Ashington Folk Club - Performers

Ann Lunam-Cowan

Ann Lunam-Cowan (nee Hedley) was in at the start of the club - opening day at the Cellar in 1964, and 1st day at the Institute, 15 May 1986.

Ashington native born, and bred, and still living in the area. Inveterate folkie, dialect poet and bellydancer, winner of the Novice Cup and 3 times winner of the Open Dialect Poetry Competition at Rothbury Traditional Music Festival, always placed in the first 3.

Can’t sing, can’t play, but have loved folk music since the Cellar days and indeed I was there the very first night it opened back in 1964, and was at this Club the first night we opened here.

More recently, I was co-writer with David Straker, former schoolmate now living in California, of the CD 'The Pit Still Gets Her Man'. This was all Dave’s idea, inspired by a poem of mine called 'Ashington' about life in a mining town, the CD celebrates our wonderful Northumbrian heritage and our glorious county. It took around 18 months to do, by e-mail. We shared the lyric writing - Dave wrote the music and recorded the songs. We hope it appeals to everyone still living in Northumberland and to those of us who’ve moved on to pastures new and are feeling homesick.

You can find out more about the CD at http://www.estraker.com/thepit/ - where you can also listen to some mp3 samples and find details of how to buy a copy.

David and Ann have kindly made some additional full length mp3s available at http://www.estraker.com/naffs/ - help yourself, they're free.