Est: 1956

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_{Venue: The Castle, at  20, Grattan Road  Bradford BD1 2LU}

Topic Newsletter Archive

Newsletter No 287 - May 2026

_{Mayday greetings to one and all.} 

_{Lots to include in this one, so I'd better get on...please make a note of our planned anniversary events under the paragraph "Topic Stuff"}

_{Here's our programme for the month of May:}

_{7th     May        Singers & musicians       £1 entry}

_{14th   May           Becky Taylor and  Sam Lawrence}

_{Becky is a highly talented player of the Uilleann and Northumbrian pipes and many other instruments, and Sam Lawrence is a wizard on stringed instruments and brings a varied selection of songs to the table.}

_{But, there’s a twist – they can swap at will and bring in whistles, accordion, hurdy-gurdy, mandolin, bouzouki and more!}

_{Expect jigs, reels, songs and plenty of good natured chat.    £9/£6

You won’t be bored with this lot. A most amazing set of music and song – anyone not here tonight has missed one of the best sessions available. They are superb. Two of the finest musicians on the planet – seriously they don’t come any better…both are class performers individually, and together they make more than the sum of their parts -strings and pipes of all kinds…don’t miss it – Mike Harding}

_{https://wegottickets.com/event/696432}

_{21st    May           Singers & musicians       £1 entry}

_{28th   May          Tom Bliss with Den Miller and Slide}

_{Tom Bliss's hugely popular gigs for MS continue in May, this time with his 'mighty' once-and-future folk/rock band Slide finishing the evening. The multi-instrumental Den Miller, another Topic favourite who has performed at our club a number of times over the years, will augment the band, and again accompany Tom in the first set, with Slide's’ John Layton adding acoustic bass. Slide's other members are Derek Magee- fiddle, whistle, mandolin, and Neil Russell Whitaker  - 5-string banjo, guitar and vocals.}

_{A nationally-acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, Tom writes catchy story songs in a folk style which typically tell true stories; some funny, some sad - but always powerful.}

_{Brilliant - Mojo.}

_{Astonishingly moving and inspirational. 'Never have I heard tales told and sung with such humour and skill. A spellbinding couple of hours - where did the evening go?}

_{There's more about Tom's songs, stories and many instruments, and why he's doing this, at https://tombliss.co.uk/ - and you can donate with gift aid there too. Slide played all over the North, and made two highly-acclaimed CDs featuring their unique English / Celtic / American blend, many of Tom's best-loved songs, plus wonderful songs and tunes from Neil and Derek. Reuniting specially for these gigs, with Den sitting in they're now sounding better than ever.}

_{More here: https://www.turnstone.tv/slide.html).} 

_{The total raised by Tom's campaign currently stands at £18,500+. Tom hopes to break £20k this year, so please come, and if you can't, PLEASE SHARE with anyone who might like the music and/or want to support MS research.} 

_{This will in effect be a charity night, pay as you feel on the door (subject to the usual entry prices as a minimum). For more information about Tom’s campaign see http://tombliss.co.uk/.}

_{In addition a hat will be passed round during the evening, so bring some cash with you if you would like to make a further donation in this way.}

_{For anyone who wishes to support Tom but is unable to attend the gig, you can visit}

_{https://www.justgiving.com/page/tombliss?utm_term=YqPYWvW3r}

_{which also gives a moving account of Tom’s previous fundraising campaign and some more background detail.}

_{There is a poster for this and Tom's other gigs  attached. If there are any places near you where posters can be displayed and you are willing, please print one out and put it up. This promises to be an excellent evening and is for an excellent cause, it's worth going an extra mile where we can.}

_{https://denmillermusic.com/}

_{https://wegottickets.com/event/696778}

_{TOPIC ZOOM - MONDAY 18th May 2026}

_{You are invited to join the next Topic Zoom session on Monday 18th May. The digital doors will open at 7.30 for an 8pm start, and the programme will run till 10 pm. To participate in this or other of our monthly Zoom evenings, either as a performer or as an audience member, please contact Guy at guy@wutheringbikes.org.uk}

_{We are grateful to Jim Saville who allows us the use of his Zoom Pro so we can run the evening without a break. He also advises on the technical glitches that can occur from time to time.}

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_{NON TOPIC STUFF}

_{On Monday 4th May Bingley First Monday Folk welcomes James Dey and Andrew Metheven.} 

_{Venue: Bingley Arts Centre (upstairs theatre), Main St, Bingley BD16 2LZ .}

_{The venue is 100% accessible via staircase and lift.}

_{Doors 7 pm, music 7.30 pm. Pay as you feel, donation and raffle.} 

_{On Sunday 17th May 7pm until 10pm, Ryburn 3 Step Folk Club, Hollins Mill, Hollins Mill Lane, Sowerby Bridge HX6 2QG welcomes Jeff Warner, who is one of America's foremost performers/interpreters  of traditional music}

_{info@ryburn3step.org.uk  or phone 01422 822569}

_{www.ryburn3step.org.uk}

_{Please note this club can only accept cash.}

_{Joe King is appearing at the Avondale Club, 19 Bradford Road, Shipley BD18 3PJ on Sunday 31st May 2026, 7.30 pm. This is a Pay As You Feel event.}

_{Correction, just for the record: regarding my email to you all about the sad passing of Denis Sabey, I was mistakenly informed that he wrote the tune for Dalesman's Litany: in fact it was Dave Keddie, though Denis probably sang it out more often.                                                                               ...............................................................}

_{TOPIC STUFF}  

_{You may know the Topic was founded in 1956 and every week since then (apart from in very adverse weather conditions) Bradford citizens and visitors have been treated to the best in folk music, from local singers and musicians to international performers of high renown. (We started a Zoom session during Covid which still meets regularly on the third Monday of every month and involves people from all over the country.)}

_{So 2026 is the Topic’s 70th anniversary year and we are planning to celebrate this amazing achievement.} 

_{To do this we are seeking to link up with some of the events going on in Bradford. Please make a note of the following dates: more information will of course be given in the relevant month's newsletter;}

_{On Thursday 2nd July the scheduled singers and musicians night would take the form of a poetry and spoken word event to  coincide with the Bradford Literature Festival (which runs from 3rd to 12th July - see https://www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/)}

_{On Thursday 16th July the scheduled singers and musicians night would be advertised as a celebration of Bradford’s heritage, to coincide with the Bradford Heritage Festival week which runs from 13th to 19th July). This will encourage songs and poems relevant to Bradford’s, and even the Topic’s, heritage  - see  https://bradfordheritageconnection.co.uk/.}

_{On Saturday 10th October the Topic's major anniversary event will take place in the outside area of Darley Street Market from 1pm to 5 pm. The plan is to involve booking about 10 outside Guest Singers, all of whom have had connections with the Topic.}

_{External periphery events such as Morris Dancers might also be involved.}

_{We are hoping that involvement in these events will help to raise the profile of the club, maybe encourage some more people to come along to our club nights, as well as supporting these worthy events taking place in our city.}

_{The 10th October event will inevitably involve some cost to the club. We may be able to get some kind of funding, but almost certainly not sufficient to cover our outlay. We are asking that club regulars (and even not so regulars) might consider making a donation to the club to cover these additional costs. There are two ways in which you can donate:}

_{For those who still use cash, there will be a collecting box at guest nights and singers and musician evenings; or payment can be made to the club's bank account:}

 _{Topic Folk Club; 05-04-49 Account no 17703951.}

_{PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY to help pay performers fees and help to raise the Topic’s profile so it can carry on for another 70 years.}

_{Put those dates in your diary and spread the word to friends and family. We will update you with confirmation and details of the programmes as we get them.} 

_{If you have any suggestions for any other ways we can celebrate our 70th birthday then please let us know.}

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_{As many of you 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.

For the time being Topic guest nights will normally take place on Thursdays at Wallers Bar, Millergate BD1 (situated in the underground Sunbridge Wells complex).}

_{Singers and musicians nights will take place at:The Castle 20, Grattan Road  Bradford BD1 2 LU.}

_{It has been suggested that we could introduce themes for the singers/musicians nights. We would welcome any thoughts on this, or ideas for themes.}

_{Street parking for the Castle is available on Barry Street and Grattan Road (£1) just outside the pub, and there is a disabled parking slot.}

_{For all events doors will open at 7 pm with a 7.30 pm start and a target time of 10pm to finish.}

_{A reminder that the Wallers Bar offers free loyalty cards: after 10 drinks marked off on your card, the next one is free. We are trying to obtain a supply of these cards and hand them to anyone who would like one as they come in.}

_{For those coming to the Wallers Bar, a reminder that you can find free parking on the north side of Thornton Road and up the side streets.}

_{Update on this: the parking bays on Thornton Road just past the car showroom charge 80p for up to 2 hours and are free after 8 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.}

_{Tony Charnock}

_{Topic Folk Club}