(The former) Turville Folk Club

A tribute to Len Harman and family

Welcome to the Turville Folk Club website

This website was set up as a tribute to Len Harman and his family. It will constantly evolve and new material will be added.

We are indebted to Dave Cartwright for the following poem. He only ever met Len half a dozen times, but Len left his mark on him.

Len Harman: in memoriam

Closed doors, empty barns
no more seats, nor songs, nor yarns.
Dawn at Dibley: praise the Lord
Len at Turville: sweet accord.

Long ago the congregation
flocked to see the travelling shows
in the church without a steeple,
in a church that somehow rose
from unconsecrated earth,
ancient soil with labour stained,
yet never was a choir so strong
(nor minister
so unordained!).

Closed doors, empty barns
no more seats, nor songs, nor yarns.
Dawn at Dibley: praise the Lord
Len at Turville: sweet accord.

Are there spirits in the cowshed?
There must be echoes in the sty
of songs and laughter, still remembered.
Hallelujah! You and I
were never ones to stand and wonder
whether times so good would last
(Beef and pork and chicken-talk:
farmyard sermons, unsurpassed!)
Those who played and those who listened
never felt the need to pray;
when the world discovered Dibley
Len had well-prepared the way.

Closed doors, empty barns
no more seats, nor songs, nor yarns.
Dawn at Dibley: praise the Lord
Len at Turville: sweet accord.

Through the years his passion seemed
to touch us all. Last night I dreamed
that as I walked that winding lane
I caught a star, and knew its name.

© dave cartwright, Feb 2009

NEWS:

Sadly Diz Disley passed away on 22 March 2010.

"He had a face like a satyr on the way to an orgy" (George Melly)

1.7.10: The website is having some technical gremlins with the Guestbook and Contact poge.The bottom line is that I cannot get the Guestbook/Contact software to work any longer unless I change Internet Service Provider, and I would have to buy the software again. On top of that I have also just been asked if I want to renew the turvillefolkclub.co.uk domain name at a cost of £52 for 2 years. Do you think the website has reached its shelflife? I need to decide before October 2010.You can contact me on jeremy[at]richesfamily.net.

Gerald Sables, the manager and agent of Jonathan Kelly, has been in contact. He has kindly sent a recording for this website of JK playing The Ballad Of Cursed Anna, recorded at the Club by Graham Bates on hand-held cassette recorder on 14th August 1971. I have restored it (as far as possible!) and it makes a good nostalgic listen. Right-click here to download it, click "Save as"- then play it from your computer. Thank you Gerald (& Graham!).

We have just discovered, very belatedly, that Will Hastie has sadly died. 1926 -2003

The Henley Standard has run an article on Len and the Folk Club - see http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/news.php?id=556520. Do leave a reply, hopefully quoting this website!

Hratch and Jacqui (of Jacqui and Bridie) have made contact. They are both still performing.

Green Ginger fans may be interested to see a video about the band - click on the link above. Thank you Louis Robinson.

The news is that Ray Wilkinson has got in contact. He was a regular at the Club from 1968 until two months before it closed. He took recordings of the following: Rhona Jones, The Yetties, Therapy, Roy Bailey, Hratch, Moonshadow, Jeremy Taylor, Norman Castle & Gill, Flaky Pastry, Steve Rostron, Foggy Dewo (Foggy), Jacqui & Bridie, The McCalmans, Derek Brimstone, Dave Cartwright,Talisman, Roy & Val Bailey, Pam Ayres, Keith Pearson, Filigree, Green Ginger, Hedley Kaye, Harvey Andrews & Graham Cooper, Ian Campbell, Coppermill, Jack Hudson, The Exiles, Ron Smith, Decameron, Mosaic, Doug Porter, Richard Digance, and The Golliard. 70 hours in all!

Geoff Waller, who now lives in New Zealand, has kindly sent me recordings taken at the Club of Will Hastie. The recordings also include the Yetties, Romany and John Bell. Also sounds like Magna Carta on the recordings. I'm currently unravelling them from a DVD format, so watch this space for details. I'm increasingly amazed how many recordings have surfaced from the Club... and there are probably more to come.

PROCEED TO MAIN PAGE

Alex Atterson Bernie Parry Black on White Bob Buckle Bob Grant Bonny Dobson The Boodlum Jug Band Brian Clarke & Lorna Campbell Brian Clarke and Lorna Campbell Brian Willoughby Bucks Lace Carolyn Mills Chris Newman Chronicle Coppermill Cosmotheka Dave Cartwright Decameron Den Taylor Derek Sargeant Diz Dizley Eddie Morris The Exiles Filigree Flaky Pastry Foggy Duo Fraser Nimmo Garry Gary and Vera Aspey Gary & Vera Aspey The Golliard Graham Cooper Graham Smith Green Ginger Harvey Andrews Hazel King Hedley Kaye The Highroaders Hratch The Ian Campbell Folk Group Ian Russell Jacqui & Bridie Jacqui and Bridie Jaqui & Bridie Jaqui and Bridie Jackie & Bridie Jackie and Bridie Jack Hudson Jangles Jeremy Taylor John James Johnny Silvo John, Chris & Leslie John, Chris and Leslie John Chris & Leslie John Chris and Leslie Jon Betmead Jon Knowler Jonathan Kelly Keith Pearson and His Right Hand Band Keith Pearson & His Right Hand Band Kelsey Folk Group Lamplight Louis Robinson The McCalmans Mad Jocks & Englishmen Mad Jocks and Englishmen Magna Carta McShane Mick Hipkiss & Dave Phillips Mike Maran Mick Hipkiss and Dave Phillips Mike Maran Misty Nadia Cattouse Norman Castle & Jill Norman Castle and Jill Norman Castle & Gill Norman Castle and Gill Pam Ayres Pat Nelson Paul McNeil & Linda Peters Paul McNeil and Linda Peters Linda Thompson Paul Weeving & Chad Paul Weeving and Chad Paul Weston The Pete Allen Band Peter Brown Chris Dove Dave Wells-Cole Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey Pete Stanley and Brian Golbey The Pilgrims Rab Noakes Ralph McTell Pam Ayres The Reunion String Band Rhona Jones Richard Digance Rikki Ratcliffe Ripley Wayfarers The Romany Ron Geesin Roy & Val Bailey Roy and Val Bailey Roy Bailey Second Edition Southern Ramblers Spredthick Spriggs Alley Steven Rostron Steve Tilston The Strawbs Sue Franklin Suzi Lawrence Suzi Walton Talisman Telephone Bill & Smooth Operators Telephone Bill and Smooth Operators Telephone Bill & the Smooth Operators Telephone Bill and the Smooth Operators Terry McCann Terry Silver The Pilgrims Therapy Wayland Smithy Wesley Parks-Smith White on Black The Widershins Wild Willie Barrett Will Hastie Windfall The Yetties Len Harman Margaret Harman Ivan Harman Mark Harman Alice Nuttgens Janis Harman Luke Harman Keir Harman Idlecombe Farm Music Guitar Guitarist Penny Whistle Flute Fiddle Banjo