I’m lucky to have been asked to appear at the annual memorial concert for the Hartley mining disaster, to be held at Hartley Memorial Hall this Saturday night, just a few miles north of the River Tyne.

The last time I played there, it was a very happy and enjoyable night, more of a celebration of local culture than a mere sombre salute to one of the many groups of workers who were lost to the industrial past. Local harmony group Beeswing are also on the bill.

On Sunday, I’m back at one of my favourite local venues, Westoe Club in South Shields, whose folk website is a worthwhile and reliable resource for those of us who want to keep in touch with all manner of folky things around the North-East and beyond. It’s to be found at southshieldsfolkclub.co.uk.

Elsewhere in the region this week, the great songwriter, and now celebrated novelist Steve Tilston is at Washington’s Davy Lamp on Saturday, and on Tuesday we have a choice between the fine local singer-guitarist John Weighell at The Candlelight Club in Newton Aycliffe, and a special Burns Night concert at Bishop Auckland Town Hall featuring Tich Frier, with able support from John Snowball and Pat Baldwin. Meanwhile, word reaches me that the popular singers’ club run by The Young ‘Uns at The Cosmopolitan on Hartlepool’s Headland is ending its regular meetings, in favour of monthly events, with special guests. I’ll try and keep you informed about further developments there.

Instrumentalists amongst us might be interested to know that there is a series of workshops happening this month at Gateshead’s Sage, details of which are to be found on the Sage website, and which cater for all ages and standards on a variety of instruments. I’m at jez@jezlowe.com for all your folk info, and waiting to tell it to the world.