At: Hullabaloo, 41 Westgate, Shipley, BD18 3QX

Est: 1956

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Topic Newsletter Archive

Newsletter No 277 - July 2025

Hello again, hope you're all well. Summer is most definitely in full swing!!!

Should you normally only give the newsletter a quick perusal may I ask that on this occasion you kindly make sure you scroll down to read the paragraph concerning the important announcement regarding friends of Hullabaloo

(To mark Bradford's year as City of Culture we are ensuring that one of our guests each month will be either from Bradford or have strong links with the city.  These will be marked with *)

3rd July    Singers & Musicians    £1 entry

10th July   John Hegley  *

John Hegley's first visit to the Topic was in 1976 as a Bradford University student, to see the marvellous Nic Jones. Since then he has taken up the role of performer on stages at Cambridge and many other folk venues and festivals with his animal songs, love poems and tales of his half French father (the bottom half). He sang on two John Peel sessions with ‘The Popticians’ and was poet in residence at London's Keats House, from which he will be enlarging on lesser-known aspects of the great poet, including a bout of celery sword-fencing and his slight aversion to the French.

John has produced twelve books and one mug. The story of Stanley's Stick has been translated into Icelandic.

John has written a special poem to celebrate Bradford 2025: “A Celebration of a Nation's City of Culture.”   Entry £9 (£6 members)

Genuinely funny - Poetry Review

Awesomely mundane - The Independent

PLEASE NOTE: Before the main performance for the club, in the fully accessible Hullabaloo bar John will perform a free short set, ‘Keats with Seats’, with priority for those unable to attend the evening’s main event or who have access difficulties in ascending to the performance area/toilets.

https://wegottickets.com/event/646752

17th July    Singers & Musicians    £1 entry

24th July     Enda Kenny

Dublin-born folksinger Enda Kenny is one of Australia's favourite festival performers. As a storytelling songwriter his ability to instantly engage audiences is well known, creating evocative characters drawn from life that pull you into their stories and songs that trigger memories you didn't know you had. He has the migrant's eye for his adopted landscape, has travelled widely across and around it and found the word pictures to bring it to life like you are travelling with him.

He has headlined festivals in Hong Kong and the UK, opened for the McGarrigles at Sidmouth Arena, toured through Germany and Holland, and played thousands of venues from Folk in the Bath and The Albert Hole to The Drunken Poet. He is equally at home around the campfire at Nariel Creek, Australia's longest running festival.

Kenny is a cracking solo entertainer, the raw emotion of songs like Heart Tattoo and Vigil are beautifully balanced by hilarious observations about everyday life and human frailty. Make sure you catch him. Entry £9 (£6 members) .

On small stages to intimate audiences or large stages to festival audiences he always holds the crowd in the palm of his hand. Witty and intelligent songwriting and a brilliant night's entertainment - Eleanor McEvoy

Enda is regarded by many as the best folk singer-songwriter in Australia. He showcases his brilliant songs during hugely entertaining live performances...Heart Tattoo matches wonderful stories of local characters and places with strong melodies. The album has garnered high praise from reviewers, including likening Enda's lyrical skills to those of Leonard Cohen. - House on The Hill

The finest Irish songwriter living overseas - Colum Sands

https://wegottickets.com/event/652488

31st July      Singers & Musicians   £1 entry

TOPIC  ZOOM - 21st JULY 2025

You are warmly invited to join our Topic Zoom on Monday July 21st.

You can log on with songs, tunes or poems to share or as a member of the audience.

The monthly Zoom sessions are open to everyone, anywhere in the UK and beyond.  As previously, the digital doors will open at 7.30 for an 8pm start; the programme will run till 10.00. 

Our thanks to Jim Saville for allowing us the use of his Zoom so we can run the sessions without a break.

For further enquiries about participating, pass codes for the evening etc, please email: joy.utistugu.49.5.8@gmail.com 

Please note that there will not be a Zoom session in August. After July they will resume on September 15th.
 

FRIENDS OF HULLABALOO

For anyone who wishes to become a member of Friends of Hullabaloo, there are forms in the bar with all the registration details. Also online registration is quite easy. The link to register is called 'Become a Member' and can be found on the website homepage www.hullabalooshipley.org.uk  Membership Costs £10 per year and will come with some great incentive offers. See below...

*IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING FRIENDS OF HULLABALOO*

Friends of Hullabaloo are  looking to progress their aim for Hullabaloo to become a vibrant part of the local community, an aim which will call for support and involvement.

Firstly they are launching a membership drive in an attempt to recruit more members. To this end they will be holding their first Annual General Meeting on 11th July at 7.30 pm in the function room at the back of the bar. This meeting is not limited to members, it's open to the public and anyone may bring friends along. One of the purposes of the meeting is to share their interim vision for the future of the project.

FYI the membership fee of £10 entitles you to attend and vote at General Meetings.It also gives you 10% off drinks at the bar and access to food offers. Personalised membership cards will soon be available.

Hullabaloo is planning  to launch a Community Share offer with the aim of raising much-needed working capital to secure the medium-term future of the venue. They will be explaining their plans in full at the upcoming meeting mentioned above and seek approval from the members to approve the launch. You will be able to ask any questions you may have about the project.

Friends of Hullabaloo Limited is a cooperative and Community Benefit Society, RS009000

THE TOPIC AND BRADFORD CITY OF CULTURE 2025

The now usual reminder that we are involved in one of the cultural events in the run up to Bradford City of Culture 2025. I'll continue to put the reminder on the newsletters, more people may yet be inspired to submit a song for the project which is now up and running, plenty of songs coming in: the project will be running throughout 2025.

To mark Bradford City of Culture in 2025 the Topic is gathering together folk songs about the story of the people and/or groups who work to make Bradford District a welcome and supportive place.

See the usual attached updated flyer Songs with a Bradford Accent.

This ambitious project is by no means limited to the usual participants in the acoustic music scene: if you know of anyone outside our orbit who might be interested in being involved, please let them know about it, nay, encourage them. It's not a competition, by the way, no winners and losers, just a chance to show what local songwriters can do to honour the city's award.

Additionally, to help promote this project we would like to record people saying “Songs with a Bradford accent” in various languages, if the language is spoken in Bradford we want it to be represented.  Could you help?  If possible send a recording to  jem.emmett@bcbradio.co.uk of yourself saying “songs with a Bradford accent” in your language.  If you are not able to record yourself then please get in touch with Jem at BCB and we could arrange for you to record at BCB studios.

For further details of SWABA and to send a song you have written please get in touch with Robbie at bd25topic@gmail.com.                                                             

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NON-TOPIC STUFF

I have been given details of an interesting and unusual event organised by Q20 on 5th July at 7.30 pm. at Baildon Methodist Church. Probably best if I quote the information I've received:

QUOTE

The Hermit at 50

A live performance by The New Rowan Band

Saturday 5th July  7.30pm

Wesley's Community Hub

Baildon Methodist Church

Part funded by Bradford City of Culture 2025: Our Patch

We celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Mountain Ash Band’s limited-edition album The Hermit, a collector’s piece of electric folk music.

It tells the story in word and song of Jobe Senior, born 1780, who became famous for his four singing voices. Made homeless, he lived in a makeshift shelter on Rombald's Moor near the Burley Woodhead Inn that carries his name.

This will be an exciting opportunity to hear the story of his life in live performance by the New Rowan Band, led by Tim Moon who broadcasts “Folk Us!” on BCB Radio.

Tickets £12.50 available online through Ticket Tailor

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/q20theatreltd/1679543

UNQUOTE

Acoustic Weekender:A sumptuous weekend of acoustic folk beckons on 18th- 20th July at Wainsgate Chapel, Old Town, near Hebden Bridge. Lots of local acts that have appeared at the Topic, plus nationally known acts, e.g. Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage (who have also performed at the Topic).

Visit https://wainsgate.co.uk/acoustic-weekend-headliners/  and https://wainsgate.co.uk/acoustic-weekend-fringe/

See also the attached flyer for more details.

Anyone living in or near Haworth are invited to take part in Haworth is Talented on 19th July at St. Michael & All Angels Church, Haworth, BD22 8DP. Contact Sandra Twitchett of the duo Skinner & T'witch at skinnerandtwitch@gmail.com if you are interested in performing

Flyer attached.

Hebble are  playing at HEART (Headingley Enterprise & Arts Centre), Bennett Road LS6 3HN on 22nd July, 7pm - 9.30pm

TOPIC STUFF 

We are very  pleased to be able to tell you that a spacious disabled toilet has now been installed at Hullabaloo and should be operational by our next club night.. It's on the same floor as the room used for live music events.                                                

As most of you will know by now, we now accept (indeed prefer) payment by card, but you can of course pay by cash if that suits you better.

Membership of the club runs from 1st January and will entitle you to the lower ticket prices shown in this newsletter as well as the chance to become more involved in the workings of the club if you would like to. You can join or renew your membership on any club night.

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For performers who may be thinking of approaching the club for a booking, please email: info4topic@gmail.com

If you’re visiting the club for the first time, be sure to come and say hello, and if anyone has any suggestions for the club, for example if you would like us to try to book a particular artist, we’d like to hear them.

The Topic runs on Thursdays at Hullabaloo, 41 Westgate, Shipley, BD18 3QX. Doors will open at 7 pm with a 7.30 pm start and a target time of 10pm to finish.

A reminder that freshly prepared food is available at Hullabaloo from 5.30 pm.

Like all the clubs in the area, our aim is to provide good quality live entertainment to suit all tastes of those interested in folk music, and we are hoping we can count on you for your continued support.

Floor singers are always welcome (though may be limited if we have a booked support act - please check). Please arrive by 7.15 pm if you’d like a slot – it helps the MC to plan the evening.

Please continue to take Covid precautions when visiting the club.

Best wishes 

Tony Charnock

Topic Folk Club