HUSBAND and wife duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman will be showcasing their latest album at The Witham on Tuesday, April 25.
It has been five years since the last offering from the pair and their latest LP, Almost a Sunset, is being hailed as a tour de force of musical and lyrical surprises.
Their seventh album, it is a collection of thoughtful songs that range from re-worked traditional ballads to the storytelling style that has become their trademark.
Recorded in their studio on Dartmoor over the course of a year, the couple explore favourite characters, childhood memories and deep emotion to pull together a collection of songs that demonstrates their musical versatility, a sharp interest in the world around them and their unique perspective on the folk genre.
They were able to call on the talents of their teenage twin daughters Poppy and Lily. Poppy sings backing vocals on the opening track Eavesdropper, while Lily’s artistic flare can be seen in the photography.
Kathryn said: “The girls have provided inspiration for many of our songs over the years but it’s lovely that they feel they can help us out in a more practical way as they grow older and their talents shine through.”
From their early days in folk supergroup Equation to their new album, this couple have been twice winners of Best Duo at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Tickets for the show, which starts at 7.30pm, cost £17.50, and are available from 01833 631107 or thewitham.org.uk
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
