Croydon Folk Club celebrate 25 years at Ruskin House

Croydon Folk Club arrived at Ruskin House in the summer of 1999 and received a warm welcome and have done so ever since. The club was offered use of the Cedar Hall for their regular Monday nights and this was just what they needed. The flexibility of the hall meant that they could have a small cosy singaround style evening or a more full blown concert setting. Over the years they have made use of both on numerous occasions

Of course, over the years, in common with many live presentations, audiences have declined and the move to two singers and musicians nights combined with two guest nights has worked well.

The Folk Club are not standing still, though, and have updated the room to provide a more cosy comfortable environment which works for all evenings. Added to buying tickets online they have cashless pay at point of entry. In partnership with the Ruskin Bar they have offered the incentive of a free drink on some guest nights. They are testing Friday night gigs under the heading “Acousticana on the Fringe” - meaning the fringe of folk - and acts already confirmed include Trad Jazz band The Windy City Weatherbirds, punk legend John Otway and Country and Western fun with Debi Hall and The Honky Tonk Angels. There will certainly be more to come.

In addition, Croydon Folk Club are co-operating with other clubs based at Ruskin House to provide a wide range of music on a regular basis, including the house Folk and Blues Club on Sunday evenings and the Jazz Club once a month on Friday. Slightly aside there is also a Poetry Club once a month and a Cinema Club on an irregular basis. All of which they hope will become part of “Acousticana Ruskin” on an overall date and space management programme.

So, for their 25th year the programme is full of old friends! Too many to list them all here, but highlights include: from Sussex, The Twaggerband; singer songwriter Reg Meuross; blues legend and local man, Wizz Jones; Irish harper Máire Ní Chathasaigh with husband Chris Newman; the one and only Martin Simpson; equally unique folk man Jez Lowe; another local man, Brian Willoughby from The Strawbs, who comes with the steadying hand of his wife Cathryn Craig (The Strawbs played in their early days as Strawberry Hill Boys at the folk club at the Swan and Suger Loaf, whose organisers remember sharing floor spots with Croydon Folk Club regulars).

Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman kicked off the 25 years celebrations in the spring and will close the 25th year in July 2024.

Details of upcoming Croydon Folk Club events can be found here