Ian (Spike) Woods
Spike was born in 1940 in Nottingham to William and Peggy Woods, both whom were respected artists in their own right. Spending his childhood accompanying his parents on long outdoor excursions, he developed a passion for outdoor life and nature. Summers exploring Kinder Scout and the surrounding dales of the Peak District created a life long passion for everything free and wild, much of which is not only reflected in his art but also in his music. He first picked up a guitar at the age of 13, heading a Skiffle group, the Zephyrs, with 3 other friends, playing to local people and advancing his guitar skills and gaining confidence as a performer.
At 17, he colluded with Anne Briggs and Lloyd Watkins (Wocko) to form a folk group, which enabled him to indulge his true passion of folk music a little more. inspired by the likes of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and folk legend Jimmy Macgregor, Spike affirmed his status in the world of folk music.
While at Nottingham Art college studying for a degree in Fine art, Spike played his music to the patrons of the notorious Bohemian "Bo" coffee bar in the Lace Market, Hockley, along with Conny Constantine.
His first professional stand as a musician was forming the Nottingham Coop folk club in 1959, which ran till circa 1975, enabling the delivery of folk music to all.
Spike left Nottingham in 1961, to forge a life in Pembrokeshire; this began a new chapter for him and shifted his life to the man he is today.
Pembrokeshire fast became a deep love affair for Spike, working on the land with the local farming community and shaping much of the music you can hear him play today, in which he expresses his love for not only Pembrokeshire but Wales as a country.
If you immerse yourself in Spike's writings, you can take yourself back to the days gone by on the coasts of Wales during such events as the great snow of 1963 and the burning of the heather by the locals.
After the success of the folk club in his home town, Spike founded a new folk club in Haverfordwest, along side Pete and Anne Shrives, which gathered together people such as Max Cole, Ray Smith, Meic Stevens etc.
Spike at the age of 26 recorded on an LP, The Second Wave for Transatlantic records, making this his first professional debut.
In 1967 Spike felt that it was time to pass on his art skills to the younger generation and embarked on a teacher training course in Cardiff university: this would shape the future of his career outside of music.
In 1969 Spike made the hop across the Severn to settle on the outskirts of Bristol and gained his first teaching job at St Thomas More school as art teacher to secondary age students. Far from a fleeting job, Spike stayed on the faculty for 30 years, becoming Head of the Art department and responsible for almost every aspect of art related activities at the school, including set design for the drama department and lending his talents to a drama company in Bath, Next Stage.
This wasn't the only time Spike would find himself rubbing shoulders with stage performers, for in 1969 the partnership between him and Ed Bloomfield was formed, securing themselves with a regular spot on the BBC airwaves, with children's programmes such as Calico Pie, Hopscotch and Tumbleweed, all of which you can find here on the website to listen to. Spike then went on to secure a secondment with BBC Radio Bristol, after which he was offered the position of acting Education producer.
While maintaining the above positions simultaneously, Spike continued his musical career combining Folk, Bluegrass and Country music in bands such as Cat's Cradle, Survival String Band, Apple Country and Ponchartrain, amassing a following around the UK and internationally, performing at both small and large festivals and private events, becoming a household name that is still recognised today in folk and country music circles.
Retiring in 1995 from a long teaching career, he moved to the sleepy town of Wotton under Edge, he has been able to focus his attentions back to his art, running a local Life drawing class, still teaching music occasionally and performing to the local community.