Description

Admin History:

The history of the folk music scene in Hull very much reflects that of the national folk scene as a whole. The period after the Second World War saw a great revival of interest in British folk music, with an explosion of groups and events as well as regular folk clubs. In the early days, Hull's folk club met in a variety of different places. In 1961, it was in the Jacavanda, a coffee house on Little Grimston Street. This may reflect the view held by some that many folk clubs grew out of the short lived skiffle music craze. By 1963 the club was meeting in venues such as the Prospect School of Dancing on Baker Street, the Tivoli Tavern on Myton Gate, and the Rampant Horse on Paisley Street before settling at the Blue Bell on Lowgate. From this venue, on 23 November 1963 the Folk Union One folk club was born. Its Sunday meetings would continue for many years, at the heart of the Hull folk scene. In 1969, an album, Blue Bell Folk was produced by Folk Union One members, and the club would also extend its interest to dancing, drama and song collecting. In addition, the club featured in a play by Alan Plater entitled 'Land of Green Ginger' in 1973. It left the Blue Bell in August 1990 and moved to the New Clarence on Charles Street in September 1990 before it finally folded in April 1995, after falling attendances. The option to continue as a singers club with guests booked when it could afford to was considered but ultimately rejected as a number of other venues were already operating on similar lines.

Several other projects emerged from Folk Union One. These would include short lived groups, such as the Blue Bell Mummers and the Humberside Egg Dancers, as well as the Portobello Scout Sword dance team and clubs own country dance team. Formed in 1968, Green Ginger Morris and Sword was another such group. Although they Morris danced primarily in the Cotswold tradition, they also danced northern longsword and rapper. It was admitted into the Morris Ring of England in 1971. After many successful years, the group decided to retire in 2013.

Steve Gardham has been the backbone of the Hull and East Riding folk scene for over 40 years. A musician in his own right, he has performed with various bands and groups, and continues to do so. He has written many contemporary songs in the traditional folk style, as well as being an accompanist and a collector of songs. Steve acts as the chair for when the Traditional Song Forum, (founded in 1997) meets in the north and is a member of the Yorkshire Garland Group. Furthermore, he's presented papers at Cecil Sharpe House, home of the English Folk Song and Dance Society (EFD&SS) and has written extensively on the subject of traditional music in the East Yorkshire area. The survival of much of the material relating to the Hull folk scene is due to the work of Steve Gardham, who has collected and collated many of these records.

The Watersons, from Hull, and one of England's leading traditional folk groups, were founder members of Folk Union One. A family group, brother and sisters Mike (1941-2011), Lal (1943-1998) and Norma (b.1938) Waterson, with their cousin, John Harrison began as a skiffle group, the Folksongs, before turning to folk music. Like many other bands and groups at that time, they began their careers and built their reputations in clubs such as the Folk Union One. Members of the group Spare Hands, which performs music focusing on Hull's maritime tradition, also began their careers in clubs such as the Folk Union One. The original line-up of Steve Gardham, Mick McGarry, Bill Sowerby and Les Ward, were later joined by Tom Gaynard and Andy Buckton. Keith Marsden (1939-1991) was born in Morley and would become very active within the Yorkshire Folk music scene. As well as founding the group, Cockersdale, Keith wrote many songs as well, including 'Hessle Road', which was used in a radio ballad programme on fishing entitled 'Northern Trawl'. Ron Walker, despite being disabled was an enthusiastic follower of the Hull Folk scene, and a regular at Folk Union One. He died in 2012, aged 71.

Folk News began in late 1975 and wanted to engage members in the newly created North Humberside District of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. Produced very two months, it changed from North Humberside to East Yorkshire in 1978 and it became the North and East Yorkshire Folk News in 1997, to more accurately reflect the area covered. Changing times however resulted in the publication ceasing in 2010.

Goole Folk Club, founded in the late 1960s, was another group that grew out of the original club in Hull. Initially run by Eileen Sherburn with her 2 brothers Gerald and David, it was based at the North Eastern Hotel on Boothferry Road before moving to the RAOB Club on Chapel Street, off Air Street. Later, the club was run by Maureen and Tony Shipp before it closed when they finished. In later years, folk acts would appear at The Junction and the Yorkshire Waterways Museum in Goole. Chris Sherburn, one of Britain's top concertina players and the son of Eileen, began his career at Goole Folk Club.Singer and founder member of the club, Gerald (Gezz) Overington (1946-1997) worked on the Aire and Clder Canal tub boats, which were known as Tom Puddings. He composed a number of songs in the 1970s, recalling life on these vessels, carrying coal from the Yorkshire coalfields down to Goole.

Early music sessions were held on Sunday lunchtimes from 1974 at the Blue Bell Inn before moving in November 1975 to the Black Boy of the High Street. These would continue until the mid 1990s when changes in the licensing laws and the advent of new style Irish pubs resulted the sessions folding. Session had also been held various other places, such as the Providence on St Stephen's Square, The Marlborough Club on Newstead Street, the Rose Bowl on Beverley Road and the Wellington off Wellington Street.

Description:

Records of the Folk Union One Traditional Folk Club, 1963-1995; Records relating to various Hull folk bands, individuals, groups and events, 1966-2011; The Green Ginger Morris Dance troop, 1966-2010; North Humber/East Yorkshire Folk News, 1975-2000; Photographs of events and performances, 1966-2010 and audio recordings, 1968-2017.