ValuerJim 277 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 I was idly listening to a programme on Radio 4 yesterday about Annie Briggs, and it rang a distant bell. She was born somewhere locally, used to swim in the Erewash as a child, and became a folk singer of the finger in the ear type. She mentioned playing with a duo at a club called Bohemia? in Nottingham, and now lives up in the wilds of Scotland. I seem to remember having seen her once or twice. It was a very interesting half hour listen. Does anyone remember her? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,465 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 I'd heard of her as a folk singer but never realised she was born locally; I assumed she came from the Outer Hebrides or somewhere like that. Turns out she's possibly the only slightly famous person to come from Toton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Briggs Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ValuerJim 277 Posted September 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 Thanks, Cliff, but a bit hard on Toton! How about the Bohemia club? I can't recall that at all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,465 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 I don't remember it but I'm sure I've seen it mentioned on here (although a Search didn't produce as many results as I expected). Before long someone will come and tell us where it was. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chulla 4,946 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 If it was a Nottingham club then Hippo Girl is sure to have known it. Maybe she was Hippy Girl in them days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hippo girl 1,995 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 Before my time ........ 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,465 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 With a slight adjustment in spelling, could it have been the Bohemian ? In which case you get a lot of results. https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/10503-the-bohemian-coffee-bar-fletcher-gate/ 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ValuerJim 277 Posted September 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 Thanks for that Cliff. I see that Annie Briggs gets a mention, along with the duo she sang with. I don't recognise the Bo club, but the era is right - 1963/67 - so I guess I must have seen her somewhere else. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 The Bohemian was above a pub at the top of Pelham St and Hockley. Someone will come up with its name. In fact it definitely has been mentioned on several topics. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Carol Dickens 3 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 The Bohemian Coffee Bar, Fletcher Gate The Bohemian was slightly before my time but Spike Woods has posted about it on this site. I only vaguely knew Anne Briggs... I particularly remember her from a higgle at Blackmires Farm in Northants. She has a truly wonderful voice and took no shit! Someone told me once she used to live in Lenton Abbey, but she had left a good while before I met her. She lives in Scotland now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 The pub was the Three Tuns I believe. I also heard that a few years ago, she used to sing in the pubs of Beeston, but I've never seen her, as I left the area years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,465 Posted September 7, 2016 Report Share Posted September 7, 2016 The Bohemian is explained (including a photo) in the link in #7. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,729 Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 Anne Briggs has a lovely voice and what I suppose you might describe ( in a nice way) as a 'primitive' singing style. She was also gorgeous and is still beautiful in more recent photos I've seen. I never saw her at the time and the closest I got was probably seeing her contemporaries Bert and John with Pentangle at the Albert Hall around 1967. She was getting known maybe 4-5 years before I was old enough to get really involved in live music, clubs etc. She made a couple of albums and an EP all of which are now very sought after. She moved on from the somewhat 'folk fascist' approach of Ewan McColl, to work with legends such as Bert Jansch and John Renbourn. From what I read on the sleeve notes of the one CD compilation I have, she also had some sort of abusive relationship, which may have damaged her career. (Can't remember the detail and can't put my hands on the CD so please don't quote me on this) My favourite two songs by Annie: If I recall correctly that is the late Bert Jansch accompanying on guitar. Col 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dark Angel 138 Posted October 11, 2022 Report Share Posted October 11, 2022 Here’s another, it could be argued she was slightly ahead of her time, but she inspired many others who probably received more attention. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,729 Posted October 13, 2022 Report Share Posted October 13, 2022 Anne moved to a remote Scottish island and pretty much withdrew from music for many years. She is still with us and there is a decent Wikipedia article about her. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,683 Posted October 18, 2022 Report Share Posted October 18, 2022 This is another version of She Moved Thro' The Fair by Gloria Furey that I have on a budget compilation CD of Irish folk songs . The use of the drones in the background make this a particularly haunting version . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dark Angel 138 Posted November 6, 2022 Report Share Posted November 6, 2022 Give this thread another nudge! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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