I first became interested on traditional English folk music when I attended a folk club in York where I had expected more music in the style of Bob Dylan. I was impressed and discussed it with a friend while we sharing the task of supervising an amateur art exhibition in which we both had exhibit. We agreed that York was too far away and we should start our own folk club in Selby.

We started out in my bedroom, which I had fitted out as a bed-sit in my parents home. I had a coffee machine and an old radiogram that allowed us to listen to folk music and try to memorise. One person who attended these sessions was only 15, not old enough to join us when we officially launched a year later in a pub that has undergone several name changes since.

I can’t remember what the name of the pub was back then, although I lived opposite until I moved to Sherburn 23 years ago, but I do remember that it was popular with Irishmen who came over to do seasonal work in the sugar factory where I would later be employed. It happened to be St Patrick’s Day so all the songs were Irish, a friend had to sing Roddie McCorley twice because it was requested by a lady by a lady who wasn’t present when he sang it the first time.

I sang Paddy On The Railway, the first song I ever sang in public and I’ve only sung it once since.

We didn’t stay in long in that pub that had a back room that we could rent. This allowed us to charge admission to pay for musicians, the landlord donated it back from increased beer sales.

I soon learned that I wasn’t the best person to present the the show. We settled on the late Mike Soar, who kept the folk club going after I emigrated. We first met following an article in the local paper and I was pointed out to him by someone I’ld previously worked with who was another member of a group transitioning from rock to folk – folk rock wasn’t a thing back then.

My job was to go around the folk clubs looking for acts to book, I was allowed to book anyone up to £8 (a week’s wages for many of us) but needed the approval of the committee. I booked some singers/musicians who are well known now but welcomed the gig at the time.

On the first anniversary of the folk club to book Tim Hart and Maddie Prior if I could, but they weren’t available. I asked Scottish singer Alex Campbell who wasn’t available either. He was polite to me but I’ll never forget his great put down of a heckler: “We should form a double act. I’ll be the front end of horse, you can be yourself.”

A Lancashire lass called Rosemary Hardman offered to give up a day she planned to take off because it was our anniversary, the committee rejected the offer because they hadn’t heard of her before. We got a local singer at the last minute, possibly Dave Burland who would turn up whenever he was free. I last saw him in Australia but we didn’t have much time chat.

During the same visit to London I was listening to a recording of Dave and Tony Arthur when they walked in! I immediately approached them about booking them for Selby. The committee agreed, but our most expensive booking coincided with a drop in attendance generally and it was the first time we had made a loss on the door.

Since I returned from Australia, Selby Folk Club has ceased to exist! Someone asked me “You started it once, can’t you do it again?” And the answer is “No I can’t!” That was 60 years ago, half them spent in Australia