A Short History of Folk Music in Tamworth

There’s been a Folk Club in Tamworth since the mid 60’s; since the start of the “Folk Revival” in fact. The Ian Campbell Folk Group ran a session at The Jolly Sailor before moving to Digbeth Civic Hall where they created “The Jug of Punch Folk Club”. Many of today’s regulars at Tamworth Folk Club can trace their first interest into the Glorious World of Folk back to those halcyon days in Birmingham.

Folk Music in Tamworth though really started with the Friday night Club run by Andy Dwyer at The Three Tunns at Fazeley. It was run as a Concert type Club with occasional Guests, with Andy as the MC and Dot running the door. But it was the regular singers that made the Club something special. It was a Club in every sense of the word with Guests, Singers and Audience taking a full part in creating a wonderful atmosphere. It’s even recalled how Nigel used to visit and lean up against the Bar at the back listening but never performing.

Impromptu Groups were formed at the drop of a hat; and the seeds were sown with other performers going on to great heights. Damp Patch and Patchwork comprised Bob Bull, Gale Lea, Dave Clempson, Paul Hook, John Priest and Pete Backen who were seen as stalwarts. Later Steve Edkins and Steve Swoffer would replace Paul and Dave and the Group was renamed Ruffin’s Well.

The Three Tunns however folded and Ruffin’s Well were left with no where to play regularly in Tamworth. So, they moved down the A5 to The Queen’s Head at Wilnecote and started a “practice session” on Fridays calling it: “The Well Folk Club”.  It got so popular that after a while they had to start charging at the door to make sure people could hear what was going on. Jim & Barbara Smith, Dave and Mary Standen and loads of others were all regulars. With the money generated they decided to book the occasional Guest and, … the rest…as they say… is History.
 
For various reasons Bob & Gale left but Ruffin’s Well continued and went on to record an Album: “Beyond The Pale” at Fellside Studios in Cumbria. In 1981 the album: “Celebration” was recorded with songs about Tamworth both Traditional and newly-written. This was a concept put to Tamworth Borough Council who took it on board as part of the 400th anniversary of the Town Charter and 200th anniversary of Sir Robert Peel.

Further transition took place where John and Pete left. The two Steves teamed up with Martin Thompson and Bob Hodges to Form “Mitre’s Well” who went on to record two albums: “Mitre’s Well sing” and “Come again!”. And The Well continued.

In the mean time Bob and John Davies along with Pete and a few others, were running a Saturday night Singers Club at The White Horse which, subsequently moved to The Gamecock. This was the period that saw that great revolution in Tamworth Folk Music; the creation of “The Old Castle Band”!  There were several great singers and performers who came out of this but none more so than the late Bill Aldrick. The two Clubs didn’t compete with each other, in fact hey were quite complimentary. You had a choice: concert style on Friday, singaround on Saturday.

The Clubs flourished for several years but there came a time when the pressure from the Breweries and new Landlords placed both Clubs in jeopardy. It was decided to amalgamate the two Clubs and move to The Gamecock at Birchmoor and later The Jolly Sailor , running the Club on Fridays as a Singaround with occasional Guests; the format that remains to this day.

We did move back to The Gamecock and the Club thrived for a time but again pressure from Landlady caused a re-think and here we are, since November 2006, at Bolehall Manor.

Steve Edkins