Dancing and singing is back at the Maltese Folklore Club in St Albans.
It’s been a few big weeks for the folklore club which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Founder George Aquilina said the site of the club is full of history.
“In 1973 I was living in Harris Street [around the corner],” he said.
“The group started in 1982 in the street and we struggled to find somewhere to meet as the numbers grew.
“We bought three blocks of land. One of our proudest moments was when we opened our premises [the club] in 2001.
“We’ve worked very hard.”
Mr Aquilina said it had been tough during lockdown, with the club having to close for three months.
The bills continued to flow, and with a membership cost of $10, the club like many others were hit hard.
Mr Aquilina said people were starting to come back.
The club offers homage to traditional Maltese folk singing, known as Ghana. They sing and dance every Friday night.
“Wednesday night is family dinner night and everyone can come to that,” he said.
“Friday is the traditional day with guitars and singing. We’re open some Saturdays and then Sunday between 9am and 1pm, people pass through.”
Mr Aquilina said while the club continues to provide a place for people to go, he was unsure what the future holds with many of the club’s members getting older.
Tara Murray
