Sid Calderbank

About the show

As a native dialect speaker, Sid has been researching and collecting songs, stories and poems of old Lancashire for the past 30 odd years, performing them only at impromptu events, at folk and art festivals as well as local clubs. Now, he is appearing in Longton performing songs and poems (in their own dialect), written by local authors to remember actual events, both triumphs and disasters, ending up with a vividly real timeline of Lancashire's social history.

Business, family and a very successful 20 year stint as a barn dance caller with Lancashire’s famous Old Pequliar Band kept Sid busy enough. Although he is still occasionally dragged, kicking and screaming, from retirement to call dances, the last 10 years with time on his hands, has allowed him to develop and promote his dialect performances to a much wider audience. Historical societies, Libraries, Social and Professional Groups, Museums, Schools, Arts, Literary and Folk Festivals, Old Folks Luncheon Clubs, and Lancashire themes events from the likes of pubs and restaurants have all benefited.

Sid is an active member of the Edwin Waugh Society, The Lancashire Society and help and support from Cock Robin Music has enabled him to record everything he does for posterity, "to keep it from oblivion". He hopes his efforts will help to preserve our ancient language for future generations.