GREETINGS from Canada, where I just spent a very enjoyable weekend at the Mill Race Folk Festival in Cambridge Ontario. It was a real thrill to hear music from acts that were mostly new to me, and though there was a palpable British and Celtic influence to many of them, the presence of Balkan, Québécois and American old-time players really gave the whole event a keen edge.

If you’re browsing on YouTube at any time, try checking out the Allison Lupton Band, Hannah Naiman, and an extraordinary young duo called The Haret, who play authentic sounding blues while doubling up on dobro, tuba, fiddle, trumpet and bass drum. It was nice to catch up with other visiting Brits like The Melrose Trio and Commonground who were all doing us proud.

I’m now heading west to the much bigger Edmonton Folk Festival in Alberta, but back at home I’m missing out on this weekend’s Saltburn Festival. This year’s guests include Vin Garbutt, MarieLittle, The Young Uns, Colum Sands, Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby, Roy Bailey, and many more, with a strong contingent of local acts keeping things rolling.

As ever, Saltburn provides a great jumping off point for anyone wanting to sample the wonders of a folk festival for the first time.

Just up the road, Billingham International Festival of Folk Dance will also be in full swing all next week at various venues around town, with some free displays in the town centre on most days. Finally, the Iron Horse, at Newton Aycliffe, has Irish songster Anthony John Clarke on Monday at their regular weekly get together.