July 2026

Firstly, an early heads up for our annual festival. Edgworth Folk Festival will take
place fron 2 nd to 4 th October this year and has a fabulous line-up of musicians. There
will be a ceilidh, three concertrs, workshops and informal sessions. Full details can
be found on our website at www.folkatthebarlow.com .
The next singaround at Folk at the Barlow will be on Friday 3 rd July. If you’ve not
been before, this is a very friendly, informal session where all are welcome whether
you want to sing, play or just listen. We were rather full last month, so youre advised
to be there early. We start at 8pm.
 
Our next guests at Folk at The Barlow, on 17 th July, will be Patakas. They are two
exceptionally talented brothers Joe and Will Sartin. They launched their first
recording ‘When You’re Ready’ with festival performances in summer 2023. They
bring driving rhythms and innovative harmony to their fresh interpretations of
traditional music, and to their own original tunes and songs. The brothers beautifully
and skilfully express the music-making and folk tradition that runs through the very
core of their family – they the sons of the late Paul Sartin, of Bellowhead, Faustus
and Belshazzar’s Feast fame, who has played for Folk at The Barlow several times.
Support for Patakas comes in the shape of Mike Fairclough. Mike is a friend and long
time supporter of Folk at The Barlow. He runs Fleetwood Folk Club and has a wide
repertoire of songs, with a greaet voice, accompanied by guitar and banjo.
For details of these events, booking details and future events at Folk at the Barlow,
please visit our website at www.folkatthebarlow.com We ask that wherever possible
that you book your places in advance via our website, or alternatively pay at the door
by Debit or Credit card. We will, of course, always accept cash, but if we can keep
this to a minimum it will make life much easier for us.
Sessions are held at the Rose and Crown in Edgworth. Songs are on the first
Monday of each month, and tunes on the third Monday. Hence, the next song
session is on 6 th July and tunes on 20 th July.
There is a regular session on Tuesday evenings at The Plough, on Lee Gate in
Harwood. Contact Fiach and Amber McDonald, or Kirsty at The Plough for further
details.
On 18 th July, The Friends of Helmshore Mills present a free concert about the Power
Loom Riots of 1826. The concert tells the story of the Weavers Uprising (also known 
as the Power Loom Riots) of 1826, when thousands of people took to the streets of
East Lancashire and smashed the power-looms newly installed in mills, including
Turner's Middle Mill at Helmshore.  Tickets are free but you need to book by
emailing lancsocsecretary@gmail.com :  please don't book a ticket unless you
definitely intend to come because they only have limited numbers.  The performers
are : Sid Calderbank, Mark Dowding, Nick Caffrey, Ed McGurk, Robin Madge, Alex
Fisher and Julie Proctor. There will be song, narrative, poetry, music and dance. The
museum is always grateful for any donations of course and also stocks an
excellent book "Riot!" by (a different) William Turner about the uprising.

For fans of open mic style sessions, The Saggy Bottom Girls hold their events at the
Masons’ Arms in Egerton. The next one is on 115 th July, and again on the third
Wednesday of each month thereafter.
On 26 th September, Bolton Socialist Club in Wood Street present the excellent singer
songwriter, Alun Parry. The concert starts at 8pm and tickets may be had from Julia
on 07734464236,
The Met, in Bury present a varied and interesting programme of related music. Visit
their website at themet.org.uk/whats-on/folk-music/ .

3,7,26 Singaround, Folk at The Barlow 8pm
6.7.26 Song Session, Rose and Brown, Bury Road Edgworth. 8pm
20.7.26 Tunes Session, Rose and Brown, Bury Road Edgworth. 8pm
15.7.26 Folk Evening Masons’ Arms, Egerton
17.7.26 Patakas, supported by Mike Fairclough Folk at The Barlow

www.folkatthebarlow.com

18.7.26 The story of the Power Loom Riots, Helmshore Textile

Museum,  lancsocsecretary@gmail.com

Tuesday
Evenings

Song and tune session, The Plough, 157 Lea Gate. Harwood
Bolton, BL2 4BQ

26.9.26 Alun Parry at Bolton Socialist Club, Wood St., Bolton.

Tickets from Julia 07734464236
2 – 4.10.26 Edgworth Folk Festival at The Barlow.

www.folkatthebarlow.com