Started off as people just singing in the bar at the 'Golden Ball' courtesy of the landlady Mrs. Rowney. That was as I found it, when I moved to the area.

When she moved to the Meadow Inn in Buildwas (now apparently Water Rat), just opposite where I was working at the time (Ironbridge Power Station), I think it was late 1973, we basically followed her and continued the tradition of the singing in the bar.

I'm not sure exactly how it came about, I think it was due to some negotiation by Gerald Hannon, who was the main instigator. We were allowed to use the room downstairs and formaqlised the 'Meadow Folk Club' and met every Friday night.

Generally at first, we provided the singing ourselves, most of us being singers or musicians and two or three of us took it in turns to act as MC. Soon we started inviting others in from outside and had a more formal set up.

The club proved very popular and was so up to the time I got married and eventually left the area. Unfortunately I lost touch with most of the people, but was glad to see the club flourished.

Finally the club closed its doors in February 2017, according to their facebook page.