What’s on at the Cutty Wren

Every Tuesday at The Redcar Borough Park Bowling Club

Hi, all! More great guests this month!

First, we welcome “Winter Wilson” on April 11th. This is a duo with some punch. Kip Winter – a lady – and Dave Wilson are singer songwriters, but with a pretty impressive instrumental capability as well. Kip plays accordion, guitar, flute and whistle, while Dave plays guitar and banjo. They’re very active as live performers abroad as well as in the UK and have several CD’s to their credit too. This will be a lively night, so don’t miss it. We’re privileged to have a Hot Spot from Di Henderson on April 18th. (These evenings are when a regular has an extended time on stage beyond the usual two songs.) It’s been well said that “when Di sings her audience takes home a memory”. It’s not just her special powerful and rich voice, but the passion and the conviction in her singing. Her songs, drawn from her roots in Scotland and the North East come from past years as well as the present day, but they all say something hard hitting to us now. Di also has a fine sense of humour, so get along and experience something special.

You’ll always hear some of our local performers every time you come to the Wren, but our bread and butter is the “Singers and Musicians” evening when we listen to anyone who wants to do a couple of folk related songs, tunes or a bit of poetry. We go for both very old and very new songs plus everything in between. Whatever the age of the songs, they always have good tunes and words that mean something. You might hear Americana, Irish, singer-songwriter or the songs our great grandparents loved – and you’ll realise why.

With such a wide range, there’s bound to be something that grabs you, and there’s always plenty of good humour. Whether you’re a performer or happy to be “just audience” you’ll be made very welcome. We’ll have such an evening on April 25th, so why not come and try us?

After that, our next guests will be Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter on May 2nd. Their CV includes twenty years together and four CD’s. Brian has been professional or semi-professional all his working life and he encouraged Sally, who always loved to sing, to do so seriously. They write most of their repertoire, but with traditional influences. They like to encourage audiences to sing along too. That sounds like my idea of a good night, so I’m very much looking forward to this. It’s back to “Singers and Musicians” (aka “Singaround”) on May 9th. Looking further ahead we have a Hot Spot with local regulars Ron and Jean cable on May 16th.

Looking back, John Dunleavy gave us an excellent Hot Spot on February 14th. John has an eclectic but punchy repertoire. He’s a sensitive performer when that’s required, but powerful when it’s called for.

Carrie Martin went down a treat on the 28th, mixing her own fine songs with covers of Joni Mitchell and Gordon Giltrap. She’s an extremely fine guitarist as well, and while I’m not a string player, her main guitar – she brought several! – was the sweetest I’ve ever heard.

And only last week as I write, regular local Chris Downs gave us a very good Hot Spot. He’s not been a performer for as many years as some, but his repertoire of folk favourites, some more unusual items, and an assured stage presence showed what he’s achieved. Most important – it was very entertaining!

The Singarounds have been good as well. We never know who will be there or what they’ll do, and that’s all part of the fun. And that’s something you’ll always have with us.

Now for the details you need. We meet every Tuesday at the Redcar Borough Park Bowling Club, Thwaites Lane, off Redcar Lane, TS10 2FD. Turn off Redcar Lane at the big red racecourse sign and we’re at the end and a bit to the left through the gates. There’s plenty of parking space, and we’re in a comfortable modern Club room with a fine bar. Doors open about 7-30 p.m., singing starts about 7-45 p.m., and we finish at 10-45 p.m. For those who can’t be there in person, or fancy a double dose, we still have the Singazoomaround sessions online on Thursday evenings. They begin about 7-45 p.m., and end about 9-45 p.m. There’s a good attendance from Britain and beyond, and you’ll hear lots of new singers and material. To get the link, email our Secretary Nigel Carden at info@cuttywrenfolkclub.com That’s also our general email contact, and we have a website at www.cuttywrenfolkclub. com . You can also ring me on 01642 471769. Thanks as ever to our kind hosts at the Bowls Club for accommodating us this past year, and especially our wonderful bar lady Gemma. And also to the committee, MCs. guests and singers who all help to this great music alive.

See you soon George F

Anew Community Earth Festival for the Esk Valley and East Cleveland launches at a celebration concert in Loftus on 22 April, International Earth Day.

The ten-week festival features more than forty events, ranging from hands-on nature recovery projects andworkshops in natural dyeing, writing and painting, woodwork, earth care and recycling to guided walks, discussions and familyoriented activities. A closing event at Botton village on 8 July is planned to showcase the festival’s achievements.

Environmental Objectives

With events aimed to be inclusive, free to attend or at low cost, the festival reaches out to local communities to get involved. It aims to bring together individuals and groups from across the area to effect a concerted, local response to environmental urgencies. By taking part in some of the practical workshops it is hoped that participants feel a sense of re-empowerment that comes in finding like-minded people, exploring the natural world, getting hands dirty and beginning to make a difference. Reimagining ourselves as humble participants in the web of life, instead of treating the earth as a mere commodity, is another objective, as well as learning new skills and making friends and connections.

From a seed planted by the Esk Valley Camphill Community in Danby, developed with the help of Loftus ACCORD Walking Group and Jo Mead (Community Development Officer, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council), this grassroots festival now represents a collaboration between twenty or more other groups and organisations, including Loftus Library, Loftus Club, Climate Action Stokesley and Villages, North Yorkshire Moors Association, Whitby Naturalists, Whitby Esk Energy, Upper Esk Valley Repair Cafe, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Stronger Shores, East Cleveland Fibre Arts, Land of Iron at the Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum, Loftus Studios, 3-Minute Arts in Glaisdale, BIG Local for East Cleveland Villages, East Cleveland Good Neighbours, North York Moors National Park, Forestry

England, Street House Excavations (Dr Steve Sherlock), Hidden Valleys Community Project, Teesside Archives and Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation.

Members of these groups, who are generously contributing their time and expertise, would be delighted to see communities joining in the festival events.

The Festival Programme goes live in April – see: www.facebook.com/ communityearthfestival

Corporate and private sponsorship for the Community Earth Festival would be welcomed. Please email for details: community.earth.festival@gmail.com

Community Earth Festival Launch Concert – Saturday 22 April – 6.30–10pm

(International Earth Day) at Loftus Club, Loftus West Road Social Club, West Road, Loftus TS13 4RG

• Opening of Festival by the Loftus Mayor, an introduction to the Festival, followed by songs, music, poetry and ceilidh dancing. Refreshments (donations) and bar.

• No entry charge but donations please if you would like to take home a printed Community Earth Festival programme.

● Winter Wilson

The “Splash Down” at Quay West is a must with its scary water chutes,etc. There`s also The Palace Theatre ,built in 1890, which offers a wide variety of shows each night. Just up the coast is the better known Torquay but it comes at a price. We found that Paignton was better value for money. Last but not least Torbay offers lots of excursions and boat trips if you want to explore further afield.. Wayfarer