The City Arms, for
the last 20 years a part of the Wetherspoons chain, has been a popular pub in
Earlsdon for over 150 years. The current building has stood since 1930 but a
'City Arms' has been on the site since the mid 1800s.
50 years ago the
City Arms Folk Club, which attracted some of the country’s most talented
musicians to Coventry as well as entertaining a generation of fans, staged its
final event. The club first sprang up in 1966 and was initially hosted by Paddy
Roberts.
By 1967 it was in
the hands of popular musicians Rob Armstrong and Rod Felton who successfully
ran this popular club for a good number of years. The pair had already become
popular guests at the venue.
The British folk
scene of the 1960s and 1970s has a fascinating history. The highs including the
discovery of some genuinely wonderful singer songwriters. The lows must have
been the endless financial difficulties, that the clubs seemed to be in,
required for keeping them going.
The following
quotes I collected while researching the Earlsdon club. My apologies for not
remembering from where and who:
'Been going to
the folk clubs since 1963. First to Coventry - Barry Skinner, The Kerry's, Rod
etc – and then Earlsdon. Since 1971 I went to Bedworth and other clubs before
they all closed. These included Barwell, Brinklow and Nuneaton. I remember
Roddy, Dave Bennett, Barry Skinner, The Gaels, Sneaks Noise, too many to
remember'.
'I remember when
the Gaels had Owen on fiddle before Brian Patten, do you remember Geoff Smedley
and Bennie Christie who were residents at the City Arms?. Benita could down a pint in less than 3
seconds!. And Barry at the Binley Oak, that was the first club I went to, with
Roger Bullen who I used to work with'.
'Rod was always involved with the City Arms, his lovely Mum May used to actually 'run' the club, but she did it in Rods name. More or less, Rod and Rob Armstrong were both the residents before they formed the Grunt Band, as was Gentle Touch (Geoff and Benita) and June Tabor was a regular singer there too'.
'There were some top acts at the Earlsdon club. I don't know who actually booked them, but May, Rod's Mother, saw to the financial side of things'.
Finally a very brief history of some of those who appeared the City Arms Folk Club. These were in addition to the local artists who put in an appearance. Regarding the above quote, which mentions the booking of artists, I cant help but think that Rob Armstrong did a lot of the leg work in that department:
1966 – Initially it appeared to be a monthly club. But things soon stepped up and the club became a weekly event. Guests included: Dicken Reed, The Arden Folk, Rod Felton, The Embers, Sandy Denny
1967 – The Hibernian's Folk Group, The Kiandra Group, The Folklores, Mick Stuart
1968 – New Modern Idiot Grunt Band, Sneaks Noise, Mike Chapman, Alex Campbell, Martyn Wyndham Reed
1969 – Martin Windsor, Gilly Darbey, Jasper Carrot, Robin Dransfield, Hamish Imlach
1970 – Shelagh McDonald, Diz Disley, Don Partridge, Colin Scott
1971 - Gothic Horizon, Roger Williamson, Dave Turner, April,
The final club night appears to be when Dando Shaft appeared during September 1971.
Beverley Kutner (Martyn)
More on the Coventry Folk scene from Hobo
The Coppers, Young Tradition, Davy Graham [drunk?], also played there. I attended regularly about 1968-70.
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