A brief history of Freds Folks

The name Freds Folks first appeared on the hoardings in 1961, when this Nottingham band played on the weekly BBC radio programme "The Dancing English". The first programmes were on "The Third Programme" (Radio 3), but later we were moved to the "Home Service" (Radio 4). Since then the group has developed through a number of phases.

At first, the leader was the renowned Irish fiddler Kevin Briggs (died November 2019), with Eric Foxley on the accordion and Kath Woods on the drums. Additional members for early broadcasts included Stuart Woodhouse (bass), Sam Brown (guitar) and David Renouf (piano). In those days, folk bands were thin on the ground, and our regular stomping ground stretched from Bingley down to Worcester and across to Skegness. One week we travelled to all three. And we were required to wear evening dress for Playford Balls at York and elsewhere! The band membership has changed greatly over the years, and Eric is the only member who has been with them for the whole fifty-several years. Nowadays we try to work closer to our base in Nottingham, but make an exception for gigs for friends around the country, and French tours (just for the Breton cider) and regular gigs near Frankfurt, Germany.