Dragon Folk Club

14/06/2025

Friday's Dragon Folk Club session was rather enjoyable. Denny and Paul brought along their friend Helen. As I warned last week, this week’s blog report is rather abbreviated with no YouTube playlist, written quickly before this dragon disappears in a puff of smoke for a few days.

As far as I am aware there will be no official theme next week (20th June), but we will be short of a few regular bodies, so I would be grateful if you can make an extra effort to turn up and help Colin to sing up a storm.

As ever you will find us from 8:15pm in the barn (just past the toilets) at The Bridge Inn, Bridge Rd, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG.

When you join us at The Bridge you will always find FREE ENTRY, a warm welcome, excellent acoustics and a reasonably priced bar. You are welcome to show us any type of performance: a song, a tune, a story, a monologue, a poem, a joke or whatever else you can dream up. Anything goes as long as it's acoustic. And if you don't feel ready to perform this time then please be our audience, join in some banter, and maybe a chorus or two.

Give us a try - we're friendly dragons.

Friday's Dragon Folk Club session was rather enjoyable. Denny and Paul brought along their friend Helen. As I warned last week, this will be...

05/06/2025

Following the news that our friend and fellow musician, Bob Watson passed away at the weekend, this is from Danny's email to members today:
"His daughter and son have asked if “those in the folk and sea shanty communities…would sing one of his songs together when you next meet”. I am sure that we shall live up to that. I was able to report that a few weeks ago Ali and I attended the fantastically popular Shanty Session at the Castle Tap. When 40 or 50 of us had finished belting out “Shantyman” with great gusto, I wanted to jump up and shout "I know the man who wrote that!" Shame that Bob wasn’t there to hear it!"
Below is a photo of Bob as many of us will remember him, leading everyone in song at the club.

03/06/2025

Last Friday's Dragon Folk Club session was special to those of us who have been around for a while. Not only did we have a highly respectable head count, being joined by regular irregulars Roger, Stuart and Steve, but were able to welcome back to the fold the long absent Derek and Maggie, complete with new canine companion Bertie.

Like last week's, this week's session will have no official theme. As ever you will find us from 8:15pm in the barn (just past the toilets) at The Bridge Inn, Bridge Rd, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG.

When you join us at The Bridge you will always find FREE ENTRY, a warm welcome, excellent acoustics and a reasonably priced bar. You are welcome to show us any type of performance: a song, a tune, a story, a monologue, a poem, a joke or whatever else you can dream up. Anything goes as long as it's acoustic. And if you don't feel ready to perform this time then please be our audience, join in some banter, and maybe a chorus or two.

Give us a try - we're friendly dragons.

Redcliffe Wharf, Bristol (Photo: Simon Meeds) Last Friday's Dragon Folk Club session was special to those of us who have been around for a w...

30/05/2025

It was great to see Derek and Maggie Brinkley this evening and good to hear Derek joining in the choruses in fine voice. The full blog report will appear in due course.

29/05/2025

Some time ago we designed and had printed a small number of beer mats to use at the club and to give out or leave around as marketing. The ones that remain are getting a bit tatty so it would be good to have a new set printed.

Ideally we would have more made this time. The printer I used previously is relatively well priced for smaller quantities, but when ordering larger quantities another supplier would be better. I have asked some of our regulars whether they might chip in a contribution to the printing and there has been some enthusiasm for that.

https://beanprint.co.uk/

Qty 10 - £9.99
Qty 20 - £17.99
Qty 30 - £19.99
Qty 40 - £24.99
Qty 50 - £29.99
Qty 100 - £49.99

https://www.solopress.com/

Qty 250 - £76.85
Qty 500 - £86.79
Qty 750 - £96.38
Qty 1000 - £105.21

I think 100 would keep us going for a while and therefore £50 is a good initial target, but 250 would be better value for money. Would you be willing to chip in to help the purchase? I'm sure we could give you a few if you helped out.

29/04/2025

With St George's Day officially moved to 28th April this year the Dragon Folk Club's Friday session with that theme was just three days early. We had a good gathering, which included on first time visitor, Ian, who shared with us his self-penned songs and a hint of the style of his band, Blue Badgers (nothing to do with disability by the way - UK joke, sorry for those non-UK readers).

It seems we are in the midst of a theme season, so I will tell you that this Friday (2nd May) will be a May Day theme, so "I walked out on a May morning..." could be a very good way to start a song. Next week (9th May) will mark VE Day (also just one day late), and that should bring out some war and anti-war songs. Of course all of our themes are optional and whatever I say anything goes as long as it's acoustic.

This and almost all Fridays you can find us from 8:15pm in the barn (just past the toilets) at The Bridge Inn, Bridge Rd, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG.

When you join us at The Bridge you will always find FREE ENTRY, a warm welcome, excellent acoustics and a reasonably priced bar. You are welcome to show us any type of performance: a song, a tune, a story, a monologue, a poem, a joke or whatever else you can dream up. And if you don't feel ready to perform this time you are free to be our audience, join in some banter, and maybe a chorus or two.

Give us a try. We're a pretty friendly bunch.

The session less Ian who was taking the photo (Photo: Ian Garbutt) With St George's Day officially moved to 28th April this year the Dragon ...

22/04/2025

We had a great Easter session at the Dragon Folk Club. We loved welcoming first time visitors John and Howard who call themselves "Old Friends", and now they are our friends too.

This Friday the optional theme will be St George's Day (just two days late). Don't worry if you can't follow the theme, but there's plenty of scope to follow it. St George, dragons and England are the obvious ones, but look also to his other patronages.

This and almost all Fridays you can find us from 8:15pm in the barn (just past the toilets) at The Bridge Inn, Bridge Rd, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG.

When you join us at The Bridge you will always find FREE ENTRY, a warm welcome, excellent acoustics and a reasonably priced bar.

All themes are optional and as always anything goes as long as it's acoustic. You are welcome to show us any type of performance: a song, a tune, a story, a monologue, a poem, a joke or whatever else you can dream up. And if you don't feel ready to perform this time you are free to be our audience, join in some banter, and maybe a chorus or two.

Give us a try. We don't bite or breathe fire (much)!

Sanctuaire de la Sainte-Baume (Photo: Simon Meeds) We had a great Easter session at the Dragon Folk Club. We loved welcoming first time visi...

15/04/2025

Our friends The Severn Whalers will be there.

It’s happening!!!

15/04/2025

We were a bit thin on the ground at last week's Dragon Folk Club session pretty much as expected, and we had a fair amount of chat, some music-related, as well as singing, so we hit the end after "just" 24 songs. Not bad really. The small group allowed us to bring out some of our less sung songs.

Despite this Friday being Good Friday, like almost all weeks we will be meeting - 8:15pm in the barn (just past the toilets) at The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG. The obvious (optional) theme is all things more or less to do with Easter, related and equivalent seasonal festivals.

When you join us at The Bridge you will always find FREE ENTRY, a warm welcome, excellent acoustics and a reasonably priced bar.

All themes are optional and as always anything goes as long as it's acoustic. You are welcome to show us any type of performance: a song, a tune, a story, a monologue, a poem, a joke or whatever else you can dream up. And if you don't feel ready to perform this time we are perfectly happy for you to be audience, join in some banter, and maybe a chorus or two.

Give us a try. We don't bite!

Morris dancers at the Royal County of Berkshire Show (Photo: Simon Meeds) We were a bit thin on the ground at last week's Dragon Folk Club s...