tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7661724268174147724.post1592715981507476169..comments2023-03-17T07:35:48.842-07:00Comments on Coventry Folk Club and Acoustic Scene 1960's to Present: The History of Coventry Folk Clubs - Part 4 The GrangeCoventry Music Scene Archivehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02507690333577188771noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7661724268174147724.post-73476371771303651452021-09-28T11:30:26.531-07:002021-09-28T11:30:26.531-07:00Wonderful to find this. Thursday night was definit...Wonderful to find this. Thursday night was definitely the weeks highlight when I was a tech eng<br /><br />Dave Bottoms Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14197047326713174206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7661724268174147724.post-60541455443479689072014-01-02T14:06:48.720-08:002014-01-02T14:06:48.720-08:00Excellent information Orange Brown - thanks very m...Excellent information Orange Brown - thanks very much. I've added it in to the main post. I never went to the Grange Folk Club myself but my Grandparents lived in First Avenue and worked at the GEC so I knew the Grange - mainly because it was where they bought the vegetables!Coventry Music Scene Archivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02507690333577188771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7661724268174147724.post-88779256474844689122014-01-02T03:07:04.696-08:002014-01-02T03:07:04.696-08:00The Grange Folk Club was certainly operating in 19...The Grange Folk Club was certainly operating in 1967 in the Cellar Bar of the GEC Apprentices' residence - the atmosphere is clearly shown in the excellent black & white heading photo (taken a couple of years later I think). The apprentices were accommodated in the first and second floors of The Grange, and the ground floor was the GEC Executive Dining Room. The Cellar Bar was run by and for the apprentices as a place where newcomers to the delights of alcohol could safely sample a pint of Tartan at one shilling and tenpence a go. This was under the benevolent and largely distant eye of Mr Smith (aka Turgid) who was employed by GEC as a trainer and resided at the Lodge at the entrance gateway.<br />In 1967 the folk nights were impromptu affairs with no bookings or organisation - I think one of the residents had a guitar and brought it down. Folk songs featured in the Charts at that time so we joined in the choruses. Other apprentices with 'attachments' in Coventry would bring girlfriends to the bar in the evenings. So the word spread and a few more singers and players would turn up - some were 'family' others as guests. Rod Felton was a memorable feature of some of these earlier evenings. I also recall the stunning voice of Barbara Gibbs (later Payne - aka Marie Duboch). Dave Sampson arrived as a new apprentice a year or two later, performing covers of 'Ave You Got A Loite, Boy?' and others from the Singing Postman, accompanied by his guitar with 'the extra sound hole'. We were all much impressed by his subsequent career running folk clubs outside the City.<br />For some reason I think the Grange folk nights were on Tuesdays, but maybe not. Resident apprentices would arrive down the internal staircase, others via the steps by the front door. I seem to recall a small entrance fee for guests who would sign the guest book held by the duty barman - apprentice Chris Mitchell was one of the willing volunteers.<br />These evenings encouraged outings to other venues - the City Arms in Earlsdon, the Admiral Codrington's Irish nights and the Kenilworth Folk Club to name just a few.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06850341395646546488noreply@blogger.com