tansey's Fancy Jun-84 1 Arthur & Sue Knevett 8 Christie Hennessey 15 Gerry Hallom 22 Madatan 29 Singers' Night Jul-84 6 Pat Ryan 13 Club at Bracknell Festival 20 Roaring Jelly 27 Bill Caddick Aug-84 3 Dave Illingworth Closed 31 Paul Metsers Sep-84 7 Peter Bellamy 14 Oyster Band 21 Peta Webb & Pete Cooper 28 Martyn Wyndham-Read Oct-84 5 Tony Rose 12 Watson Draper & Locke 19 Singers’ Night 26 Jim & Sylvia Barnes Nov-84 2 Eddie Upton & Nigel Chippindale 9 Rod Shearman 16 Dab Hand 23 Bob Stewart 30 Jez Lowe Dec-84 7 Carrig Club co-founder Brian Ravenhill 14 Curate's Egg 21 Doug Hudson 1985 1986 Jan-85 4 Singers Night Jan-86 3 Common Thyme 11 Tony Wilson 10 Roger Watson 18 Chris Pitt & Gavin Atkin 17 Dick Miles 25 Pete Coe 24 Carole & Alan Prior Hand and Spear Folk Club, Weybridge, Surrey 31 Martin Simpson Feb-85 1 Ann Wiseman Feb-86 7 Jim Couza 8 Vin Garbutt 14 Briony 15 Nick Dow 21 Vin Garbutt 22 Allan Taylor 28 Kathryn Tickell Mar-85 1 Sarah Morgan and Mary Eagle Mar-86 7 Sarah Morgan 8 Pyewackett 14 Salami Bros 15 Robin Dransfield 21 Allan Taylor 22 Stanley Accrington 28 Rod Shearman 29 Singers' Night Apr-86 4 Cockersdale Apr-85 5 Cockersdale 11 Stanley Accrington 12 Roy Harris 18 Pigfoot 19 Terrapin Station 25 Irish Night with Tommy Keane, 26 Don Shepherd Henri Benagh & Michael Haynes May-85 3 Crows May-86 2 Dab Hand 10 Shegui 9 Nick Dow 17 Len Graham and Fintan McManus 16 Pete Coe 24 Ramsbottom 23 Singers Night 31 Cosmotheka 30 Crows Jun-85 7 R Cajun Jun-86 6 Steve Turner 9 Sunday Lunchtime Dance 13 Cilla Fisher & Artie Trezise 14 Dave Walters Band 20 Dave Thomas & Allie Fox 21 Bob Davenport & The Rakes 27 Crows 28 Blades Jul-86 4 Martin Carthy Jul-85 5 Singers' Night 11 Paul Metsers 12 Chris Foster 18 Cosmotheka 14 Sunday lunchtime dance 25 Bread & Roses 19 Spring Chickens Aug-86 1 Dooda Kapoochee 26 Keeper's Gate Closed Aug-85 3 Bob Wood 29 Anonyma 9 - 23 Closed Sep-86 5 Spring Chickens 30 Singers' Night 12 Lynne Gent & John Howes Sep-85 6 Arthur & Sue Knevett and Ken Watson 19 Amos & Rocks 13 Amos & Rocks 26 Ray Fisher 20 Blowzabella Oct-86 3 Patti O'Doors 27 Traders 7 Singers Night Oct-85 4 Oyster Band 10 Aunt Fortescue's Bluesrockers 11 Jean Pierre Rasle & Dave Whetstone 17 Arthur & Sue Knevett 18 Chris Foster 24 Pyewackett 25 Singers' Night 31 Harvey Andrews Nov-85 1 Scotch Measure Nov-86 4 Singers Night 8 Leon Rosselson 7 Jimmy Crowley & Jackie Daly 15 Malinhead 14 Martyn Wyndham-Read 22 Jimmy Crowley 21 Whippersnapper 29 Jez Lowe & Jake Walton 28 Andy Irvine Dec-85 6 John Kirkpatrick Dec-86 2 Singers Night 13 Peter Bellamy 5 New House Band 20 Christmas Party 12 Blowzabella 19 Christmas Party 1987 1988 Jan-87 2 Closed Jan-88 8 Whippersnapper 9 Rory McLeod 15 Kipper Family 16 Steve Newman & Kathryn Locke 22 Jez Lowe & Jake Walton 23 Dave Benton 29 Martin Simpson 30 Doug Hudson Feb-88 5 Jim Couza Feb-87 6 Bob Davenport & The Rakes 12 Dick Miles 6 Michelle Shocked 19 Tom McConville 13 Watson Draper & Locke 26 Residents' Night 20 Easy Club Mar-88 4 John Kirkpatrick 27 Chris Foster Mar-87 6 Pete Morton 11 Mick Ryan & Steve Faux 13 Les Barker 18 Donal MaGuire 20 Oyster Band 25 Brian Peters 27 Jim Woodland & Paedar Long Apr-88 1 Closed Apr-87 3 Bob Wood 8 Nick Dow 10 Nick Dow 15 Chris Foster 17 Closed 22 Fintan 24 John Kirkpatrick 29 Calicanto May-87 1 Carole & Alan Prior May-88 6 Brennan & Boyle 8 Bob Davenport & The Rakes 13 Di Henderson 15 Sara Grey & Ellie Ellis 20 Mike Silver 22 Scotch Measure 27 Allcomers' Night 29 ? Jun-88 3 Arthur Knevett Jun-87 5 Janet Russell 10 Dave Benton 12 Jez Lowe & Jake Walton 19 Cosmotheka 17 Gordon Tyrrall 20 Weybridge Folk Day 24 Vin Garbutt Allan Taylor, Dab Hand, Martin Simpson, Jimmy Crowley & Jul-88 1 Paul Metsers Stoker's Lodge, Blowzabella, Stanley Accrington, Martyn 8 Allan Taylor Wyndham Read, Pigfoot, Hollybush Hoboes 15 Gasp Theatre Co 26 Any Old Time 22 Harvey Andrews Jul-87 3 Vin Garbutt 29 Daylight Gates 10 Closed Aug-88 Closed 17 Crows Sep-88 2 Pigfoot 24 Dave Burland 31 Patti O'Doors 9 Keith Christmas & Dave Keir Aug-87 Closed 16 Life & Times Sep-87 4 Magpie 23 Floating Crowbar 11 Pat Ryan 30 Hat Trick 18 Anne Lennox Martin Oct-88 7 Martin Carthy 25 Fiona Simpson 14 Moaning Minnies Ram Club, Foley Arms, Claygate,