This is where you can read about clubs from their members or club promoters to see what is happening on the Country music circuit. It is updated as and when we receive reports and get the time to include them.
Ken's Party Dance, Dunmow, Essex
Martin Ruddy Band with Ricky the roadie on the left.
by Nick Catford
25th July 2025
I last visited Ken’s Party Dance at Sewards Hall Farm in Felsted, Essex in September 2018 on farm owner Ken Dodd’s 80th birthday. This has to be one of the most unusual venues on the Country circuit. Ken’s dances are held in an old sow shed on the farm. Outside it looks like any other farm building but in about 2007 Ken converted his redundant sow shed into a plush music venue with a large dance floor and he has been holding Country dances there ever since. Ken is a lifelong Country fan and used to run the Bluebell Hill Country & Western Club in nearby Dunmow before he created his own unique Country venue. A number of posters from the Bluebell Hill Club are on display in the kitchen. Ken has now retired from running the club although he still attends the dances and the club is now in the capable hands of his daughters Jen and Mandy.
These days, the Martin Ruddy Band don’t play a lot of CMCs but they have been regular visitors to Kens for many years. It’s a club they enjoy playing and still come to entertain every year. Not only is Martin Ruddy a good singer but he has a great stage presence, the emotion that he puts into his performance is visually very entertaining. Martin has been singing for as long as he can remember, joining a local band in County Mayo when he left school. I first saw the band in the early 90s. One member of that line up, drummer David Webb is still in the current line up with Tony Collins on lead guitar and Darryl Stewart on bass. Dave Webb has been Martins drummer for 34 years; all are experienced musicians and that quickly came across tonight. Dave Webb shared lead vocals with good harmonies with some fine guitar solos and vocals from Tony Collins who also fronts his own family band Muscles & Curve.
Martin had little problem filling the dance floor from start to finish with a well chosen selection of classic Country and a few Irish songs, including a number of medleys. Martin kicked off with a couple from George Strait, The Cowboy Rides Away and One Night At A Time. Later there were several other George Strait songs including Write This Down and I Just Want To Dance With You. After Buck Owens’ Streets Of Bakersfield there was a Don Gibson medley Oh Lonesome and Sea Of Heartbreak. A few more that stood out in the first set included Ricky Skaggs’ I Wouldn’t Change You If I Could and Gerry Guthrie’s Come On In. Gerry is a popular Irish Country music singer I’m not that familiar with. Martin closed the first set with Steve Earle’s The Galway Girl not to be confused with the Ed Sheeran song with a similar title; this is a much better song!
Set 2 opened with another of Martin’s Country medleys Merle Haggard’s Today I Started Loving You Again, Johnny Rodriguez’s Pass Me By and Don Williams’ You’re My Best Friend. Martin quickly created a good rapport with everyone and kept the music flowing and the dance floor buzzing. It was clear that everyone was having a good time with a band that are as good now as they were the first time I saw them well over 30 years ago. I have always liked Irish Country and a couple more we heard tonight were Stuart Moyles’ Westport Town, Daniel O’Donnell’s Home To Donegal and The Wolfe Tones’ Boston Rose, a song I know Martin particularly likes. There were a few from John Denver, Rocky Mountain High, Back Home Again and Some Days Are Diamonds. Naturally there was more from George Strait, I Just Want To Dance With You followed by George Jones’ The Race Is On. A few others that stood out for me were Zac Brown Band’s As She’s Walking Away, Lee Greenwood’s Dixie Road and a real oldie from Ray Price, with My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You.
The third set brought another medley, this time all Johnny Cash songs, Ring Of Fire, I Walk The Line and Folsom Prison Blues. As the evening drew to a close we had a few more Irish favourites, The Dubliners’ In The Rare Old Times, The Fureys’ The Red Rose Cafe and Paddy Reilly’s Fields of Athenry which had everyone on the dance floor. This has to be one of my favourite Irish Country songs and sure enough I heard the usual vocal retort from the audience “Hey baby let the free birds fly” Martin wound the evening down with Merle Haggard’s Silver Wings, always a dance floor filler, Alan Jackson’s Livin’ On Love and Darius Rucker’s Wagon Wheel
At the end of an unusually long third set, the applause was loud and prolonged and it was clear nobody wanted to go home after what had been an outstanding evening of proper Country music from one of the best in the business. As an encore, Martin’s sung Neil Diamond’s ever popular Sweet Caroline. The band will be back at Ken’s on Good Friday 2026.
Click below to see my phone video of The Martin Ruddy Band.
Country Revival CMC, Dagenham, Essex
Pure Country with Phil Mann.
by Nick Catford
7th July 2025
Having learned to play guitar when he was 9, Rick McKay made his first stage appearance when he was 11 as part of an instrumental duo and launched his first band The Silhouettes while still at school. After staring in the touring production of Forever Elvis he launched a solo career in 1990 and joined his first Country band Hicksville in 1992 forming his own band Freeway in 1994. Rick made a trip to Nashville in 1994 and was spotted by an independent record label owner who signed him to GMC Records. Rick moved to Nashville in July 1994. Returning to the UK in 1995 Rick was involved in numerous Country projects (see CCpedia). In 2002 he co-formed the duo Pure Country with Jodie Mitchell. From their launch the duo paid tribute to the more traditional style of Country music which they still embrace today. Rick and Jodie were married in August 2006.
These days they don’t play that many clubs so it was good to see them at the Country Revival on 6th July. I knew it was going to be a good evening but I really wasn’t prepared for such a wide variety of Country songs. Rick and Jodie are both good singers and on many of the songs one of them took lead while the other added good harmonies. There was also plenty of good humoured banter between them and us. They kicked of proceedings with Tammy Wynette’s Your Good Girls Gonna Go Bad followed by Merle Haggard’s Daddy Frank Randy Travis’ Diggin Up Bones, Lynn Anderson’s Rose Garden and Dolly Parton’s Coat Of Many Colours.
It’s always good to hear songs from lesser known artists. I wonder how many people remember Junior Brown. He is still recording today but Rick sung a couple from the mid 90s, My Wife Thinks You’re Dead and Highway Patrol. Good songs, let’s hear more Junior Brown. We did actually get another, Venom Wearin’ Denim in the third set. A few more songs that stood out in the first set included George Jones’ Sinners & Saints, Dolly Parton’s Old Flames and Patsy Cline’s Back In Baby’s Arms, it really is good to hear a few different songs.
Set 2 opened with George Strait’s Easy Come, Easy Go and Patty Loveless’ Mr. Man In the Moon. There had to be something by Johnny Cash as that’s what Rick is best known for. He sung Johnny Cash’s It Ain’t Me Babe, not the usual Bob Dylan or Joan Baez arrangement. Next came Jodie with Connie Smith’s first US hit Once A Day, a song I haven’t heard for many years. We don’t seem to get many waltzes these days so it’s always good to hear one like Ernest Tubb’s classic Waltz Across Texas.
It’s always good to see other country artists in a club and tonight we had the pleasure of Hayley Oliver and her husband Harley Dave joining us. I have seen Hayley on a number of occasions solo and in a duo with Harley although I never got an opportunity to see her band. She is, without doubt, one of our finest female singers. She has perfect pitch and a vocal clarity that allows her to deliver a song in a way that touches the heart of the listener. At the age of 11 she was nominated to sing solo at the Royal Albert Hall (at that time, the youngest ever solo performer there). Luckily Jody and Rick persuaded Hayley and Dave to join them ‘on stage’ for a couple of songs. She sung Dolly Parton’s Jolene and Don Gibson’s Oh Lonesome Me, much to the delight of everyone in the club.
After Hayley, Rick sung another from Johnny Cash, A Thing Called Love followed by Rodney Crowell’s I Walk The Line Revisited after which Jodie brought the second set to a close with Shania Twain’s Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under.
Set 3 opened with Merle Haggard’s I’m A Lonesome sung by Rick and Martina McBride’s My Baby Loves Me from Jodie. There were, of course, some duets like Johnny Cash and June Carter’s Jackson from their Johnny Cash Revisited Theatre Show.
Rick and Jodie were clearly having a good time throughout the evening and that quickly rubbed off on everyone as they went through a programme of classic Country favourites with a good helping of less often heard songs. A few more that stood out in the final set included Patty Loveless’ Blame It on Your Heart, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Waylon Jennings’s A Couple More Years, Mel McDaniel’s Louisiana Saturday Night and Pam Tillis’ Mi Vida Loca
At the end of a very enjoyable evening with everyone in the club shouting for more Rick and Jodie brought the evening to a close with Toby Keith’s Get My Drink On. Pure Country will be back at the Country Revival on 31st August.
These days, Rick and Jodie still occasionally perform as Pure Country but until covid they were concentrating on the Johnny Cash Revisited theatre show singing the music of Johnny Cash and June Carter. The show came back once live music returned to theatres but Rick now does the show solo to allow Jodie an opportunity to build her career as a singer / songwriter although she told me she still really enjoys singing June Carter. I had a chance to see Jodie performing at an intimate songwriters show in August 2025 in which she sung several of her own songs including The Colour In You which is the title song to her forthcoming self penned album which should be released in late 2025.
See my phone video of Pure Country with Hayley Oliver below.
RBL, Arborfield, Berkshire
Memphis Roots
by Nick Catford
24th July 2025
Memphis Roots is one of the best remembered bands from the 1990s and one of the few 90s bands that is still going today; albeit with a 17 year break! They were formed in 1987 by drummer Jon Keys, the other members, at that time, being Lee J Hodgson, Frankie Boswell and Barry Westbrook. Barry left within a few months to form Mean Business and his place as lead singer was taken by Ed Pearson following the demise of his own Porridge Band. Clive Grant joined the band as bass player in 1991. For seven years, they played at every major UK and European festival including Wembley Arena, The Royal Albert Hall and Notts Americana. They also backed touring American artistes like Pinto Bennett and John Permenter and shared the bill with Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris. Ed stayed with Memphis Roots until 1998 by which time he was becoming disillusioned with the club scene. The band carried on as a trio with the lineup we still have today until 2001 when Lee wanted to concentrate on guitar teaching. There was a reunion at Pontins, Pakefield in October 2018 and the band have stayed together and are sounding as good as ever. Although their former lead singer Ed Pearson passed away in 2011 they are all good singers and shared lead vocals throughout the evening.
Memphis Roots always stick to classic Country which suits me down to the ground and everyone at the club as well. They kicked the evening off with George Strait’s I Just Want To Dance With You with another George Strait favourite Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind following later in the set. Second song was Vince Gill’s Liza Jane followed by another from Vince Gill, What The Cowgirls Do. There were also two early on from Merle Haggard as, Today I Started Loving You Again and Silver Wings which, naturally, got almost everyone onto the dance floor.
A few other songs from the first set included George Jones’ Billy B. Bad, Garth Brooks’ If Tomorrow Never Comes, Patty Loveless’ Mr. Man In The Moon and Bob Wills’ Bring It On Down To My House a great swinger from 1937 from the King of Western Swing. Lee, Jon and Clive were quick to create a good rapport with their audience with lots of humorous banter between them through the evening.
The second set opened with The Fireman, another from George Strait followed by T-Bone Walker’s T. Bone Shuffle another really old song which took us back to 1948. John Prine’s Same Thing Happened To Me followed then we heard Eddie Rabbitt’s Drivin’ My Life Away which included a great guitar solo from Lee J Hodgson. Lee is one of our best Country guitarists and a renowned guitar teacher who started teaching at London’s Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in 1990. A highlight in the later part of his career was playing at The Royal Albert Hall in May 2019 with the British Police Symphony Orchestra. Tonight with three guitars at his disposal there were some great guitar solos and some intricate picking on many songs such as The Lennerockers’ All Week Long (7 Nights To Rock). As much as I like good singers and I know we have plenty on them in British Country, I really believe the instrumental side of an act is equally important and it’s always much better to hear talented musicians rather than the same mundane backing tracks. With Memphis Roots we had that in abundance. A few more that stood out in the second set included Kris Kristofferson’s Help Me Make It Through The Night, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s The Bug, Waylon Jennings’ Good Hearted Woman another George Strait song The Cowboy Rides Away with J.J Cale’s Call Me The Breeze finishing the set.
Set 3 brought more classic country, opening with Hank Williams’ Jamlaya followed by Jim Reeves’ Love You Because. A couple of songs that stood out for me included Confederate Railroad’s Trashy Women (You really can’t get enough Confederate Railroad) and Michael Martin Murphey’s Land Of Enchantment, a song that Ed Pearson used to sing but is now sung by Lee. With Alan Jackson’s Summertime Blues, Mel McDaniel’s Louisiana Saturday Night and Garth Brooks’ Friends in Low Places it seemed difficult to believe that Memphis Roots had been off the scene for 17 years after 2001. It was like a journey back to the 90s when most clubs used to book bands and solos were rarely seen. The trio took us out with John Michael Montgomery’s I Swear, The Mavericks’ Dance The Night Away and Don Williams’ You’re My Best Friend.
It was good to see Ian Highland in the club tonight. This is the first time I have visited the RBL Arborfield since before covid and its good to see the club is still doing well under new management and a new name following the sad passing of Roly Wilkins in 2022. It’s now in the capable hands of Les and Chris Whiting who will continue the practice of booking bands whenever possible. I wasn’t able to make their next dance with Rockin’ The Joint on 14th August but Les told me the club was packed. Memphis Roots are still doing the business in fine style and will be back at Arborfield next year.
See my phone video of Memphis Roots below.
Hickory Lake CMC, Feering, Essex
Rob Childs
by Wendy Haylock
27th July 2025
It was great to have Rob Childs back at Hickory Lake on 27th July, he did a good mixture of songs and what an excellent guitarist he is, it was really nice to hear the mandolin being played on a couple of songs. Rob did several requests keeping the dance floor busy all evening with line-dancers and freestylers alike, at one point Izzy his partner went up on stage to sing a duet with Rob which was a nice surprise, you did great Izzy well done, and good to see you again. We thank you Rob for giving us a fantastic evening of entertainment, and see you again soon.
It was sad at the start of the evening for Dave to have to announce the passing of dear Heather last Monday, Alan’s partner, our thoughts are with Alan and all Heather’s family at this sad time.
We had one first timer at the club which was Larry, it was nice to meet you and hope you enjoyed your evening with us and come back to see us again soon.
We had one Birthday which was Alyson’s, Rob sang Happy Birthday to her and we all wished her well and thank you for the cakes that were bought round to celebrate. The raffle this week was taken care of by Dave and Sylve, thank you Sylve for taking part you did a grand job, and we thank all who added prizes to the raffle table it’s much appreciated. Grateful thanks to all our brilliant team of Hickory Lake helpers who all do a marvellous job from the start of the evening until the end, and we thank Sandra and Val for looking after the canteen in the first break, in the absence of Jane and Pru.
We thank all our supporters we always appreciate your continued support of your club and it’s always good to see you all.
Love to you all Wendy. xx
Hickory Lake CMC, Feering, Essex
Roots & Wings
by Wendy Haylock
20th July 2025
What a superb performance by Roots & Wings, Kelly and Michael gave us at Hickory Lake on 20th July. They did a lovely mixture of songs and also did several requests keeping the dance floor busy all evening with line-dancers and freestylers alike. Kelly has a great voice for Country Music and interacted with her audience so well with her lovely personality, we thank you Kelly and Michael for a fantastic evening and we hope to see you again soon.
We had three Birthdays this week, Steve’s was on 22nd and Phil & Kevin’s are on Thursday 24th. Kelly sang Happy Birthday to them and we all wished them well, We thank you for the lovely chocolates and cakes that were bought round to celebrate.
Grateful thanks to Sid for upgrading the stage lights, now no part of the stage is in the shadows!. Great job Sid. Roger and Sylve looked after the raffle this week and we thank you both for taking part you both did a grand job, and we thank all who added prizes to the raffle table it’s much appreciated.
As always all our grateful thanks to all our brilliant team of Hickory Lake helpers, what a great job you all do, and we appreciate everyone’s help from the start of the evening until the end. We truly thank all our supporters who come along and support their club, its all of you that makes Hickory Lake what it is and your support is much appreciated.
Love to you all. Wendy xx
Silver Churn CMC, Dartington, near Totnes, Devon
Brian Mann
Phil Jenkins
12th July 2025
There was a really brilliant atmosphere tonight, with a full house, finishing the evening off with a real rave up, after dancing the night away to the great sound of Brian Mann.
It’s always a pleasure to catch up with Brian and Elaine, a really friendly couple,with Brian having a vast knowledge of Country music, playing many requests, keeping us on our feet all evening.
Starting off with several Don Williams’ numbers, some such as I’m Just A Country Boy, we don’t hear much of these days, plenty of George Strait and Merle Haggard, including, Shelly’s Winter Love, music also from Hank Williams, Charely Pride, The Mavericks, Dave Sheriff, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson and Jonny Cash.
Thanks to Pam, Bill and Bev for the homemade refreshments, all woofed down in no time.
Hickory Lake CMC, Feering, Essex
Carolann B and below with Dave & Wendy Haylock
by Nick Catford
13th July 2025
One of Carolann B’s biggest assets is her sheer love of Country music that comes shining through each time I see her. She was brought up on Country music and her knowledge of the Country scene allows her to pick songs that cater for those that want to just listen to the music and those that want to dance. Tonight she included a good selection of mainly traditional Country that kept everyone happy. Known as ‘Yorkshire’s Very Own First Lady Of Country’, Carolann made her first visit to the Hickory Lake last year.
It was good to see the club so full on a hot night as Carolann opened her first set with Brooks & Dunn’s Whiskey Under the Bridge. She has a powerful voice and a friendly personality with a good sense of humour and she had little difficulty making friends with her enthusiastic audience. There were plenty of Hal Ketchum songs tonight which is no bad thing, these included Small Town Saturday Night and a few songs later Past The Point Of Rescue.
One thing that impressed me during the evening was the sound quality which was in the capable hand of Carolann’s husband Jerry, her sound engineer. With some artists I struggle to hear all the words and vocals can often appear very ‘muddy’. Carolann was crystal clear which, for me, always adds to the enjoyment of a performance. A few more songs that stood out in the first set included Mark Chesnutt’s beautiful Old Country, a song I haven’t heard in years. Then we had John Prine’s Same Thing Happened to Me, Don Williams’ Lord I Hope This Day Is Good and Midland’s Runnin’ Wild with Marty Stuart’s Tempted finishing the first set.
Early on, Carolann asked for requests and got plenty of them and I think she was able to get them all in. She quickly proved herself a good story teller as she is very chatty as she went through her programme of familiar Country favourites mixed with a few lesser known songs like Kenny Chesney’s Key’s In The Conch Shell which was one of my picks of the evening. There was more Hal Ketchum with Old Soldiers then George Strait’s Stars on the Water, Alan Jackson’s Strong Enough and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, which has got to be his biggest song.
On a hot night it’s always slow songs that fill the dance floor and Dr. Hook’s A Little Bit More is a good bum grabber that did the business very nicely. Darius Rucker’s Wagon Wheel has been around a long time but I still like the song even if others think it’s ‘old hat’. Tracy Byrd’s You Lied To Me, Drake Milligan’s Don’t Look Down and William Michael Morgan’s Missing brought the second set to a close.
With a change of top for each set something that was once common but these days seems to have fallen by the wayside Carolann B is, in my view, a classy lady who got everything right tonight and guaranteed herself a return booking to this friendly Essex club next year.
Ricky Skaggs’ Crying My Heart Out Over You meant it was time for a barn dance. With almost everyone in the club on the floor this was followed by another barn dance to Johnny Tillotson’s Send Me The Pillow You Dream On. A few more songs that stood out for me in the third set included Collin Raye’s Little Rock, Ronnie McDowell’s Smokey Places, Eddy Arnold’s You Don’t Know Me, one of my all time favourite Country songs. Nanci Griffith’s Speed of the Sound of Loneliness, Waylon Jennings’ Stop The World and Rodney Crowell’s Lovin’ All Night brought a very enjoyable evening of Country music and dance to a close. The applause and cheering was well deserved and prolonged.
In 2026 Hickory Lake CMC will start running fortnightly rather than weekly maintaining the same high standard of acts that have always been booked at the club. The club was opened by the late Vic Woodhouse on 2nd September 2012 with Nashville Numbers as the opening band. When Vic became unwell Dave and Wendy Haylock started helping with the club and eventually took it over full time in 2016. They also ran the Silver Wings CMC in Braintree which later moved to Great Leighs. It’s a very well club thanks to a good team of helpers and every week there are more raffle prizes than any of the other clubs I go to regularly.
The club is not suffering from declining numbers as tonight’s attendance proved but Dave and Wendy now find that running the club weekly is a huge commitment and they feel they now need a break from the nonstop work on a Sunday which often runs into the early hours of Monday morning. They still love the club but feel it will be easier for them running fortnightly.
See my phone video of Carolann B at Hickory Lake below.
Wraysbury CMC, Wraysbury, Staines, Berkshire
Blue Horizon
by Nick Catford
4th July 2025
Having seen Blue Horizon a number of times over the last few years, most recently at last year’s CCN awards show in Southport, I knew we were in for a Country music masterclass at the Wraysbury CMC on 4th July and I don’t think anyone went home disappointed. Traditional Country music, a great lady singer, Christine Ringer is one of the best in the business and great instrumentation from Dave Harris what more could you ask for?
Christine and Dave have been playing together since 1982 when Dave joined Keywest, a band formed by Christine and her husband Chris Ringer the previous year. Keywest disbanded in 1992 but four years later, Christine and Dave teamed up again to form Blue Horizon and they have been on the road ever since. One of the highlights of their career was when legendry US pedal steel guitarist Buddy Emmons joined them on stage at one of their London concerts,
With a good crowd in on a hot night, the trio opened proceeds with Loretta Lynn’s You Wanna Give Me a Lift, Ray Price’s Crazy Arms, Merle Haggard’s Branded Man and the first of a number of Hal Ketchum songs that we heard through the evening; Old Soldiers – this has to be one of my favourites by Hal. After Brooks & Dunn’s My Next Broken Heart we heard John Lincoln Wright’s Please Pull Away From Me from me which is a track from their current Slow Time album.
I always like to hear instrumental tracks and Dave gave us a couple tonight the first of which was Hummingbyrd which was Marty Stuart’s tribute to the Byrds guitarist Clarence White. Marty Stuart now owns his B-Bender Telecaster guitar. The applause was loud and well deserved. Dave is an excellent musician with a selection of instruments tonight, two electric guitars, an acoustic guitar, mandolin and lap steel.
One American singer who I have always liked is Heather Myles. I remember seeing her when she first came to the UK in 1992 (you’ll find a couple of my videos from that tour on You Tube). I was pleased to see Christine singing one of her original songs Who Did You Call Darlin’. We certainly don’t hear enough Heather Myles these days, possibly because there aren’t that many female singers on the club circuit!
Christine is very chatty and she had little problem creating an excellent rapport with the audience as the trio went through there programme which included a lot of girls’ songs, many of them rarely heard these days. As the evening progressed we heard The Judds’ Grandpa followed by one of my all time favourite Country songs Nanci Griffith’s Lone Star State of Mind which included a good guitar solo from Dave
There were plenty more girls’ songs and a few more that stood out for me included Kitty Wells’ It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels which was her answer to Hank Thompson’s Wild Side Of Life. This was followed by the Forester Sisters’ I Fell In Love Again Last Night a song I haven’t heard for 30 years and then Danni Leigh’s Ol’ Lonesome. Danny is an American Country singer who dueted with Christine during one of her UK tours back in the 1990s.
After Rosanne Cash’s Seven Year Itch it was time for another Hal Ketchum song, Softer Than a Whisper. Hal Ketchum is another American artist I saw in 1992 when he first came to the UK. A very intimate concert, he was so close I could have grabbed him. I’ve been a big fan ever since. It was a big shock to learn he died of complications from dementia in 2020. Towards the end of the second set Dave gave us another instrumental, this time on the mandolin, a bluegrass medley of Salt Creek and Sugarfoot Rag.
Set three opened with Mary Chapin Carpenter’s I Feel Lucky followed by George Jones’ You’re Still On My Mind, then Midland’s Drinkin’ Problem. Released in 2017 this was probably the most recent song of the evening. A few more that stood out towards the end of the set included Hal Ketchum’s Past The Point Of Rescue, Brooks & Dunn’s Neon Moon, Hank Williams’ Half As Much, Hank Locklin’ Please Help Me, I’m Falling and Mary Chapin Carpenter’s Down At The Twist And Shout.
At the end of an evening of classic Country, Christine, Dave and Mark took us out with Dwight Yoakam’s Fast As You which brought loud and enthusiastic applause and cheering from the knowledgeable crowd at Wraysbury. Colin (the boss man) said they will be back year and I for one can’t wait it really was a superb evening.
See my phone video of Blue Horizon below.
Hickory Lake CMC, Feering, Essex
Cliff Weston
by Wendy Haylock
6th July 2025
It was great to have Cliff Weston back at Hickory Lake on 6th July, what an excellent guitarist he is, he gave us an enjoyable evening doing several requests and keeping the dance floor busy all evening, he also played a dobro (resonator) what a lovely sound these instruments make, thank you Cliff for your excellent performance, and hope to see you again soon.
Before we actually started the evening of entertainment, Jim’s sister Rose was very brave in explaining to everyone Jim’s condition after his road traffic accident on Thursday, Jim and the family are in our thoughts at the moment.
We had one birthday which was Vic’s sister Irene, it was lovely to see her Karen and Clark visit Hickory Lake again, and Cliff sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to her and we all wished her well, come back again soon Irene to see us all. We also had Val’s return back after her recent operation, you’re looking good Val and it’s lovely to have you back. We also had a visit from Ryan and Susan from South Africa, Caths relation’s, it was really great to see you again, your both looking good. It was also nice to have a visit from Brian, who we haven’t seen for a long time and use to come to our old club, we hope to see you again soon.
The raffle this week was taken care of by Roger and Sylve, we thank you both for taking part you both did a grand job…and we thank all who added prizes to the raffle table it’s much appreciated. We sincerely thank all our brilliant team of Hickory Lake helpers, we couldn’t manage without you all, and you do a fantastic job in all that you each do. It was our 57th Wedding Anniversary yesterday and Bev (thank you Bev!!) told Cliff after us keeping it quiet all evening! He sang Happy Anniversary song for us to finish the evening off, it was lovely thank you. Our grateful thanks to all our supporters, we appreciate the support you give to your club
Love to you all. Wendy xx