Voting is now open as we decide on the recipient of the inaugural Cliff Woolley Memorial Award.
All of our support artists from September 2021 to July 2022 are automatically entered into the award, with the winner awarded a small bursary for them to spend on the advancement of their music career, as well as the headline slot at the Cliff Woolley Memorial Concert, where they will be joined on the bill by Bristol Morris Men and The Magnificent AKs… two groups with whom Cliff loved to dance and sing. This concert will take place on Friday 20th January 2023 at Christ Church Downend, and tickets will go on-sale along with the rest of the Spring programme in mid-October.
Voting is open to anyone, and there are many different ways to vote. The best way is to record your response in our Downend Folk Club Chat group on Facebook. Anyone can join and vote. If you’re not on Facebook, you can contact us via any of the usual channels, including emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Voting closes at 9pm on Sunday 7th August 2022, after which the DFC organisers and Cliff’s wife Gaynor will make the final decision. The public vote will very much be taken into consideration but please note that it is not the only deciding factor.
The award has been created to honour the memory of our dear friend Cliff Woolley, who sadly passed away last Summer. Cliff was a long-serving member of our committee, membership co-ordinator, bar volunteer and much, much more.
Cliff was a passionate music lover and could most often be found, with his wife Gaynor, at many concerts around Bristol and beyond, at loads of festivals. And if he wasn't singing, dancing or listening to music, he was usually talking about it (or about his other passion, Aston Villa FC (hence the colour scheme!). His musical tastes were very diverse; from Jethro Tull and Neil Young through to Jackie Oates and Martin Carthy.
He remains sadly missed, but we’re thrilled to be able to do something to reflect Cliff's passionate support of emerging talent on the folk scene.