February 2026

A belated Happy New Year to all our readers.
The next singaround at Folk at the Barlow will be on 6 th February.
Please note that the March singaround will be on 27 th February to accommodate the
Barlow pantomime. We will trail this change again nearer to the time and will
announce it at all our forthcoming events.

Our next guests at Folk at The Barlow, on 20 th February, will be Drop The Floor.
They are a 4-piece traditional Irish music group based in Clitheroe, Lancashire,
known for their high-energy, live performances and authentic sound. Formed in
2012, the band features Uilleann pipes, fiddle, guitar, and tenor banjo. They released
their debut album, Raise the Roof, in 2014 and frequently perform at folk festivals
and local sessions, and have been guests at our Festival and at the club previously.
The band members are Steven Johnston (Uilleann Pipes), Martin Baptie Members of
the band include  (Fiddle), Richard Moss (Guitar/Vocals), and Daniel Burke (Tenor
Banjo).
Support for Drop the Floor will be The Eskrigg Trio. As well as playing for ceilidhs,
Dan, Sam and Anj sing traditional (and modern) folk songs in three part harmony.
They go by the name of Eskrigg, and in May 2019 they won the acoustic performers
competition at the Upton-Upon-Severn Folk Festival.
To book your place for this concert, please visit www.folkatthebarlow.com.

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.

The tunes sessions that have taken place at various venues in Edgworth over the
last few years, have resumed at the Rose and Crown, and will start at 8pm on the
third Monday of the month. This means that the next one will be on 16 th February
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 April, The Lancashire Society present a free concert at Helmshore Mills Museum

 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.

Holly Carter will be performing at Bolton Socialist Club on 28 th February.
She is a singer-songwriter and multi-award-winning instrumentalist who has
already established a reputation as one of Bristol’s leading fingerstyle
guitarists. Contact Julia directly for tickets - 07734464236​

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 18 th February, and again on the third
Wednesday of each month thereafter.
The Met, in Bury present a varied and interesting programme of related music. Visit
their website at themet.org.uk/whats-on/folk-music/ .

6.2.26 Singaround at Folk at the Barlow, 8pm
16.2.26 Tunes Session, Rose and Brown, Bury Road Edgworth. 8pm
18.2.26 Folk Evening Masons’ Arms, Egerton
20.2.26 Drop the Floor, supported by The Eskrigg Trio, Folk at The

Barlow www.folkatthebarlow.com
27.2.26 Singaround at Folk at the Barlow, 8pm
18.4.26 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