Brian Lawton captured musical memories that have since become significant moments in Huddersfield’s musical history.
The postman from Fartown was ready with his camera and amiable smile to meet and greet musicians as they toured to Huddersfield and surrounding towns in the 1960s and 70s.
The remarkable collection of amateur photographs that resulted from his varied musical interests came to the attention of Holmfirth Film Festival that has received an award from the Heritage Lottery Fund and volunteers are working to share more widely his images of well-known performers.
As co-founder of the Holmfirth Folk Festival Brian Lawton’s interest in the local folk scene widened to include dancing and many of his later colour photographs identify the spectacle of local and visiting dance troupes in Holmfirth.
The project Folk Memories: sharing music heritage through word and image has been particularly interested in Brian’s documentation of folk music and performance traditions and has worked closely with members of different folk clubs and individuals to identify many photographs that were still unlabelled when Brian died in 2006.
Eight months into the project, an eclectic variety of musical activities have emerged from wide-ranging interviews, stories and memories contributed by people who have made contact from as far away as Australia. A clearer picture of Brian Lawton, the man with the camera reportedly who was on first name times with everyone, including many show biz stars, has emerged from gathering stories and memories, and hundreds of previously unseen photographs are being newly digitised and made available via the project’s website (http://brianlawtonproject.org.uk/) and different events.
Dr Heather Norris Nicholson, the project’s co-ordinator and researcher says: “What also becomes clear is Huddersfield’s important role on northern musical tours and how Brian Lawton, despite no formal background in either music or photography, was central to this story.
“Visits by The Beatles, The Shadows, The Animals, The Rolling Stones and solo singers including Dusty Springfield are perhaps some of the most recognisable photographs taken by Brian Lawton. But away from the cinema venues for visiting bands, a rather different musical scene was taking shape.”
In the early 1960s, a few enthusiastic students from Oastler College and Holly Bank College - the forerunners to Huddersfield Polytechnic and since 1992, the University of Huddersfield - decided to set up a folk club.
This soon moved into the White Lion Pub on Cross Church Street where there was already a regular clientele including those with musical interests in Britain’s emerging folk revival. Another relocation brought the folk sessions to The Builders Exchange Club, then largely a private drinking club, frequented by publicans out of hours. The folk spot on Wednesday evenings rapidly developed into a vibrant venue with space for locals and visiting musicians that helped to put Huddersfield onto the national folk music scene.
Brian Lawton was soon there with his camera, and later involved with the running of the club for many years.
Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger reportedly received the highest fee paid by the club but noteworthy among the regulars of the 1960s was New Orleans born “Champion” Jack Dupree, then living in Ovenden, Halifax who was perhaps one of the most important and talented performers ever to play ever at the club. Certainly he was once of the most supportive and, despite his impressive international credentials within Blues music, would join in on the piano with whoever turned up. Brian Lawton’s photographs of American Blues musicians visiting venues in Huddersfield and surrounding area acknowledge another whole strand within the locality’s rich appreciation of diverse musical traditions.
Renamed ‘The Singing Jenny Folk Club’ Brian Lawton’s involvement continued at the Builders’ Club for years and the newly re-launched Northern Quarter is a fitting venue for a celebration of Brian Lawton’s legacy on Saturday, May 5.
Dr Stephen Dorril, recently retired Head of Music Journalism at the University of Huddersfield will lead a walking tour of little known town centre sites associated with 1960s and 70s musical history that will be followed at the Northern Quarter by performances from Emily Druce and Steve Jones, well-known for their distinctive style influenced by blues, country and gospels sounds.
The Ribble Beck Band, familiar players at ceilidhs in and around the Holme Valley will contribute a mix of traditional sounds from their repertoire of English, Irish, Scottish and French tunes too . Newly scanned photographs from Brain Lawton’s collection will be on display.
On Sunday, May 13 there will be another opportunity to see a wide range of newly digitised photographs and memorabilia from the Brian Lawton Collection at the Picturedrome in Holmfirth from 11am to 3pm as part of Holmfirth Festival of Folk. Free entry.
The folk music project finishes in June but the project team hope that people will continue to visit and add to the website long into the future. They would like also to explore other strands of local musical and show business history that have emerged from Brian’s photographic collection.
If you have stories and memorabilia to share please contact Heather at h.nicholson@hud.ac.uk or 01484 854772.
For further details please see the Brian Lawton Legacy website at http://brianlawtonproject.org.uk
