Re: 鈥淎 century of history, up in smoke,鈥� May 12.
Thanks for the Islander article about the past history of the Plaza Hotel, but it did not detail the folk clubs that used to flourish there.
During the mid- and late 1960s, a basement space in the Plaza (then the Century Inn) was the venue for a series of three folk-music coffeehouses that were the booming centre of folk-music activity in Victoria. Those venues were accessed by a door off Government Street, and then down a flight of stairs.
It all started with the Secret, a coffeehouse with an ongoing play called The Drunkard, which ran for many months. After the Secret closed down, the venue was taken over by Jon York, a folksinger from 91原创, who named it Jon York鈥檚 Music Hall. When York moved back to 91原创, the lease was taken over by Gipp Forster (later champion of the Mustard Seed) and was renamed Gipper鈥檚 Underground.
These operated as typical 1960s coffeehouses, with an open stage for local performers, as well as a series of featured acts coming though including local people such as Ann Mortif茅e and travelling acts such as Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. Local acts got a start there, including myself.
It was a potent place to meet other musicians, learn new songs and keep up with what was happening in other places in that new and exciting 鈥渇olk music revival.鈥� It is sad indeed that it is gone, and that when I drive down Government Street I will no longer be able to see that little door, but I won鈥檛 forget those good times.
Denis Donnelly
Brentwood Bay
