MANY of us can remember Jake Thackray, the singing Yorkshireman with a gift for pithy observations in his songs, usually delivered in a dryly humorous style.

He was a frequent sight on TV talk shows and topical programmes of the 1960s, and when I met him at a concert in Durham in the mid-70s, he was friendly and charming. Sadly, he died some years ago, but his songs have been revived by a man called John Watterson, under the banner Fake Thackray, and he’ll be joined by another of Jake’s disciples, our own Tyneside songster Pete Scott, at a special concert at Whitley Bay Playhouse tomorrow night.

Also tomorrow, there’s another all-star night at Sedgefield Cricket Club with Jester, The Old Age Travellers, John Weighill and The John Wrightson Band, and on Sunday at South Shields Customs House, there’s a rare visit to the region from Irish Balladeer Donal MacGuire. Donal has been resident in Liverpool for many years, and is known for his classic singing style and wide repertoire of songs.

On Monday at The Sun Inn in Stockton, local lasses Judith Haswell and Trish MacLean will be the main attraction, and then on Tuesday at Cramlington’s Clef and Cask, another Irishman, Tyneside-based Gareth Davies-Jones will be bringing his fine selection of self-penned songs for a welcome return to one of the region’s longest-established weekly clubs.

Finally, a fond farewell to cockney funnyman Derek Brimstone, who died last weekend. His side-splitting anecdotes and flash guitar style were a frequent highlight of festivals and club-nights around the North-East in the 1970s, when he was signed to Newcastle’s Rubber Records label. In fact, one of his live albums was recorded at Trimdon’s popular Red Lion folk club back then. We’ll remember him fondly and with a smile on our faces.