HIGH points come thick and fast across the region’s folk scene this week, with several national names, alongside our own homegrown stars, making welcome appearances.

Marton Country Club near Middlesbrough gets us off to a fine start tonight with the annual extravaganza Feast of Fiddles, featuring some of the country’s most celebrated bow-merchants, including Peter Knight, Brian McNeil, Phil Beer, Chris Leslie and local lad Tom Leary. Also tonight, Cheshire lad Joe Topping is at Skelton’s Duke William, and American songstress Debra Cowan is at Darlington Arts Centre. The annual Morpeth Gathering kicks off its weekend of workshops, dances and competitions tomorrow, and bluesman Ian Goodsman returns to Hartlepool’s Causeway Inn tomorrow night.

On Saturday we can choose between Durham’s Chris Milner at Stanley Arts Centre, a singaround at The Ship in Middlestone Village, a fine line-up of talent at Sedgefield Cricket Club featuring Bram Taylor and Roly Hindmarch, Keith Morrison and Steel Strings, and at Stockton’s Arc, a chance to hear top folk pinup Seth Lakeman on a rare visit North.

Sunday sees songwriter Jack Burness at Guisborough Rugby Club and traditional folk exponents Peter and Barbara Snape at Westoe Club in South Shields. Irish trio An Tri are at Stockton’s Sun Inn on Monday, and Tuesday offers a choice between ace guitar-slinger Eddie Walker at Newton Aycliffe’s Candlelight Club, top concertina squeezer Dick Miles at Darlington’s Britannia and the entertaining duo Bram Taylor and Roly Hindmarch at Cramlington’s Hind. Finally, there’s a rare chance to catch Irish superstar Paul Brady at Newcastle’s Tyne Theatre on Wednesday, with his fiery brand of folk rock. All in all, there’s everything a folk music fan could wish for, happening right here in our midst. Get out there and lap it up!