Bedworth Folk Club on Wednesday 10th June 2026 was amazing and such a wonderful way to end such a fulfilling chapter of my life.
I have known Malc and Gill for most of my life and they have been more than supportive over the decades, booking me for both Bedworth Folk Club and Bedworth Folk Festival.
Other dear friends came along, and Karen and Colin Jones were there as support act, to take up the mantle for the future.
I learned traditional songs from my Grandmother and never stopped researching and learning songs of every genre.
When we began the revival in the ‘60s and ‘70s there were over 600 folk clubs in the UK booking artists on a weekly or fortnightly basis – that’s on average 40 “Artist” nights with singers nights in between. 24,000 opportunities for young Professionals like myself to make a living, and I had 4 glorious years as “Miriam Backhouse” from 1973 to 1977.
From 1977 to 2000 we raised our family on making music in South Africa. Then ‘empty nest’ drove me back to my roots with the first UK mini tour in 2004.
I was privileged to be given the title “First Lady of Folk” by the Mayor of Cambridge and other folk venue organisers all those years ago, and I have tried my best to maintain that standard of performance.
Others will continue to spread the songs and music that we know and love, and become the Tradition Bearers of their generations.
At times the sadness that more clubs and festivals did not have space to book me so that I could have reached more people with the music that I love is overwhelming, but that is just the way it is and I shall bow out gracefully at the end of this tour.
The Universe has been sending me a message over the last few years, with Folk Club bookings getting less and less. I started my ‘come back’ at the turn of the Century with about 16 bookings every Summer Tour and this year it is down to 4……. 2 in England, and 2 in Scotland.
Nowadays, there are about 150 ‘booking clubs’ and they are only booking 10 times a year – once a month except August and December holidays. That is only 1,500 annual opportunities – a very small pond for the amount of wonderful performers out there. I have been grateful to even get the few bookings that I do!!
To all the folks who have supported me over these 6 decades, from the booking agents to the wonderful people in the audiences, I say a huge thank you. I love you, and all the marvellous musical memories, and I will hold your love in my heart forever.
The pressure of keeping up my vocal exercises and finger end corns at performance level will go.
Make no mistake, I love singing and playing, but as I get older and the bookings get fewer, it has become harder to maintain that high standard.
I played a concerting England on August 30th last year (2025) and joyfully kept up the good work until May 19th this year. That’s 9 months without a Folk Club audience to share my songs with.
I shall never stop singing and playing, even if just to the monkeys and the cows, and other types of venues have opened up.
The folk music of the land of my birth is in my veins and I will always carry it with me.
I have written many songs from my heart and hope to continue to do so. I may even do more recordings of my favourites.
For the future years, I have a few more bookings at Folk Clubs in Scotland, and a couple of English Parties planned – including Bedworth Folk Club, Banbury Folk Club, and another in Den Haag – for my 80th Birthday year – 2028 !!
To all my wonderful friends in the English Folk Music World, it has been an amazing journey to share with you, and I have loved every minute.
If you would like to listen to some of my music, here is the link to my YouTube channel.
Yes, I am gathering my memoirs!
