The Houghton Weavers

The Houghton Weavers

The Houghton Weavers are an English folk music group formed in 1975 in Westhoughton, in the borough of Bolton, Lancashire. They perform mainly English folk music, much of it in Lancashire dialect, and their repertoire includes songs on a range of subjects such as “The Blackpool Belle”, “Uncle Joe’s Mintballs” and “Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs”, a song about the painter L. S. Lowry.

Line-up

The current members are David Littler, Steve Millington and Tony Berry. Littler plays acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, banjo-ukulele, bouzouki, piano accordion and vocals. Millington plays bass guitar, keyboards, acoustic guitar, piano accordion and vocals. Berry is the lead vocalist. Littler and Berry are founder members of the band, and Millington joins in 1996.

Former members

Previous members include Norman Prince, who is in the group from 1975 to 1999 and plays 6-string acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, bass guitar and vocals; John Oliver, who is a member from 1975 to 1976 and sings vocals; Denis Littler, who is in the band from 1976 to 1984 on bass guitar and vocals; and Jeff Hill, who is a member from 1984 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2007 on bass guitar, 6-string acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, electric guitar and vocals.

Television and radio

The group is best known for the BBC television programme Sit Thi Deawn, a Lancashire phrase meaning “Sit You Down”, which runs for six series over seven years. The programme combines easy-listening music and comedy for a local audience. The band also stars in six of its own series for BBC Radio 2.