Run by Harold and Doris Toft and located at 35-39 Grace Hill in Folkestone, Kent, Toft’s was a major music venue on the English south coast during the 1960s.
I’ve started to list gigs below and would welcome any additions and memories in the comments section below.
7 May 1966 (Saturday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
14 May 1966 (Saturday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
21 May 1966 (Saturday) – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
27 May 1966 (Friday) – The Playboys (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
28 May 1966 (Saturday) – Tony Knight’s Chessmen (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
29 May 1966 (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
30 May 1966 (Monday) – The Playboys (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
4 June 1966 (Saturday) – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
5 June 1966 (Sunday) – The Gass (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
11 June 1966 (Saturday) – The Alan Price Set (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
12 June 1966 (Sunday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-timers (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
18 June 1966 (Saturday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
19 June 1966 (Sunday) – Ralph Denyer’s Rockhouse Band (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
25 June 1966 (Saturday) – Sounds Incorporated (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
26 June 1966 (Sunday) – The Amboy Dukes (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
2 July 1966 (Saturday) – The Nashville Teens (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
3 July 1966 (Sunday) – Roy C with The League of Gentlemen (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
9 July 1966 (Saturday) – The Shotgun Express (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
10 July 1966 (Sunday) – Rufus Thomas & Bluesology (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
16 July 1966 (Saturday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
17 July 1966 (Sunday) – Tony Rivers & The Castaways (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
22 July 1966 (Friday) – The Thornton Group and The End (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald) The End may not be the Surrey band that worked with Bill Wyman but a local group instead
23 July 1966 (Saturday) – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
24 July 1966 (Sunday) – The In Crowd (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
27 July 1966 (Wednesday) – The Thornton Group and The End (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald) The End may not be the Surrey band that worked with Bill Wyman but a local group instead
29 July 1966 (Friday) – The Thornton Group and The End (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald) The End may not be the Surrey band that worked with Bill Wyman but a local group instead
30 July 1966 (Saturday) – The Shevelles (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
31 July 1966 (Sunday) – Alexis Korner (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
3 August 1966 (Wednesday) – The Thornton Group and The End (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
5 August 1966 (Friday) – The Thornton Group and The End (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald) The End may not be the Surrey band that worked with Bill Wyman but a local group instead
6 August 1966 (Saturday) – The Gass (Melody Maker)
7 August 1966 (Sunday) – The Gass (Melody Maker)
10 August 1966 (Wednesday) – The Thornton Group and The End (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald) The End may not be the Surrey band that worked with Bill Wyman but a local group instead
13 August 1966 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
14 August 1966 (Sunday) – The Senate (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
20 August 1966 (Saturday) – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
21 August 1966 (Sunday) – The Gass (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
27 August 1966 (Saturday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
28 August 1966 (Sunday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
29 August 1966 (Monday) – The Scots of St James (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
3 September 1966 (Saturday) – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
4 September 1966 (Sunday) – The Ying Tongs (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
10 September 1966 (Saturday) – Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
11 September 1966 (Sunday) – The Vibrations (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald) The Vibrations were most likely backed by The Noblemen
16 September 1966 (Friday) – Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
17 September 1966 (Saturday) – The Peeps (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
18 September 1966 (Sunday) – The Peeps (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
23 September 1966 (Friday) – The Vibrations and The Noblemen (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
24 September 1966 (Saturday) – Rick ‘N’ Beckers (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
25 September 1966 (Sunday) – John McCoy’s Crawdaddies (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
30 September 1966 (Friday) – The Summercumlauds (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
1 October 1966 (Saturday) – The Ying Tongs (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
2 October 1966 (Sunday) – The Tonicks (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
8 October 1966 (Saturday) – The HT (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
9 October 1966 (Sunday) – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Fabulous 208)
15 October 1966 (Saturday) – Lee Dorsey (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald) Looks like he was replaced by Guy Darrell Syndicate
16 October 1966 (Sunday) – The Scots of St James (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
21 October 1966 (Friday) – Live group (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
22 October 1966 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
23 October 1966 (Sunday) – The Scots of St James (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
25 October 1966 (Tuesday) – The Scots of St James (Melody Maker) This needs confirmation
28 October 1966 (Friday) – Live group (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
29 October 1966 (Saturday) – The Gass (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
30 October 1966 (Sunday) – The Scots of St James (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
4 November 1966 (Friday) – The Mixed Feelings (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
5 November 1966 (Saturday) – T D Backus and The Powehouse (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
6 November 1966 (Sunday) – The Scots of St James (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
11 November 1966 (Friday) – The Mixed Feelings (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
12 November 1966 (Saturday) – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
13 November 1966 (Sunday) – The Meantimers (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
18 November 1966 (Friday) – The Mixed Feelings (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
19 November 1966 (Saturday) – The HT (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
20 November 1966 (Sunday) – The Original Dyaks (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
25 November 1966 (Friday) – The Mixed Feelings (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
26 November 1966 (Saturday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
27 November 1966 (Sunday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
2 December 1966 (Friday) – The Mixed Feelings (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
3 December 1966 (Saturday) – The Nite People (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
4 December 1966 (Sunday) – The Luther Morgan Relationship (Melody Maker) The Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald has The Derek Savage Foundation instead
10 December 1966 (Saturday) – The Meddy Evils (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
11 December 1966 (Sunday) – Guy Darrell & The Gnomes of Zurich (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
16 December 1966 (Friday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker)
17 December 1966 (Saturday) – Little Richard, The Quotations and The Kingpins (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
18 December 1966 (Sunday) – The Peeps (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
23 December 1966 (Friday) – The Mixed Feelings and The Spectre Quin Team (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald)
24 December 1966 (Saturday) – The Fleur De Lys and The Mixed Feelings (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
26 December 1966 (Monday) – The Heart and Souls and The Kingpins (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
31 December 1966 (Saturday) – The Mike Cotton Sound with Lucas and he Mixed Feelings (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
7 January 1967 (Saturday) – The Original Dyaks (Melody Maker)
8 January 1967 (Sunday) – The See-Saw Soul Set (Melody Maker)
14 January 1967 (Saturday) – The Meantimers (Melody Maker)
15 January 1967 (Sunday) – The Fenmen (Melody Maker)
22 January 1967 (Sunday) – The Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker)
28 January 1967 (Saturday) – The Who (Melody Maker)
4 February 1967 (Saturday) – Manfred Mann (Melody Maker)
11 February 1967 (Saturday) – Maxine Brown (possibly with The Q-Set) (Melody Maker) Melody Maker also has The Gass
18 February 1967 (Saturday) – Cream (Melody Maker)
19 February 1967 (Sunday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
25 February 1967 (Saturday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker)
4 March 1967 (Saturday) – The Power House (Melody Maker)
11 March 1967 (Saturday) – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (Melody Maker)
12 March 1967 (Sunday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
18 March 1967 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
24 March 1967 (Friday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
25 March 1967 (Saturday) – The Gass and The Web with J L Watson (Melody Maker)
26 March 1967 (Sunday) – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
27 March 1967 (Monday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
31 March 1967 (Friday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
1 April 1967 (Saturday) – Prince Buster & The Bees (Melody Maker) The British Music Archive site lists The Wilde Flowers on this date
2 April 1967 (Sunday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
7 April 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
8 April 1967 (Saturday) – Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band (Melody Maker)
9 April 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
14 April 1967 (Friday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
15 April 1967 (Saturday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)
16 April 1967 (Sunday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
21 April 1967 (Friday) – Danny & The Belmonts (Melody Maker)
22 April 1967 (Saturday) – The Mike Cotton Sound (Melody Maker)
23 April 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
28 April 1967 (Friday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
29 April 1967 (Saturday) – The Squaredeals Show (Melody Maker)
30 April 1967 (Sunday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
6 May 1967 (Saturday) – Prince Buster & The Bees (Melody Maker)
12 May 1967 (Friday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
13 May 1967 (Saturday) – Graham Bond Organisation (Melody Maker)
14 May 1967 (Sunday) – The Wilde Flowers (British Music Archive website)
19 May 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
20 May 1967 (Saturday) – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band (John Culley’s diary/Melody Maker)
26 May 1967 (Friday) – The Wilde Flowers (Melody Maker)
27 May 1967 (Saturday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker)
28 May 1967 (Sunday) – The Gass (Fabulous 208/Melody Maker)
29 May 1967 (Monday) – Take Five (Melody Maker)
2 June 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
3 June 1967 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
4 June 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
9 June 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
10 June 1967 (Saturday) – The Web with John L Watson (Melody Maker)
11 June 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
17 June 1967 (Saturday) – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Fabulous 208/Melody Maker)
23 June 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
24 June 1967 (Saturday) – Ronnie Jones & The Q-Set (Melody Maker)
25 June 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
30 June 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
1 July 1967 (Saturday) – John Lee Hooker with The Savoy Brown Blues Band (Melody Maker)
2 July 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
5 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
7 July 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
8 July 1967 (Saturday) – The Web with John L Watson (Melody Maker)
9 July 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
12 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
14 July 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
15 July 1967 (Saturday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker) This show was recorded for a live LP
16 July 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
19 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
21 July 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
22 July 1967 (Saturday) – The Gass (Melody Maker)
23 July 1967 (Sunday) – Georgie Fame (Melody Maker)
26 July 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
28 July 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
29 July 1967 (Saturday) – The Coloured Raisins with Honey Darling (Melody Maker)
30 July 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
2 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
4 August 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
5 August 1967 (Saturday) – The Skatalites (Melody Maker)
6 August 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
8 August 1967 (Tuesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
9 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
12 August 1967 (Saturday) – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Melody Maker)
13 August 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
15 August 1967 (Tuesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
16 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
17 August 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
18 August 1967 (Saturday) – Chicken Shack (Melody Maker)
19 August 1967 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Melody Maker)
20 August 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
22 August 1967 (Tuesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
23 August 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
26 August 1967 (Saturday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker)
27 August 1967 (Sunday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker) Replaced by The Jeff Beck Group. Please see comment from Mick Morris below
1 September 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
2 September 1967 (Saturday) – The Gass (Fabulous 208/Melody Maker)
3 September 1967 (Sunday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
6 September 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
8 September 1967 (Friday) – The Scots of St James (Melody Maker)
9 September 1967 (Saturday) – The Skatalites (Melody Maker)
10 September 1967 (Sunday) – The Scots of St James (Melody Maker)
13 September 1967 (Wednesday) – The Scots of St James (Melody Maker)
15 September 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
16 September 1967 (Saturday) – The Bag O’ Nails (Melody Maker)
17 September 1967 (Sunday) – The Peddlers (Melody Maker)
20 September 1967 (Wednesday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
22 September 1967 (Friday) – Scots of St James (Melody Maker)
23 September 1967 (Saturday) – Ferris Wheel (Fabulous 208/Melody Maker)
24 September 1967 (Sunday) – Scots of St James (Melody Maker)
29 September 1967 (Friday) – Resident band (Melody Maker)
30 September 1967 (Saturday) – Marmalade (Fabulous 208/Melody Maker)
1 October 1967 (Sunday) – Dr Marigold’s Prescription (Melody Maker)
7 October 1967 (Saturday) – The Squaredeals (Melody Maker)
8 October 1967 (Sunday) – The Geranium Pond (Melody Maker)
14 October 1967 (Saturday) – Freddie Mack & The Mack Sound (Melody Maker)
21 October 1967 (Saturday) – Savoy Brown Blues Band (Melody Maker)
22 October 1967 (Sunday) – The Amboy Dukes, JR Walker & The All Stars and The Wages of Sin (Melody Maker)
Melody Maker stopped advertising the venue at this point
4 May 1968 (Saturday) – Warren Davis Monday Band (Del Paramor’s gig diary)
14 September 1968 (Saturday) – Ten Years After (http://www.dover-kent.com/Tofts-Folkestone.html)
26 October 1968 (Saturday) – The Mike Stuart Span (Fabulous 208)
2 November 1968 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Fabulous 208)
9 August 1969 (Saturday) – Ambrose Slade (http://www.dover-kent.com/Tofts-Folkestone.html)
15 November 1969 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Keith Guster’s diary)
24 December 1969 (Wednesday) – The Amboy Dukes (Keith Guster’s diary)
28 March 1970 (Saturday) – The Amboy Dukes (Keith Guster’s diary)
Copyright © Nick Warburton. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any from or by any means, without prior permission from the author.
Hi, Toft’s Club, Folkestone – Saturday 26 August 1967.
For reasons unknown to me, FREDDIE MACK did not appear on the above night and instead, the JEFF BECK GROUP played. I know it was a late change because I only heard that Jeff would be playing a few days in advance (I used to run the house band at Tofts.) This is verified by my own and Ronnie Wood’s diaries.
Excellent venue. Low ceiling, low lighting, no air con so you could cut the atmosphere with a knife.
So many different types of music, it was an education. Greatly missed.
My Dad was born and raised in Folkestone and often attended nights at Tofts. He passed away recently and I would love to find people who knew my Dad in his teenage years to hear stories of what he was like. His name was Tony Lamb and he was born in 1949.
Hi Zoe, I have just been forwarded your comment via Paul Denis.We both knew Tony very well.We both were in his class at school and at Tofts.I also knew him at the Art school as he introduced me to several girls there that i use to hang around with after I got bored hanging around at Tofts.I moved to The Lake District in 1972 and lost contact with people here including Tony.Paul and I use to meet up when I came back to Folkestone to visit my parents and when I came back to live here.Paul has a video of you all in 1995 at christmas in which he thinks you are 4 to give you .Paul also has a school photo which we are all in aged about 13.I do not know where you live but I and I am sure Paul would like to meet up.I am saddened to hear of your Dads passing .Paul
Hi Zoe Lamb My E-mail address is paulandrews1950@hotmail.co.uk
Hello Zoe I’m so sad and sorry to hear of your dad’s passing.
I knew your dad and in fact we went out together in 1966 I was 14. We’d go to the local youth club and then he’d walk me home. Just an innocent friendship that girls and boys had. I do remember we had a favourite song! Oh I’m so sorry to hear this sad news. Sending you and your family love and sincere condolences. Lynne Champion. My email is lynne.champion@hotmail.co.uk
Saw John Mayall a few times at Tofts during ’67 and ’68 also Duster Bennett (RIP). Happy times…
I saw Canned Heat play one Sunday night sometime after Aug 67. Though I didn’t see it listed above.
This would have been Sept 68
The group The End was possibly the most known in folkestone , it was Noel Redding’s group, nothing with any other
Mixed feelings was Dave Pain vocals, Cyril Sutton, Spud Taylor, Norman Swann drums, the organist name escapes me but one night as we were going up the stairs to play the Herd was coming down and Frampton said something derisory to the organist and almost got himself filled in, spud Taylor pulled him off.
I was a DJ and had and still have in the format the world record for non stop disc playing in October 1969, I was known as Ronnie Day