For more than half his lifetime, folk-singing 50-year-old Jim Greenwood has wanted just one thing - his own folk club.

Since being captivated by the tones of Mike Harding at a concert in Leeds in 1971, the builder and plumber from Shipley began to nurture a dream of setting up a folk club all of his own.

Now, nearly a quarter of a century later, Mr Greenwood has at last found the time and money to realise his ambition and is due to launch The Widder Folk Club at The Victoria, Saltaire Road, Shipley, this coming Saturday.

But there'll be just one thing missing from the grand opening night - Mr Greenwood himself.

For a week ago, Mr Greenwood suffered a heart attack and has now been confined to his home on doctor's orders.

"I'm devastated," he said.

"I've nurtured the idea of setting up the club for more than 25 years and now I've been able to do it, it's been like a dream come true.

"But then I had a heart attack while I was at a folk week in Whitby and have spent the last week in Bradford Royal Infirmary.

"Now I'm laid up at home and have been told by doctors to rest and take it very easy over the next few months.

"I really want to be there on Saturday - I was due to be the MC and I was going to sing a few songs, but now my partner Melissa will have to do it.

"But some of the performers at the club are coming back to my house afterwards and I just might allow myself to have a glass of the old amber liquid with them then."

Saturday's launch, which starts at 8.15pm, will feature folk duo Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman.

"I think there's a lot of demand for this kind of thing and the advantage of it being in Saltaire is that it's easily accessible for people on public transport," said Mr Greenwood.

"We hope it will take off and we're even prepared to subsidise it for a while until it gets off the ground.

"I'm disappointed about not being able to make it on Saturday, but if it's a success, we'll be holding another event in two weeks' time and nothing's going to stop me from being there for that."

Widder is a slang term for Queen Victoria after whom the pub where the club meets is named.

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