Next Level Folk Club is pleased to present Donnelly and South (Plus Quantum Penguin)

Keith Donnelly, one of the most popular, and yes, slightly crazy, figures in the folk world, teams up with the scene’s most exciting new voice – Lauren South. Keith’s songwriting and guitar-playing often take a back seat to his onstage madcappery. Not so in this duo (he promises!). Lauren’s stunning vocals on her own originals, Keith’s songs, and the odd ‘trad’ song, not forgetting her violin, guitar and shruti box playing, never fail to ‘wow’ audiences wherever she goes. They make a fun and energetic combination and have received rave reviews across the country’s folk clubs and festivals.

“a revelation. Keith’s guitar craft was absolutely stunning, and their arrangements felt light and easy despite being wonderfully complex and a joyful place in which to be lost. Lauren’s singing is world class… Humble, honest, powerful, intriguing and mesmerising.”
– Adam Beresford-Browne, Nuneaton Folk Club

“just stunning. Keith Donnelly and Lauren South are one diamond duo combining gorgeous singing and musicianship with barely controlled craziness.”
– The Albany Theatre, Coventry

“What an absolute joy… Superb!”
– The Woodman Folk Club

Support is from Quantum Penguin. Matt Woolley (a.k.a. Quantum Penguin) is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter from Shropshire. His love of storytelling through song blended with driving instrumentals means his set is one minute lilting and filled with emotion and the next joyfully energetic with soaring fiddle, guitar or bouzouki.

He has been nominated twice for Folk Musician of The Year at the Shropshire Music Awards. His recently-released second album Adélie has also received Album Of The Series on The Salopian Mixtape podcast. From songs that make you cry to rip-roaring fiddle tunes that will make you stomp your foot, Matt will guide you through the full spectrum of emotions while you sing along!

“Matthew’s love for the folk tradition shines through his soulful singing and exceptional multi instrumental accompaniments.”
– Debra Hannis – Chippenham Folk Festival

“A rising star indeed.”
-Will Sartin – Patakas

“The multi-instrumentalist is a delight to watch and hear… a new generation of folk singer”
– Sofia Lewis – Sound of Shrewsbury Folk

Your host will be Christopher Crompton.

Doors open at 7pm for a start at 7:30pm.

This October we will be celebrating our 40th Open Weekend at The Bonded Warehouse!

The dates for your diaries are Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th October 2025, 10am to 5pm. As always, it is free entry.

Further details will be added over the coming months so watch this space.

The Stourbridge Navigation Trust Open Weekend will take place on 19th / 20th October 2024 from 10.00am until 5.00pm.

The Open Weekend as always will feature food and craft stalls, a rally of over 30 boats, classic vehicles exhibitors, a real ale bar, children’s rides, live music and other traders – we hope it will be a another great success and much enjoyed by the local community.

Please mark your diaries and tell your family and friends about this forthcoming event and we look forward to hosting you at the Open Weekend 2024.

The event is free to enter but please note that Canal Street will be closed to non-authorised vehicles for safety reasons whilst the event is ongoing so public parking will need to be found on nearby streets.

Stourbridge Navigation Trust is pleased to advise that we are already planning for the Open Weekend which is scheduled to run over the weekend of 19th / 20th October 2024.

After last year’s success, despite the somewhat poor weather, we hope to attract as many boats as possible to celebrate canal boating and for all to enjoy this popular annual event  in Canal Street and hope that you will support us once again by participating. New boaters are always very welcome.

Please download the Boater’s Entry Form below and return the completed form to us by post or simply popping in to The Bonded Warehouse, Canal Street, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 4LU.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to once again welcoming you to Canal Street on the Stourbridge Arm.

» DOWNLOAD 2024 BOAT ENTRY FORM «

Part of the Stourbridge Canal was found drained of water this morning (Thursday January 4th 2024).

A keen walker shared these images with The Stourbridge News after snapping the almost empty stretch of canal, between Amblecote and Wordsley, at around 9am today.

He said he later noticed the lock gates had been opened to allow water to flow back in and it looked as if the dried-up waterway had been refilled although water levels still appeared lower than usual.

The Canal and River Trust has been contacted for comment.

Photographs courtesy of Alan Meese / Stourbridge News.

Update 6th January:

A Trustee at Stourbridge Navigation Trust became aware of the problem and acted accordingly. He advises that whilst latterly the local youth have left the canal alone it does still occur occasionally. On this occasion the top gate of the bottom lock was opened and a paddle drawn at the bottom end sometime on Wednesday evening.

He put the paddle down again and reported it to CRT before 9 o’clock on Thursday morning as he couldn’t shut the top gate due to debris which require a long handled rake to clear. The pound was full again by 10.30 as a boat was coming down.

This sort of malevolent activity is not confined to Stourbridge as sadly it happens all over the country from time to time.

The Bonded Warehouse is proud to once again welcome the Stourbridge Military Vehicle Parade which assembles in Canal Street at 10.45am before proceeding to the top of the Stourbridge High Street [by The Chequers Wetherspoon Pub] for a prompt 11.00am start. The colourful parade finishes in Canal Street where approximately 30 vehicles will be on display  until 3.00pm for the public to take a close look at a range of military vehicles, including a tank, and to chat with the enthusiasts who maintain them.

The parade itself will be led by the Shirley Pipe Band and can be viewed proceeding along the Ring Road making its way to the starting point and then down the High Street, Market Street and Bath Road to Canal Street where the vehicles will assemble by the Bonded Warehouse.

They event held last year proved to be very popular and those looking to attend on Saturday 9^th November  are strongly encouraged, for safety reasons, not to park in Canal Street as this may obstruct the military vehicles, some of which are very large and tricky to manoeuvre . Access to Canal Street will be managed by authorised representatives of the event. Parking can be found in nearby streets such as Mill Race Lane and Old Wharf Road but please be considerate where you leave your car.

Refreshments will be available from a mobile outlet parked in Canal Street.

Wear your poppy with pride and come along to enjoy the parade. You will be made most welcome.

A new website has been launched to provide more information about the parade and this can be accessed from:

www.stourbridgemvp.co.uk

The popular annual Open Weekend which had been postponed due to Covid-19 for the past 2 years finally returned to the Bonded Warehouse and the Stourbridge Arm of the canal over the weekend of 15^th / 16^th October 2022. With the benefit of fair weather and consequently a large public turnout it was a resounding success with thousands of smiling visitors coming along to support and enjoy the event.

The Open Weekend featured food stalls including the popular hog roast, a plethora of colourful craft stalls, a rally of 45 boats, a display of fantastic classic vehicles, a real ale bar, children’s rides, live music with broadcasting from Black Country Radio’s double decker bus, and numerous other traders showcasing the best of local business or as representatives of voluntary groups engaging with the community.

We were pleased to welcome local MPs Suzanne Webb and Mike Wood, Dudley’s Deputy Mayor, The Leader of Dudley Council Patrick Harley, the CEO of Canal & River Trust Richard Parry with Richard Preston on the VIP boat.

Stourbridge Navigation Trust are absolutely delighted that the event ran smoothly, despite a few inevitable niggles, this mainly due to the efforts that went into the detailed planning in the preceding months and on the day as a result of the tremendous work done by the SNT volunteers. It was indeed a great success, much enjoyed by the local community to whom we are grateful for their support – we look forward to welcoming you back to Canal Street and the Bonded Warehouse next year!

A Gallery of photographs (courtesy of Trustees Geoff Cooke and Paul Collins) illustrating the event can be viewed below – we hope you enjoy them! If you have any photographs which you think would benefit the gallery then please send them in and we’ll gladly publish them.

With there still being much uncertainty about the ongoing risks and longer-term impacts of the current Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, after much consideration and discussion during a meeting of the Trustees of the Stourbridge Navigation Trust, with reluctance it has been decided to cancel both the Annual Open Weekend in October 2020 and the popular Annual Santa Boat Trip experience at the Bonded Warehouse on all weekends in December 2020.

It is our sincere hope that it will be possible to safeguard all of our volunteers, visitors, boaters, traders, entertainers and food retailers, sufficiently to organise the Open Weekend in 2021 in its traditional usual weekend of Saturday 16^th & Sunday 17^th October 2021.

Santa sends his sincere apologies and his elves are distraught at the thought of disappointing all of the lovely children who come to see him. However, we hope that you will all understand why this decision needed to be taken. It does give the elves an opportunity to plan for a bigger and better Santa experience in 2021 and we have already pencilled in the dates for weekends next year (10^th/11^th/12^th December and 18^th/19^th December) as Santa is a busy man!

Trustees and volunteers thank you for your continuing support and understanding in these difficult times.

“We, including Santa and his elves will be back!”