The Couriers

22-02-2005

This is probably the most important page on the site. It contains a history and hopefully an anthology of "THE COURIERS"

I am pleased to say that this page is introduced by a forward by Mr Jack Harris.

THE COURIERS

The Couriers Folk Club, (named for the duo who ran it, Jack Harris and Rex Brisland), opened at The Queens Hotel in Charles Street Leicester in the autumn of 1964. The small room soon became inadequate and a move was made the following spring to the now defunct White Swan, situated roughly where the Fish Market now stands. Jack and Rex were the singers in residence and as was the custom, augmented by "unattached" local singers, sometimes natives of Leicester and sometimes guitar playing students doing their stint at University or Teacher Training College. The administration work was handled by Jack’s wife, Sue. During the folk music "boom" period, clubs were frequently run according to the taste of the organisers, sometimes narrowly purist and at the other extreme, closer to prevailing pop tastes. The Couriers Club soon acquired a reputation for booking good acts across the entire spectrum of the genre. Traditional singers like Bert Lloyd, MacColl and Seeger, Bob Davenport were regular visitors together with ageing ploughboys, miners and fishermen who were often so infirm or unlikely to make their own way to Leicester they had to be fetched by car. Trendy Trad based groups like the Young Tradition and The Watersons found a ready audience as did groups appealing to a wider taste such as The Spinners and The Ian Campbell Group. Humorous acts, mostly with limited musical ability, frequently reduced the audience to tears of laughter. Performers like Jasper Carrot, Tony Capstick and Alex Campbell come to mind. Every now and then a wonderful voice would come over the microphone and a hushed audience would delight at the sound of someone like Barbara Dickson, who as we know, became a hit on the West End stage. The Late sixties was also the age of the protest song, targeting the American involvement in Vietnam for the most part and it was the proliferation of American singer/ songwriters whose songs were eagerly added to the repertoires of aspiring singers in this country. Folk song clubs were seldom rich enterprises and even visiting Americans had to accept paltry sums of money. This state of affairs lasted for two or three tours while they built up their reputations and were then put into concert halls by the big promoters. All of them agreed however, that the British Folk Club scene was something special and intimate which they couldn’t find at home playing in noisy "lounges". Americans who played at the Couriers Club included Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton and New Lost City Ramblers. Tom Paxton stayed with Jack and Sue for weeks at a time using Leicester as a base for a grueling tour of one nighters. Finally The White Swan was scheduled for demolition and through his Church connections; Rex was offered the concert room of the local Catholic Club. This was comparative luxury after a run down City pub. The capacity was greater and the extra revenue generated from larger audiences meant that it was possible to keep up with the increasing fees asked by performers. So the best acts of the day still appeared at the Couriers Club and "Paddy’s", as the Catholic Club was known, was its base for many years. Sadly, like all good things, the tenure ended when the owners decided that they wanted to use the concert room for their own shows and The Couriers forced into another move, to an even grander venue this time. The Conference room of the local Holiday Inn Hotel. Very big; quite expensive; but the people kept coming and the usual high standard was maintained. The pressure, however, was beginning to show on the organisers. New employment schedules for Rex and Jack meant that it was far from certain that either could guarantee to be there on club night. It was therefore decided to go out on a high note and the club closed its doors for the final time in June 1974 after over ten years of having a lot of fun, meeting some super people, and, one hopes, entertaining thousands.

Jack Harris: December 2002

The Couriers, their History and their Legacy

THE COURIERS ARTISTES

Just some of the Artistes who appeared at THE COURIERS at one time or another between the years 1964 to 1974:

Dave and Toni Arthur, Eric Anderson, Jenny Asher, Cliff Aungier, Harvey Andrews, Jesse Ballard, Chris Bartram, Dominic Behan (Got free Guinness all night at St. Patrick’s), Pete Bellamy (Solo and with The Young Tradition), Steve Benbow, Anne Briggs, Derek Brimstone, Alex Campbell (Nobody made a noise while he was on), David Campbell (From Canada), Ian Campbell Group, Guy Carawan, Tony Capstick, Jasper Carrott OBE (Boing), Sydney Carter, Martin Carthy, Bill Clifton, Shirley Collins, Billy Connolly (With the Humblebums), Graham Cooper (with Harvey Andrews), Martin Cummins, Sandy Dent, Phil Downer, Nigel Denver, Bob Davenport, Diz Disley (Always late and had always forgotten his guitar), Barbara Dickson, Robin and Barry Dransfield, Champion Jack Dupree, Nigel Elcoat, Julie Felix, Rod Felton, John Foreman, The Fureys, Davy Graham, Tom Gilfellon, Guilligan Brothers, Steffan Grossman, Mike Harding, Rosemary Hardman (A large lady), Roy Harper, Stan Hugill, Geoff Holford (Leicestershire Morris Men), Hamish Imlach, Jacqui and Bridie, Bert Jansch, Dave Johnson, Vera Johnson (Canadian Grandmother....always knitting), Nic Jones (Solo and with Halliard), Fred Jordan (A traditional singer who drank like a fish), Stan Kelly, Alex Kiddy, Dave Kirk, A.L. (Bert) Lloyd (Folk Song collector extraordinaire), Gerry Loughran, Trevor Lucas (Australian), Pat Maloney and Fred McNeil, Stuart Marson, Ewan MacColl, Josh MacRae (Messing about on the River), Rory and Alex McEwen (Went on to become businessmen and now own McEwen’s Brewery), Matt McGinn, Paul McNeil, The McPeake Family (Wild Mountain Thyme), Tiger John and Joan McWhirter, Russ Merryfield, Pete Metcalfe, Joni Mitchell (Wasn't asked back for a third time), Mudge and Clutterbuck, The Munstermen, Noel Murphy, Mark Newman (Apparently back in Leicester after working abroad in Yorkshire), Simon Nicol, Rab Noakes (Introduced Barbara Dickson to the club), The New Lost City Ramblers, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, Tom Paley, John Pearce, Malcolm Perkins, Dave Phillips, Malcolm Price, Gerry Rafferty (With the Humblebums), Mike Raven (Became a DJ and then a producer), Joe Read, Martyn Wyndham-Read, Jean Richie, Pete and Sheila Rigg, Barry Roberts, Leon Rosselson, Toni Savage, Colin Scott, Peggy Seeger, Paul Simon, Barry Skinner, Andy and Janet Smith, The Spinners, Joe Stead, Redd Sullivan (Ran the Troubadour club in London which was the inspiration for the Tom Paxton song), Pete Stanley and Wizz Jones, Dave Swarbrick, Cyril Tawney, Jake Thackray (Always very nervous), George Thomas, Linda Thompson (Peters), Richard Thompson, Steve Tilston, Chris Train, The Trunkles, Dave Turner, Pip Walker, The Watersons, Wally Whyton, Bob Williamson, Julian Wright, Bernard Wrigley (The Bolton Bullfrog), Dave Yeomans, Pat Yeomans, The Yetties, The Young Tradition.

Locals who not only performed at The Couriers, but also went on to greater things, include:

Chaucer Street (Dave and Dave), Lyn and Candy Geddes, George Kaye, Thadeus Kaye, Paddy Bill Lavery, Mark Newman, Pete and Sheila Rigg, Harvey Tucker and Scruffy Pete Tomlyn

My thanks to Stuart Roscoe, who has provided me with a list of some of the Artistes and also to Rex for his memory on the rest. If you can remember any more, please let me know via the e-mail address.

The following apart from Stuart and myself, were members of the audience:

Ed Bates, Richard Blackburn, Elizabeth Black, Geoff (Goff) Lenthall, Mike Mansfield, Bill McDonald, Ken Slow, Alan Jordan, Aileen Rowden, Geoff Brown, Irene Chapman, Steve Bray (Ernie), Jo Cooper, Chris Waters, Susan Tyers, Marion Merrich, Jayne and Cynthia (Sat on the window cill), Keith Roberts, Davina Yeomans, Dave Brown, Chris Goldby and Ken Last.

If you were there please let me know via the e-mail address.

THE COURIERS TALES

In order to appreciate where THE COURIERS came from we have to go back in time to November 5th 1940, the day that Rex Brisland was born.

Rex travels around England with his family, before finally emigrating to Canada. In 1963 Rex decides to go home to England, THE HARD WAY. He works his way across Canada playing and singing in Bars and Folk Clubs.

Along the way he meets up with another young folk singer who is working his way, only this singer is going to New York. Rex takes the guy under his wing and allows him to play as a support act at some of his bookings. The young folk singers name was Gordon Lightfoot, (What became of him?).

Rex finally arrives in Leicester, thanks to a contract with a printing company and starts work. He still wants to continue with his singing and plays at a number of clubs in Leicester that were sprouting up at that time. His travels took him to a pub called the Barley Mow near Granby Street and he met up with two other folk orientated people, Jack Harris and Dick Garratt.

Before long the trio were playing to full houses at the Barley Mow under their new group name “THE COURIERS”

Jack, being a bit of a business man, thought it might be a good idea to open their own club, which they did, at The Queens Hotel in Charles Street. This was now during the folk revival period in 1964 and The Couriers soon outgrew their home and looked around for a new venue.

After much searching they found a room above a pub in the market that was to become the home for The Couriers for the next couple of years, the pub was The White Swan.

There was a problem though, did anybody notice how cold the room was at the beginning of the evening? While the room was not being used by The Couriers, it was "Home" to a rather large and for want of better words, flatulent in a wet sense, German Shepherd dog!

When Rex, Jack and Sue arrived at the club on Saturday evenings, the dog had been moved out, but it had left behind it a rather unpleasant odour. Luckily Rex has always had a lack of a sense of smell and so, while Sue and Jack waited downstairs, he would go up to the club room and open up all the windows and de-fumigate the place. After a safe period of time Sue and Jack would go up to the room and put out the chairs, etc. while Rex went down to the bar and prepared the running order for the evening. Just think if Rex had a sense of smell then the Couriers club may not have happened.

As Jack said in his forward a number of American artistes were plying their trade in England at this time and Paul Simon, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton and Joni Mitchell performed in the upstairs room of the White Swan. I remember seeing Tom Paxton at the De Montfort Hall in a concert after the festivals at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight had made him an International star and he commented that it was about time that the Couriers had found decent accommodation at last and also that the strange smell that he associated with the club had disappeared.

I would though like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Jake Thackray who sadly passed away on Christmas Eve, 2002. He was always welcome at the Couriers, very nervous but always gave a brilliant performance. Rest in Peace Jake and we remember you as you wished in your song "The Last Will and Testament of Jake Thackray".

"No tearing of hair, no wringing of hands, No sighs, no lack-a-days, No woe-is-mes and none of your sad adieus. Go go go and get the priest, And then go get the booze, boys."

Thanks Jake for all the memories.

Which singer got taken to task by Rex’s Mother?

There is a tale that is told on darkened evenings around certain folk clubs of the time that a certain star performer at the Couriers was given a verbal going over by Rex's Mother. Picture the scene, a normal Friday night at St Paddy's and who is appearing, but that quiet, clean spoken, lilting singer TONY CAPSTICK. Just before the interval he tells one of his most humorous, but not so clean jokes. The session ends and Tony fights his way to the bar, only to be confronted by Rex's Mum, who gives him what only can be described as a right rollicking. I have never seen Tony go so white and the following evening I met up with Rex and Tony at the White Swan in Birstall and Tony was still shaking.

Who had his car stolen outside St. Paddy's

A tale that has arrived by e-mail from Mr Bernard Wrigley (The Bolton Bullfrog)

"I always enjoyed doing Jack and Rex's club. Stories of Joni Mitchell doing it in the 60's were very memorable - £15 first time, £45 second time, but when she wanted £75 for the third one - she wasn't booked! My most memorable gig there will always be the night my Mini got stolen in 1970. I parked outside the Catholic club and when the gig was over we came outside and thought we must have parked in a different street than we remembered. It still didn't hit home that it was gone until we'd looked round all the streets twice. We weren't as theft conscious then - there was a portable radio on view together with lots of circulars with postage stamps stuck on. The bastards probably soaked them off, or just as annoyingly, stuffed them down a grid. Anyway, Jack very kindly put my good lady and me up for the night, then ran us to the railway station the day after. Never did get the car back, and I ended up with a Triumph Herald that was slightly older but not as good as my trusty Mini. The Couriers' club changed venue after that, but I always kept a weather eye on the car park! Best Wishes, Bernard Wrigley"

What was the importance of a Scotland vs. England match in the late 60's?

Another tale from the Archives goes so:

Heathen hoards came down from North of the Border. They were called "The Humblebums" and these hoards dared to challenge the mighty English to a game of Football. So it was decreed that after many pints at "Ye Olde White Swanne" on a Saturday night that the two opposing armies should meet on the great battlefields of Leicestershire upon a Sunday Morn to "Thrash the living daylights out of each other". So it came to pass that the great Couriers thrashed the lesser Scots at football by two goals to one, Billy Connelly included, and pride was restored once more.

Who turned up one night to sing Serbo-Croat songs?

I am told that this was Mr A L (Bert) Lloyd. He was a great collector of old traditional songs and sang them with a gusto. One night he was booked and everyone thought that he would be singing the usual sea shanties and working songs, but no, he spent the evening singing a set of traditional Serbo-Croat songs in the native tongue. Most people could usually make out what he was on about when he was singing Scottish whaling songs or the like, but this evening went over everybody's head.

Who was the Irish man who insisted on singing Elvis Presley Songs? I need an answer to this one. Please. It wasn't Paddy Bill Lavery, was it? He did make a record called 'Breath of the South'. Was this a tribute to Elvis.

What was Jack’s response to the England vs. Germany game in the 1970 World Cup?

Answer: "The Battle of Leon"

I will hopefully be able to finally get this show on the road soon. TCT

Nigel Denver has contacted me and if any of you old folk buffs want to find out what he is doing then get in touch.

Did Bill Haley ever appear at the Couriers? I think he did at the Holiday Inn. Confirmation would be most welcome.

I can now reveal that thanks to Eddie Bates, I now have a wonderful portfolio of memorabilia from the Couriers era that will be published soon!

and

These two programmes are from 1973-1974. My Thanks to Eddie Bates for the originals.

LAST YEAR WE SADLY PREMATURELY LOST AN OLD STALWART OF THE COURIERS AND OTHER CLUBS, I REFER OF COURSE TO THADEUS KAYE.

Thadeus was killed on the 27th January 2004 in an accident with his microlight aircraft.

ON A BRIGHTER NOTE:

Lyn Geddes returned to Leicester, to appear at the White House, Scraptoft Lane, together with Dave Kirk and Mark Newman on Friday 7th May. A number of old Couriers attended.

On Friday 24th September 2004 a Memorial Concert was held for Thad Kaye at the Y Theatre in Leicester. A great night was had by all, despite the sadness of the occasion with great performances by all concerned. It has been muted that this could become an annual event if there is enough support. Let me know what you think at the e-mail address. Also send me any photos of the gig to that address.

Have received a few e-mails recently about this site. I am hoping to be able to add more to it soon.

Folk Club still functioning each Sunday at the Old Hare and Hounds Anstey. Floor singers always welcome, bit more than folk some weeks, depends on who turns up. Even have George FORMBY some weeks OOOH Mother , turned out nice again...

Costs nothing to get in and its Marston's Pedigree.

The Old Hare and Hounds

Rex Brisland has a new club running at The Earl of Stamford in Birstall, Leicestershire at 8:00 pm on Wednesdays. Singers are welcome and some 'Name Guests' when possible. Further details from Rex on 0116 267 6154.

Harvey Andrews has a new CD out its called "Somewhere in the Stars" and is available from H Andrews, PO Box 57, Westbury, Shrewsbury SY5 9ZQ at a cost of £12.50, inclusive of postage, cheque payable to H Andrews. This CD will not be available from Harvey's website until sometime this year, but others that are available at the same price are:

Writer of Songs, Friends of Mine, 25 Years on the Road, The Margarita Collection, Snaps, The Journey and The Gift.

Check out the website www.harveyandrews.com

I have been contacted recently from old folk buffs, who have memories to recall from their folk history. Please if you have any memory left contact me via the e-mail address.

Many Thanks to all who have so far contributed.

Tony C Taylor

This site was last updated 22-02-05