A ray of burgeoning sunshine!

It’s here! The wait is over! Thank you for your patience to all of you who pre-ordered ☺️

ONE MONTH TODAY!!!! Heave yourselves to Hitchin for an absolute treat for the ears and the soul as Leveret belt out a barrel of traditional instrumental music to set you right for Spring! Book now at www.vintageverse.co.uk @leveretband.bsky.social @samsweeney.bsky.social

Even more music coming your way!! The amazing @hannahscottuk.bsky.social is going to be supporting @rachaelmcshane.bsky.social at The Portland Arms - Cambridge, Southwold Arts Centre - Southwold AND Octagon Unitarian Chapel - Norwich!! Book now at www.vintageverse.co.uk/rachael-mcsh...

Can't wait to bring this nonsense back to life! Best dust off the old steamer trunk! :)

IT'S BACK!! The Wind in the Willows returns this summer with performances all over the place and there's still more to come! There'll be shouting, wigs, crashes, bad accents and a heap of animal-based nonsense. Booking open now at www.vintageverse.co.uk/the-wind-in-the-willows

So much happening this year! Come and see Sam Sweeney & Grace Smith at Hitchin Town Hall on October the 18th for an absolutely splendid evening of fiddle music! I'll be badgering you about Christmas shows in no time! Booking now open : www.vintageverse.co.uk/sam-sweeney-... @samsweeney.bsky.social

Honestly, there is no reason for you not to be heading into April with a proper spring in your step with all this bloody lovely stuff to set you off! Get thee to Norwich on March 27th, you'll be pleased as a badger with an enormous wooden spoon! Book now at www.vintageverse.co.uk/rachael-mcshane

@rachaelmcshane.bsky.social & The Cartographers arrive at Southwold Arts Centre on the 26th of March, showcasing their stunning new album Uncharted. Exceptional voices, masterful musicianship and traditional songs reimagined with depth and power. Book now at www.vintageverse.co.uk/rachael-mcshane

Coming to the The Portland Arms on March 25th, @rachaelmcshane.bsky.social & The Cartographers bring their album "uncharted" to the stage for a blissful evening of folk. There seems little chance that you'd want to be anywhere else quite frankly. Book now at www.vintageverse.co.uk/rachael-mcshane

Get your Spring in gear this March with some incredible traditional music coming to Hitchin Town Hall with @leveretband.bsky.social three of today's finest tunesmiths in the folk field. Book now for the perfect way to say goodbye to Winter! www.vintageverse.co.uk

I'm quite looking forward to being able to close the doors and then just sit down and enjoy this lot! :D

This feels odd. But also, completely brilliant.

I’m not sure I have ever been more pleased with something that someone has said about a thing I did. I’m a little taken aback to be honest but this has completely made my season!!

Absolutely cracking audience tonight at Friargate Theatre for the first show in York! Thanks to all that came, three more shows to go! Book now at www.vintageverse.co.uk if you’re in town! Saturday night has a few spaces left :)

A lovely way to kick off the season with a sold-out show at David's Bookshop in their rather spangly new cafe and with the most splendid audience! Still a few tickets available for Hitchin Town Hall on the 22nd! Get your slice of Dickens magic now at www.vintageverse.co.uk

I’ve not been out much lately but this definitely feels like out out. Itching to get going 😃

“Trump & Brexit are not 2 different things. They are the same thing. Same companies. Same data. Same Facebook. Same Russians. Same Cambridge Analytica. Same Robert Mercer. Same Steve Bannon. Same Breitbart. Same Alexander Nix. Same Donald Trump. Same Nigel Farage” @carolecadwalla.bsky.social 👇 #BBC

One Man Christmas Carol is coming to a venue near you this December. With many dates already sold out, it's never to early to book your tickets. Full tour dates, including York, Hove, Cambridge and many more, can be found at www.vintageverse.co.uk @VintageVerse.co.uk #theatre #ChristmasShows

Now the winter nights are here, it’s the perfect time to dust off the fiddle and join one of our lovely, welcoming groups. We’ll be learning some lovely tunes and working on technique along the way to improve your playing. rachaelmcshane.co.uk/workshops

Thank you to @mrjamesob.bsky.social for having me on, one of the v few people in the UK press to follow this story during what is now a decade of media apathy &/or complicity

Spent a glorious evening over at The Farmhouse and The Meadows at Polehanger (polehanger.co.uk) getting some new footage for this year's show trailers! An incredible spot tucked away in the Bedfordshire countryside, barns as old as the hills and perfectly secluded! www.vintageverse.co.uk

About fucking time.

This tweet has been doing the rounds on Twitter now that Nathan Gill has pleaded guilty. If only someone had tried to investigate UKIP & Russian interference 🧐 There’s another timeline where the Guardian supported me, doubled down on the investigation & I look 5 years younger ..

Queen

It gets earlier and earlier every year and it is, at least in part, probably my fault. Sorry, but not. x

Another new venue for 2025! Out in the Suffolk countryside near Diss, the incredibly atmospheric Wingfield Barns plays host to the classic tale of Christmas this December! As always, tickets on sale at www.vintrageverse.co.uk now!

It’s a new term and my online fiddle classes are back! Know someone who might like to have some lessons with a super friendly group? Fancy learning some new tunes or working on technique? Sign up now and start on Monday! rachaelmcshane.co.uk/workshops

Venue #5 is another pub and theatre (a very fitting combination in my view), this time at The Brunswick Pub & Theatre in Hove. I shall be bringing a slice of Dickens to the south coast on December 19th! As always, tickets all on sale at : www.vintageverse.co.uk

Venue #4 this year is another little gem that's coming back for two shows! This gorgeous little theatre tucked into the attic of the Town and Gown Pub & Theatre - Cambridge is a wonderfully intimate spot and I can't wait to get back! Booking open now! www.vintageverse.co.uk

Venue #3 this year is a little gem right by London Bridge! With the smallest capacity, the trickiest entrance and the earliest start, @oldoptheatre.bsky.social is unique in many ways but well worth the effort! Tickets are well over 50% sold for both shows! www.vintageverse.co.uk

And you can come and hear them for real in Hitchin next March!!! www.vintageverse.co.uk/leveret

New YouGov polling. A monumental failure of our political class to educate, a monumental failure of our media to report fairly, for a generation

Venue number 2 this year is a return to Friargate Theatre in the heart of York for FOUR shows starting on December the 11th! This gorgeous little studio theatre just yards from the banks of the Ouse was an absolute treat to perform at last year and I can't wait to get back. www.vintageverse.co.uk

Venue number 1 on this year's roster sees a return to David's Bookshop Cafe for the first show of the season! With a spangly little refit happening soon, it's going to be a slightly reduced capacity so get in early if you'd like to be there, over 20% sold already! www.vintageverse.co.uk#shows

Nothing says it's time to plan for Christmas like the start of the summer holidays, but that's what I've been up to, so I'm dragging you into it too. All shows are now online and a couple of them are over half sold, which is bit crazy. Stick a pin in your favourite show now at www.vintageverse.co.uk

Yes, it's early, but this year's dates are now all online and every single venue has started selling so clearly the heatwaves have got people thinking about Christmas! We have some lovely venues on the tour this year and so get booking now at www.vintageverse.co.uk

New immigration figures out today show that arrivals on small boats account for just 3.7% of all migrants arriving into the UK. It might be worth asking why Reform, Conservatives and Labour all want you to be hyper-focussed on that 3.7%, the most desperate and the easiest to demonise.

Are you someone that prides themselves on being incredibly organised WAY in advance? You could set yourself a new PB here 👇

MAY IS HERE ☺️ and to celebrate, we've made our Boss Morris album available to stream on all major platforms. "Boss Morris is an absolutely brilliant folk album for right now." - TradFolk I'm so proud of this record - get it in your ears! Link below... I hope you love it x bossmorris.hearnow.com

I’ll file this amongst ‘shit that’s well worth knowing but doubtless I’ll have forgotten it if I ever need it’

I know it gets earlier every year but it's starting to get ridiculous :D

This year's shows are now on sale and early access is open exclusively on the link below! There's a couple of shows 20% sold already so the smaller venues might go quite quickly, be sure to get in early if you'd like your pick! www.vintageverse.co.uk/priority

@samsweeney.bsky.social is going to be in Hitchin this Thursday and you should be there too for lots of this 👇 sort of thing! Go and get your ticket right now from www.vintagevers.co.uk and come and join us!

On Thursday the 3rd of April being at this gig will make you happy, that’s not just me saying that, it’s science.

Hey! Do this! 👇

When did it become ok to be so fast a loose with dates? What’s all this ‘September Five’ and ‘August Fourteen’ nonsense? August Fourteen was eleven years ago.

This is a superb way to spend an evening. Go.

Thursday April 3rd at St. Mary's in Hitchin, we'll be welcoming the fiddle legend @samsweeney.bsky.social for an evening of solo tunes and stories. Book now at www.vintageverse.co.uk Dates for this December's shows coming soon so make sure you're on the mailing list to be the first to know!