Jim Breeds… Martin Carthy! Wow. Would have loved to see him in 1964. I’ve seen him countless times up and down the country, but back in ’64 would have been an eye opener!!

Fred Marsh… who was landlord then a bit early for Shipley?

Tony Court-holmes… Arthur and Beryl I believe

John Winch… Hastings Folk club at the Nelson when WILF was landlord. His daughter started the club with somebody else and I think Shirley Collins and a lady from the book shop in High Street used to guest there. I played there as paid guest act a couple of times later, Then, when I moved to Hastings from Brighton, I tried to revive it but the Folk Club scene was nearing an end then and it died a quiet death. Early days in the Nelson when Jeff Coates and Bruce Astly did Sunday lunchtimes there and I used to come over from Brighton and play banjo with them (when I was allowed, and, it was made clear, without a share of the pot.) until I did the Sunday lunchtime gig at the Standard for a couple of years or so. How many times did I sit outside on the terrace playing the guitar with Johnny Sanderson singing Summertime? Great days in the Nelly.

Mick Knight… Yes upstairs at the Nellie, went to my first one when I was 15. I keep telling Obie that makes me the longest regular!!

Lynn Graham… Oh the memories of Johnny and Bruce

Peter Kampman… Those renditions of summertime have lived with me ever since

Linda Gowans… The Folk Directory 1965:

Barry Harden… John, Hi, I remember Johnny Sanderson well. He was a great friend to me and I shall never forget him. His Geordie voice was one of the softest and most endearing folk voices that I have ever heard but his background was something entirely different. As for Bruce , well in the old Anchor days, his dog would often fart and stink the pub out, but he was a good singer and guitar player. Philip Tree, he wanted to remove my girlfriends appendix on his kitchen table, was a subject of constant amusement among many of the crowd, especially when he came off his Vincent 1000cc motorbike having caught his trouser turnup in the bumber of a parked car. So many tales to tell about those days. The last time I visited the Anchor, a few years later, I was refused service, why ? I never knew but I think the barmaid thought I might have been from the Indian sub-continent. That was after the previous landlord Don Stewart had died. How things change. Unfortunately I lost touch with Johnny Sanderson but I have a notion that things didn’t go well for him for reasons that should not be recalled.

Linda Gowans… Barry, One evening in 1964 or 5 Phil Tree was about to sing. He tried his metallic guitar (known among us as the fish fryer), said “It’s out of tune”, and picked up the nearest one, against the back wall. A cry somewhere between indignation and despair, “That’s mine!” came from the night’s guest…Martin Carthy. Completely unfazed, Phil said “That should be in tune then” – and carried on! For all the alarming tales, I will say that he had some good songs.

Linda Gowans… In the front bar at the Lord Nelson, about 1967. Left to right: Johnny Sanderson, Paul (I don’t think we ever knew his surname – he arrived, played various instruments, and moved on), and Bruce Astley.

Linda Gowans… Alex Campbell, with the Nelson landlady Eileen Dawson. About 1967 – a night when Alex was guest at the folk club, anyway.

Chris Hardy… I saw Martin Carthy at the Lord Nelson winter of ‘65. I recall him playing ‘Little Ball of Yarn’. I’d just left school, was a cub reporter on the local paper and learning to play folk blues guitar. I sat in at the folk club every week. Saw Jansch, and others I can’t recall. Little stage in the corner. Dark upstairs room, quite small. No PA!

Linda Gowans… I remember seeing Martin Carthy even before that, probably 1964, and Bert Jansch, just once so must have been the same day Chris Hardy saw him. I also remember Judith Piepe, Nigel Denver, Margaret Barry, and Derroll Adams.