The Troubadour, London
The Troubadour at 263–267 Old Brompton Road in Earls Court, established in 1954, is one of the last remaining coffee houses of its era in London and although it has expanded over the years to incorporate the two buildings either side the original, the original coffee house remains relatively unchanged since its opening, with the cellar venue renowned as one of the primary venues of the British folk revival in the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as for regular jazz gigs. Other notable coffee house venues of the time that hosted musicians of note included Les  Cousins and Bunjies, both of which have since closed leaving the Troubadour as one of the last venues where it is still possible to experience something close to what it was like. Artists. The club has played host to a number of major artists in various stages of their careers. Notable among these have been: The club is, however, chiefly associated with folk music. Notable artists appearing under this banner have been: Many of these acts are captured performing at the venue in the photographs of Alison Chapman McLean. Behind the scenes. A key name in the history of the  Troubadour is that of Anthea Joseph (1940–1997), who organised many of the folk events at the club and was often credited as "the Manager" of the venue. It was inspired by the traditional role a troubadour held in the High Middle Ages as a herald and story teller. It is widely reported that when Bob Dylan arrived in London for the first time he was given no instruction other than that of his mentor Pete Seeger to seek out "Anthea at the Troubadour". In 1968, she joined Witchseason Productions as Joe Boyd's assistant. During Bruce Rogerson's ownership of  the Troubadour it had not been used as a music venue for some years, so he asked The Flynn Brothers to manage some music evenings in the downstairs cellar, thereby making it a music club again. The Flynn Brothers revived the folk music scene there by bringing back notable artists such as Martin Carthy, John Renbourn, Davey Graham and Bert Jansch. Influence. The Troubadour's influence was felt around the UK. The Bristol Troubadour Club fulfilled a similar role in the west of England, but with a more bluesy feel. The Troubadour in Los Angeles was a copy of the  London club (it even copied the sign above the door) that opened in 1957 and runs still today. From the beginning it was a much larger venue but with a similar ethos. Ownership. The Troubadour has had four proprietors since its opening: Recent history. The Troubadour is now a café-bar, restaurant and club hosting live music, comedy, poetry and theatre, mainly by performers who, in the club's tradition, write their own material; more recent artists to pass through the club include Florence Welch, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Jamie T, Gak Jonze, Jack Peñate, The Dead 60s, Surianne, Chris Singleton , Paolo Nutini, Greta Bellamacina and Morcheeba. The performance space has been doubled in size but is still an intimate venue with a capacity of 136. Upstairs, the café focuses on traditional "comfort" food. In addition, the venue also has an art gallery, wine bar function room, two one-bedroom apartments and a "secret" garden dining area. The Troubadour was in danger of possibility of closure because of financial difficulties after being served with a noise abatement notice in 2012, related to use of the garden; however, in 2015, the venue passed to the ownership of Giles McNamee. The Troubadour, London