LET’S not talk about snow and cold weather, let’s look ahead to a week of fine folk music that it will be worth venturing out to hear. Tonight is a busy one, for a start. Darlington’s own folk boy-band Loose Connection are at The Old Well Inn in Barnard Castle, while up at Gateshead’s Sage there’s a special concert called Morris Offspring, featuring top trio Faustus, and an alternative take on the Morris Dance world. Faustus is something of a folk supergroup, with Paul Sartin and Benji Kirkpatrick from Bellowhead joined by Saul Rose. I heard them rehearsing their new album when I was at Cecil Sharp House, in London, earlier this year, and it’s a very impressive sound they make, I have to say. The Cutty Wren folk club are temporarily relocated to Redcar Borough Park Bowling Club for the next few weeks, with Jim and Lynette Eldon as the main attraction this week. On Saturday, former Lindisfarne songwriter and bassman Rod Clements makes a welcome return to Washington’s Davy Lamp, playing songs from his soon-to-be-released retrospective solo album.

Speaking of venue changes, by the way, I notice that Ashington Folk Club has moved from its long-time home at the leisure centre, to The Portland Rooms in Station Road. They’ve got an impressive line-up of guests booked in the months ahead, including David Knopfler, Stefan Grossman, John Renbourn and Christine Collister, so it’s definitely worth a trip through the Tyne Tunnel for some of that, I’m sure you’ll agree. Even further north, and just as worth the trip I hope, our final Pitmen Poets concert is a week tomorrow at Alnwick Playhouse. This was a sell-out on our last tour, but at the moment there are still a few tickets left, so don’t miss out. Stay warm.