THE county's legendary tales are played out on stage in Barrow next month, as musician and storyteller Steve Wharton brings his Cumbrian Songs and Stories show to The Forum.

He will be joined by a host of local performers adding a Furness flavour to the event, taking place on Friday February 17.

The show takes audiences on a cultural tour of the county through a collection of traditional and original songs, poems, stories and dialect pieces.

From Barrow to Carlisle, Sedbergh to Whitehaven, residents are readily vocal about whether they are in Cumbria or one of the respective "old" counties that the current administrative county is made up from.

One thing they can all agree on is that from the stunning views to its incredible history, in our corner of the world there’s plenty to be proud of and that includes the music and literature too.

Cumbrian Songs and Stories is a two-hour variety show, featuring West Cumbria-based storyteller and singer Steve Wharton, fiddle player Ryan Wood and dialect poet Annie Kendall.

Last month they put the call out for talented locals to perform in their show and haven’t been disappointed with the response.


Celia Ketchell Demonstrating Cumbria’s creative side, Amy Stretch-Parker will be performing extracts from the children’s book she has written. Set at the base of Coniston Old Man, the book features illustrations by Kate Brunskill. Amy will unveil details of her crowdfunding campaign during the show.

Broughton songstress Celia Ketchell will be looking back to the floods of 2015, and playing a song that she wrote to raise money for residents hard hit by Storm Desmond.


Barrow entertainer Gary Bridgens A Barrow music event wouldn’t be the same without The Hairy Buskers getting a look in and they’ll be perform an original song based on the building of Barrow’s airships.

Two of the guest performers have been looking back into the archives of Cumbrian music. There’ll be a new arrangement of the border ballad by John James Lonsdale, Aux Armes Citoyens, sung by Brendan Ashton, accordion player with folk duo Bright Trees.

Popular local showman and panto dame Gary Bridgens will be performing the music hall favourite I’ve Been Looking For Winkles On Walney, a song written by Dick Thompson and Wyn Large for the 1938 Barrow panto, Cinderella.

Storyteller Steve says: "We’re really excited to be bringing Cumbrian Songs and Stories to The Forum.

"It’s where I did some of my earliest shows back in the 90s, some of the folk tunes we play are from the Furness Tradition Songbook and there has always been such a lot of talent in the area.

"We hope that anyone interested in the cultural, historical, creative side of Cumbria will come along for a cracking night."

Cumbrian Songs and Stories starts at 7.30pm on Friday February 17, and tickets are available from The Forum box office.