Tofts

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Tofts was originally a Dance Studio & Youth Club operated by Harold and Doris Toft next to the old Pleasure Gardens Theatre on Bouverie Road West. The building was pulled down to make way for the Orion Insurance building in the early 1960's. the club was later called theTofts Jazz Club and had over 6000 members.

Resident bands

1962/3

Pat Barry &The Travellers
The Sundowners
The Lonely Ones
The Playboys

The club moved to Grace Hill and as well as being the first Disco in Town, it also became probably one of the best music club venues that Fokestone - No, Kent, ever had.

The Opening gig featured Georgie Fame.

When Harold and Doris retired the building became a Disco called The Toby Bar which gradually faded into oblivion and is now the base for a building company.

Around 9 years after the sale of Tofts to Bass Charrington, sadly, Doris died.

2009 In an interview with Harold he said was 87 living in Surrey and enjoying rounds of golf. (Harold the gentleman as ever, was polite about those he played against.) He is is fit as a fiddle and spoke like a young man with much enthusiasm about the days of Tofts, the bands and Folkestone, he wanted us to thank the club members for their respectful behaviour over the years that led to the good reputation of the club. When Tofts closed there were over 10,000 registered members. Membership cost 1/- (one shilling- 5p) The reason to operate as a club was to allow gigs on Sundays.
Harold does keep in touch with some local musicians and Jeff K.. who worked with him for many years.

Tofts in the 60's was a challenge to play as there was a very small stage (more like a platform for drums) with a low ceiling, rumour was that Long John Baldry put his head through it. Harold Toft says it is not true.
P.A. speakers had to be placed on shelves down the side walls. No alcohol was served and the bouncers were tough and quick to deal with any disturbances whic were very rare. The police and community we alway impressed with the reasonable behaviour of the attendees.

The atmosphere was electric, all of the top bands wanted to play the venue. There was an Ultra Violet light above the dance floor which Illuminated the girls' underwear (and dandruff) whilst they danced around their handbags.

The best gig ever, at Tofts

Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band
Geno once appeared with a heavily bandaged had due to the fact he has caught his finger in the ceiling of a venue the night before

Chris Ashman 1968/9

We (the End) supported Geno (and many others) at Tofts as we were the resident band for some time (can't remember the year) but after the gig Geno and loads of us went back to a house in Hill Road to party (possibly Spud Taylor's - bass with the End). I remember sleeping on the floor with some girl along with loads of others, Geno as well. Spud will most probably recall it better than I can.

Rod Jones

Canned Heat
Canned Heat toured the UK on I suppose what you would call an exchange deal with the USA who took in John Mayall. A part of the deal was that they also swapped road managers/engineers. On the occasion that Canned Heat came to Tofts, they turned up with an enormous truck and were upset that the stage was so small. John Mayall's engineer calmed the band saying the accoustics were superb and he would reduce the equipment required to do a great show, which it was.

Four Tops
Space was sometimes a problem - as a part of the contract for the Four Tops tour there was a need for an extetion to the stage. On the night, the Four Tops arrived too late to perform due to an earlier Independence Day gig at the American Embassy where they wouldn't let the band leave. As usual, Tofts had a policy that if a band "no showed" the audience were given a ticket for the next show or retun. In this case the Four Tops manged to squeeze in Tofts to complete the contract at the end of the tour.

Derek and the Dominos
were awful, this was during Clapton's drugs and booze binge time - left very early to go see Ten Years After at the Leas. They were excellent, having stood in for Jethro Tull at short notice.

Nick Ashman

During 1966 - 67 - the Wilde Flowers

28.1.1967 - The Who

Tofts policy was to give good value to their members. In the case of this historic visit, Harold and Doris subsided the gig to the tune of £500.00 That was a lot of money when the average wage was around £10 a week and gig ticket 3/- to 15/-

Incidentally a ticket for this gig recently sold at auction for £300 to an Australian who bidded by telephone. )

18 Feb 1967 - Cream

19th January 1968 - Freddy Mack Show.
I still remember sitting on the kerb outside Tofts after one concert talking to Freddie. I also remember that his 2 tone Jaguar car being parked next to us.

I still have a copy of the album recorded at Tofts, it is signed by Freddy Mack and dated 19th January 1968

Graham Wright

Note... Reputedly recorded live at Tofts.. Harold Toft says if it was it was without his knowledge. Prince Buster was the the only artist to officially record a live album at Tofts.

Chris Ashman

14 September 1968 - Alvin Lee & Ten Years After

Who can remember Mod band Dave Amboy & the Amboy Dukes - 1968? Loads of the mods on the stage singing into Dave Amboy's microphone..ha!!

What about the Edgar Broughton Band Tofts gig around 1969/70'ish ....great days indeed !!

Dave Sheather

Guess this is a mater of taste, but Fleetwood Mac for me (1969)
Black Sabbath were pretty good. We tried to persuade them to come up to Bluie's Playgound (formarly the Beehive) with us after the show, but they wouldn't believe that there was an all night club in Canterbury. Nice guys though.

Molly

.Ambrose Sladewere appearing there on 9th August 1969.Melody Maker for August 1969 ..it included an advert for Tofts of Folkestone.

Chris Selby