THERE'S a refreshing and varied selection of folk acts performing across our region this week, starting tonight with something of a family get-together at The Beamish Mary in No Place near Stanley. I first met multi-instrumentalists John and Caroline Bushby in Australia more than ten years ago, where they ran a very successful folk club in Tasmania. For the last few years they’ve lived on Tyneside and tonight they’ll be joined by their talented son Malcolm and Cloe Merriot for an evening of songs and tunes. Club host Jack Burness is also back at the Beamish Mary on Sunday, by the way, for a set of acoustic good-time music. Tomorrow French guitar virtuoso Pierre Bensusan is at Gateshead’s Sage, a rare visit from this legendary artist, and on Saturday Tom McConville is launching his new CD at Washington’s Davy Lamp, backed by a stellar backing band. Alistair Anderson presents a newly-composed piece of music at Gateshead’s Sage on Sunday, with a combination of concertina, steel drum and DJ beats forming the basis of a composition that Alistair has called Panning for Gold. Two popular singer-songwriters pay the region a visit this week, with Jon Harvison at The Iron Horse in Newton Aycliffe on Monday and Jinski at the Clef and Cask in Cramlington on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Copperhead Still are at The Candlelight in Newton Aycliffe. Congratulations to Whitby lass, and soon-to-be artistic director of folk music at Gateshead’s Sage, Eliza Carthy, who was awarded an MBE in last week’s Honour’s List. She’s currently on tour with her dad Martin, who also received an MBE some years ago, to promote their first album as a duo. And speaking of The Sage, they have a fabulous series of folk events lined up for the latter half of this year, so check out their website for details.