The "Why the H**l do we do what we do??" page

Or a word from our founder, Lee Raymond (Club News, Folk on Tap, April 2002).

"I started this club nearly 3 years ago (June 1999), to encourage musicians and singers to perform in public and for the club to be a 'half-way house' between venues with real stages & an 'open microphone' set up and the more traditional folk clubs. It became a success from the first night and many people have gone on to perform, at the previously mentioned, and to even take up a semi-professional career entertaining the public!"

A year later I wrote (Club News, Folk on Tap, April 2003).

".... The club has endeavoured to continue Lee's policy of encouraging new, not necessarily young, musicians and singers to take that tentative, even scary, first step towards performing in public. The Feature Night has continued whenever a local artist has seemed ready for that next step, ...."

This philosophy for the club appears to be right. The numbers are increasing, 25 - 40 is typical, and the majority of those are performers. And we are getting new faces as well as the regulars.

As a singaround club we don't pay for any guests and that includes the feature nights. So, to help to use the funds that we raise from the weekly raffle, we have made donations to various charities. Lee favoured The Society of St. James. Recently, i.e. since I took over, the club has introduced a scheme where the featured artiste(s) nominate(s) a charity to whom (to which?) a donation will be sent in the club's name.