topicacousticfolk3
item1 item1b item1c item1d item1e item1f item1g
FBfLogoblue29

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

Est: 1956

item7

Map

Write to Tony Charnock
to get the email newsletter

Newsletter
Archive


01 Jul 2025
01 Jun 2025
01 May 2025
01 Apr 2025
01 Mar 2025
01 Feb 2025
01 Jan 2025

01 Dec 2024
01 Nov 2024
01 Oct 2024
01 Sep 2024
01 Aug 2024
01 July 2024
01 Jun 2024
01 May 2024
01 Apr 2024
01 Mar 2024
01 Feb 2024
01 Jan 2024

01 Dec 2023
01 Nov 2023
01 Oct 2023
27 Aug 2023
01 Aug 2023
01 Jul 2023
01 Jun 2023
01 May 2023
01 Apr 2023
01 Mar 2023
01 Feb 2023
01 Jan 2023

30 Nov 2022
01 Nov 2022
01 Oct 2022
01 Sep 2022
01 Aug 2022
01 Jul 2022
01 Jun 2022
01 May 2022
01 Apr 2022
01 Mar 2022
01 Feb 2022
01 Jan 2022

01 Dec 2021
29 Oct 2021
01 Oct 2021
01 Sep 2021
01 Aug 2021
01 Jul 2021
01 Jun 2021
01 May 2021
01 Apr 2021
01 Mar 2021
01 Feb 2021
01 Jan 2021

01 Dec 2020
01 Nov 2020
01 Oct 2020
29 Aug 2020
27 Jul 2020
01 Jul 2020
01 Jun 2020
01 May 2020
01 Apr 2020
01 Mar 2020
01 Feb 2020
01 Jan 2020

01 Dec 2019
01 Nov 2019
01 Oct 2019

01 Sep 2019
22 Aug 2019
01 Aug 2019
01 Jul 2019
01 Jun 2019
01 May 2019
01 Apr 2019
01 Mar 2019
02 Feb 2019
01 Jan 2019

01 Dec 2018
01 Nov 2018
30 Sep 2018
01 Sep 2018
01 Aug 2018
01 Jul 2018
01 Jun 2018
01 May 2018
02 Apr 2018
01 Mar 2018
01 Feb 2018
04 Jan 2018

01 Dec 2017
01 Nov 2017
01 Oct 2017

27 Aug 2017

01 Aug 2017
01 Jul 2017

01 Jun 2017

01 May 2017

01 Apr 2017

28 Feb 2017

01 Feb 2017

01 Jan 2017


28 Nov 2016

31 Oct 2016

01 Oct 2016
27 Aug 2016

02 Jul 2016

01 Jun 2016

02 May 2016

01 Apr 2016

01 Mar 2016

01 Feb 2016

06 Jan 2016


01 Dec 2015
01 Nov 2015

01 Oct 2015

01 Sep 2015

01 Jul 2015

01 Jun 2015

01 May 2015
01 Apr 2015

01 Mar 2015
01 Feb 2015
01 Jan 2015


01 Dec 2014

01 Nov 2014

01 Oct 2014

29 Aug 2014

01 Aug 2014

01 July 2014

01 June 2014

01 May 2014
01 Apr 2014

02 Mar 2014

02 Feb 2014
01 Jan 2014

29 Nov 2013
01 Nov 2013
01 Oct 2013
29 Aug, 23 Sep 2013

01 Aug 2013
01 Jul 2013
01 Jun 2013
01 May 2013
01 Apr 2013
01 Mar 2013
01 Feb 2013
02 Jan 2013

01 Dec 2012
30 Oct 2012
30 Sep 2012

01 Sep 2012
01 July 2012

31 May 2012
30 Apr 2012
01 Apr 2012
29 Feb 2012
29 Jan 2012
03 Jan 2012

20 Nov 2011
23 Oct 2011

17 Sep 2011

17 Aug 2011
06 Jul 2011
10 May 2011
13 Mar 2011
26 Feb 2011
01 Feb 2011
19 Dec 2010

01 Dec 2010
01 Nov 2010
01 Oct 2010
30 Aug 2010
29 June 2010
01 June 2010
01 May 2010
01 April 2010
01 Mar 2010
01 Feb 2010
01 Jan 2010

01 Dec 2009
01 Nov 2009
01 Oct 2009
01 Sep 2009
01 Jul 2009
01 Jun 2009
01 May 2009
01 April 2009
01 Mar 2009

02 Feb 2009

02 Jan 2009

09 Dec 2008
06 Nov 2008
01 Oct 2008
01 Sept 2008
01 July 2008
01 June 2008
06 May 2008
08 Apr 2008
07 Mar 2008
08 Feb 2008
26 Feb 2008
09 Jan 2008

05 Dec 2007
29 Oct 2007
28 Sep 2007
04 Sep 2007
10 July 2007
23 May 2007
25 April 2007
06 March 2007
07 Feb 2007
22 Jan 2007

22 Dec 2006
07 Dec 2006
24 Oct 2006
25 Sep 2006
28 Aug 2006
06 July 2006
13 June 2006
15 May 2006
25 April 2006
21 March 2006
23 Feb 2006
01 Feb 2006
06 Jan 2006

06 Dec 2005
08 Nov 2005
04 Oct 2005
01 Sep 2005
09, 14 June 2005
18 May 2005
05 April 2005

14 March 2005

01 March 2005

07 Jan 2005

23 Dec 2004
01 Dec 2004
03Nov2004
14Oct2004
07 Sep 2004
28 July 2004

07 July 2004
15 June 2004
27 May 2004
12 May 2004
20 April 2004

25 March 2004

01 March 2004

02 Feb 2004
06 Jan 2004

10 Nov 2003
30 Sep 2003
03 Sep 2003
09 July 2003
10 June 2003
19 May 2003
06 May 2003
18 April 2003
02 April 2003
18 March 2003
25 Feb 2003
05, 11 Feb 2003
14 Jan 2003

10 Dec 2002
26 Nov, 03 Dec 2002
05 Nov2002
08 Oct 2002
24 Sep 2002
05 Sep 2002
23 July 2002
01 July 2002
12, 18, 25 June 2002
7 May 2002
30 April 2002
03 April 2002
19 March 2002
05 March 2002
15 Jan 2002
02 Jan 2002

17 Dec 2001
 

Topic Newsletter

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.                                                             

------------------------------------------

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.

---------------------------

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

item7a item7