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

Est: 1956

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Topic Newsletter

Newsletter No 275 - May 2025

Hope you're all well. "Sumer is  definitely icumin in" as we speak....

And here's our programme for May: I apologise for any inconsistencies or irregularities in this email: I've been having some major computer problems of late...

(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 *)

1st May      Singers & Musicians   £1 entry

8th May   Double Header: Gerry Cooper & Mocking Birds *

Gerry Cooper is a singer, guitarist and songwriter from Bradford specialising in acoustic blues, ragtime and other Americana. Gerry also plays a mean harmonica.

Gerry grew up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he was drawn into the folk club scene in the North East during the 1960s. He was inspired by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, but soon discovered acoustic blues - Big Bill Broonzy, and Brownie McGhee – mainly through artists like Bert Jansch, Wizz Jones and Ralph McTell.

Gerry moved to Yorkshire in 1972 as a teacher, playing folk clubs and joining a variety of bands. Once retired, he started writing songs and playing solo acoustic blues gigs in pubs, clubs and festivals in the UK.

Mockingbirds

Mockingbirds are acoustic harmonies duo Cath Harney and Pam Johnson. Cath and Pam both live in Keighley, West Yorkshire and are well known in local music circles for their lovely harmonies and original songs. Mockingbirds have been singing and writing together for around 8 years now and loving every minute of it.

They cover a wide range of styles and eras from folk to country, to bluegrass and pop and have recorded two CDs, one of which was Christmas fundraiser for the Bradford Metropolitan Food Bank. Both CDs are available on Bandcamp.

Cath and Pam have been busy over the last year writing new songs about people from their local area and about places in Yorkshire and are planning to record them later this year. Songwriting remotely has been a novel and rewarding challenge for them and they are looking forward to playing this new set of original songs for the first time as a full set at The Topic Folk Club.

Entry £9 (£6 members)

https://wegottickets.com/event/640722

15th May   Singers & Musicians   £1 entry

22nd  May     

Poetry Evening Double Header: Emma Conally-Barklem and Charlie Parker with musical interludes by Les Gillon and Julia Farrants.  *

Emma Conally-Barklem is a Bradford-born author, poet and yoga teacher based in North Yorkshire. In 2023, she was New Northern Poet for Ilkley Literature Festival. Her collection The Ridings was curated into an exhibition in her hometown, Bradford. Hymns from the Sisters was written after a residency at the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

Emma won the Black in White Poetry Prize 2024. Her first novel, Yoga Homicide was shortlisted for the 2024 Book Edit Writers’ Prize. Her first full collection, Emily Brontë’s Hawk will be published by The Black Cat Poetry Press in 2026. She is a core poet for the BBC’s Contains Strong Language Poetry Festival for Bradford 2025.

Skilfully crafted, poignant and memorable, this is an impressive debut which I am sure will be of great comfort and inspiration to anyone experiencing loss - Natalie Scott, review of The Ridings

Charlie Parker is a published poet, writer, and editorial assistant. In 2023 his debut poetry collection, which was nominated for two awards, was published by Written Off Publishing. He has published a short story and a creative non-fiction essay, and volunteers as a features writer for Exposed Magazine. He has a particular interest in UK social class, current affairs, English football, and politics.

Heartfelt, witty and subtly political anthems of everyday life - Lee Pollard, Sheffield Hallam University Department of Social Work and Social Care

Musical interludes from Les Gillon on guitar and Julia Farrants on cello.

Les Gillon is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who as well as being a longstanding member of the folk trio Ghost School, leads his own five piece acoustic band The Agents of Karma, of which Julia Farrants is a member.  Julia also plays in a wide range of contexts from classical orchestral to klezmer and gypsy jazz.

See attached.

https://wegottickets.com/event/655962

Entry £9 (£6 members)

29th May    Jim Ghedi Duo

A duo project between two fingerstyle guitarists, coming together to blend influences and different styles of playing to create a unique sound for guitar based folk music. Jim Ghedi and Toby Hay  are both prolific, praised and established artists in their own right.

Hailing from South Yorkshire, Ghedi’s previous work has often been instrumental, exploring the natural world and his relationship to it, as seen on 2018’s A Hymn For Ancient Land but also developing into using his voice, songwriting and traditional material on his more recent album, In The Furrows Of Common Place. He draws from social observations, contemporary songwriting, historical & traditional material.

Over the years he has performed headline tours and festivals across the UK & Ireland as well as supporting & touring with bands such as Lankum, Stick in the Wheel, Richard Dawson, Martin Carthy, Shirley Collins.

Toby Hay is a guitar player and composer, interested in the connection between improvisation and composition and fascinated by the connection between landscape and music - his work is inspired by the landscapes of the Cambrian mountains, where he has lived all his life.

He has toured all over the UK & Ireland performing solo, or collaborating with other musicians. He is the founder of Cambrian Records, a label which he runs to release his own music and that of a select few artists.

Together they have released two albums, The Hawksworth Grove Sessions (2018) and the self-titled Jim Ghedi and Toby Hay (2023).

What’s absolutely certain is that these two British musicians are both currently on a creative roll that show no sign of slowing down, both are possessed of a special talent that manifests spectacularly whenever they pick up a guitar - FROOTS

Melodically sublime... although Ghedi's music is infused with tradition, it's very much experiencing the present - MOJO

Entry £9 (£6 members)

https://wegottickets.com/event/658423

 TOPIC  ZOOM -  May 19th 2025

Welcome to the month of May with an invitation to join our next Topic Zoom on Monday, May 19th.

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

Our Zooms 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 

 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.

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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.

A collection of folk songs about people, groups and special places in Bradford District.

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

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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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The Salt of the Earth Festival will take place this weekend 3rd and 4th May (sorry I gave the incorrect dates in the last newsletter) based at Caroline Social Club in Saltaire, on Caroline Street, near the junction with Exhibition Road.  

The festival itself covers Saturday 3rd May 1pm to 11:30pm and Sunday 4th May 12pm to 9:30pm. Please note the weekend is SOLD OUT and if you don't already have a ticket (£35) there is a waiting list.

The Topic has a slot on the Sunday (4th) from 1pm to 2.30pm. During this time we will be featuring some of the regulars who attend our Singers and Musicians nights. For those of you unfamiliar with the s/m nights, they offer an informal and supportive atmosphere  for anyone who cares to come and sing, play, recite a poem or just listen, be it a beginner who wants to try their hand at performing, or those more experienced who maybe be want to try out some new material.

Representing The Topic in our 90-minute slot are:

Robbie – Introduction to the Topic Folk Club.
Zbig – Performing ‘Bradford Fayre’ about Bradford’s history and ‘Last Hand’ about larger-than-life Bradford character Muppet.
Janglebuddies – Phil Cockerham and Dickie Dixon performing original and traditional songs and tunes.
John Waller – with ‘Molecules’ about our common origins and ‘Grandad 2050’ from the POV of his grandchildren.
Tim Moon – one of Yorkshire's most prolific songwriters for himself, for TV, radio and live theatre.
Chris Hyland – Topic a cappella singer often supporting headline acts.
Otra - Rahel Guzelian and Tony Charnock with a repertoire of songs with guitar, whistle and fiddle.
Ian Wallace – A provocative performer across West Yorkshire’s clubs.
Jane Ramsden - a cappella singer performing songs from musicals and music halls.
Tanya Richam-Odoi – therapist, dancer, teacher, rehearsal director, choreographer with smooth melodies.
Liz Narey - a Topic regular performing since the 1960s at folk clubs, in bands, and as a solo performer.
Into the Buttercup – trio Robbie, Molly and Joy with great melodies and harmonies to finish an upbeat session

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On Saturday 31st May we are running a Songwriting Workshop at the Bradford Mechanics Institute, 76 Kirkgate BD1 1SZ. This will run from 10.30 am  to 3.30 pm and will be led by local Topic favourites Nick Hall and Michelle Plum, aka Plumhall of course.The event will be open to all abilities. Flyer attached...

This event is in association with and has been made possible by Creative Lives and  Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.                                                                       

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Topic-goer Zbig Szafranski  has conducted a very interesting interview with Mic (of Mic and Susie Darling). A little too lengthy for the newsletter,  but you can read it on the Topic Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/647289061950797

NON-TOPIC STUFF

Firstly some sad news, many of you will have heard that Wizz Jones passed away on 27th April, aged 86.. It was a couple of months after his last gig. He was last at the club when we were at The Cock and Bottle as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations. He was at the club in the early days hitching up from London when he was coming up for expenses only. Amazing guitarist and singer inspiration to many.

As mentioned in the last newsletter,Tom Bliss and Den Miller are doing another short tour to further Tom's ongoing campaign to raise funds for the MS Society (he has raised more than £10,000 so far) - his daughter suffers from this dreadful disease. The first gig is on Friday 9th May, 7.30 pm in St. Andrews Church, Bradford Road Oakenshaw BD12 7EN. As some of you will remember, Tom and Den gave us a memorable night at the Topic last year.

See Tom's website, https://tombliss.co.uk for the other dates of the tour.

Barrie and Ingrid Temple bring their traditional and original songs from the North East with harmonies, choruses and concertina to Ryburn 3 Step Folk Club, The Hollins Mill, Sowerby Bridge HX6 2QG on Sunday 11th May, 7pm - 10 pm. Tickets £9. Reservations 01422 822569 or email info@ryburn3step.org.uk. 

Please note this club can only accept cash.

www.ryburn3step.org.uk.

Sarah McQuaid is appearing at the Black Dyke Mills Heritage Venue, Brighouse Road Queensbury BD13 1QA on Saturday 24th May at 7.30pm.

Songs that span genres and defy categorisation...

https://www.blackdykemills.org.

Gerry Cooper is appearing at the Avondale Club, 19 Bradford Road, Shipley BD18 3PJ on Sunday 25th May, 7pm - 9 pm. This is a Pay As You Feel event.

NEWS FROM THE DALES

The Yorkshire Heritage Summit Exhibition takes place at Skipton Town Hall on Tuesday 13th May, 10am - 4pm. It will include a Dales Music and Dance Collective table. Sadly there is no folk event this year, but it's surely still worth a visit.

https://theyorkshiresociety.org/event/2025-yorkshire-heritage-summit/

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TOPIC STUFF                                                    

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