Topsham Folk Club

Our History

HomeWho's beenGalleryMusicLinks Topsham Folk Club was started by Dorothy Peel one Saturday night in July 1977, in an upstairs room at The King's Head public house in Higher Shapter Street. Dorothy ran the club for a while before handing over to her husband, Russell Peel, who ran the club for most of its 11 years residency at The King's Head. In 1988 The King's Head was sold and converted into a private dwelling. The Folk Club then moved to an upstairs room at The Salutation Hotel in Fore Street where it stayed for about two years, still meeting on a Saturday night. A subsequent move to The George & Dragon Hotel at Clyst St George, about a mile outside the town, changed the meeting night to Sunday.

On 23rd February 1992, the club moved to it's present location of The Globe Hotel, Fore Street, Topsham where it still meets on a Sunday. The Club meets in the restaurant but moves over to the 'Malt House' function room, where the guest evenings are held. The club is run by a group of folk enthusiasts and performers, many of whom remember the club from its early days at The King's Head. The Club celebrated it's 30th Anniversary with a special weekend of events -see the flyer.

 
Running the Club

Purpose:  Singers and musicians club with occasional guests.

‘Mission statement’: “To promote the performance of traditional and contemporary music and songs”.

Organisation of the Folk Club:  Organised and run by the Folk Club Team in consultation with the management of the Globe Hotel. The current Folk Club Team is John Bickford, Alan Hooper, Ruth and Brian Lewis, Sue Mentz, Cath Nettleton, John and Sheila Stephens and Peter Betteridge.

Singer/Music nights:

  • Floor singers rota organised by compere – normally 2 songs/tunes per performer. Other types of performers normally no more than 10 minutes for their ‘art form’. Depending upon time remaining and discretion of compere, the last singer of the evening may have a longer time allocated e.g. 3/4 songs/tunes.
  • Aim is to have a variety of contrasting and complementary performers.  Rota influenced by order of availability and time of evening when potential floor singers arrive. Due weight should be given to those who turn up early. If sufficient performers do not arrive then legitimate to delay the start of the evening’s music.  The basic principle is – ‘first come, first served’. Cannot guarantee everyone a slot – especially those who turn up late in the evening.
  • Interval: mid-evening 10/15 minutes. This is when the raffle tickets are normally sold. 
  • May need to encourage people to be quiet in the entrance area (and in the dinning area too) when singers are performing.

Guest Nights:

  • Held in the Malt House. 
  • Malt House maximum seated capacity 90 (Health and Safety). This excludes organisers and the playing guests.On guests nights normally only one or two invited floor singers start the evening off. The aim is to provide a spot light for the range of floor singers we have regularly performing in the club and, where possible, to contrast the booked guests. The compere for the evening normally books the floor singers on guest nights in advance.
Quotes

Mawkin:Causley

Just wanted to thank you on behalf of the boys for a great night at your club the other day, we had a brilliant time, and the atmosphere in your club is one of the best we've had at a folk club...so thank you very much indeed. Let me know if you want us back, we'd be happy to return to your fantastic club.