The Houghton Weavers will keep folk smiling on two visits to Derbyshire town

The legendary singers will perform in Buxton, firstly at the Palace Hotel over the weekend of October 7 to 9, and then at the Pavilion Arts Centre on December 17.

Their first booking in town coincides with the release that week of new single Wild Mountain Thyme, taken from the album New World In The Morning which is due out on October 14.

Steve Millington, David Littler and Jim Berry from The Houghton Weavers said: “To us, this traditional Scottish folk song depicts the love that Queen Elizabeth II had for the beautiful Scottish Highlands. It could almost be a signature to her love and time spent north of the border. It’s such a poignant and beautiful traditional song and it seems a perfect track as our tribute to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

“Having been working on the album for almost two years, through Covid and into the summer of 2022, it’s a mixture of self-penned and traditional songs as well as some very well-known folk covers. We have used various session musicians including Ken Nichol of Steeleye Span and the wonderful country folk guitarist Pete Frampton. The album has that Weavers comedy element but is brought back down to earth with some beautifully poignant trad folk songs.

"We are dedicating this album to our late Tony Berry who sadly passed away in 2019.”

The Houghton Weavers have been entertaining folk up and down the country for 47 years with great music and stories galore!

They promise a fun-packed, singalong family show with plenty of laughter and old familiar songs like the Blackpool Belle, Matchstalk Men and Wild Rover mixed together with some new songs, and festive favourites on the Christmas Tour like Let It Snow, Bless Your Whiskers and White Christmas.

Learning their craft in the folk clubs of their native North West, the group have never wavered from their original motto of “Keep Folk Smiling”.

In their time together, the band have performed thousands of concerts, recorded more than 30 albums and starred in several of their own highly successful BBC radio and TV series.

Their Fun with Folk weekend residency at Buxton’s Palace Hotel, which includes two evening shows and two morning shows, will feature special guests Bernard Wrigley, Buzz Hawkins and Joe Martin. For more details or to book, call 07808 271 671 or visit https://houghtonweavers.com

Tickets cost £19 for The Houghton Weavers Christmas Concert at the Pavilion Arts Centre. To book, go to www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk