The other day, in a brief window of time between checking out of the hotel in New Haven, Connecticut and checking into our flight at JFK Airport in New York, time slowed to a delicious crawl as we walked around Lighthouse Point. The sea was calm and the beach mostly deserted. The shells along the waterline caught my eye, the shape and colour different to what I've seen elsewhere. I put a few in my pocket, a reminder of this beautiful and peaceful place. This isn't my first rodeo. I have momentos from pretty much every beach, river, lake, mountain and desert I have visited over the last three decades. Once home they live on the window sill in my office. When the window sill is full-to-overflowing, they go to live in the garden. Recent treasure has come from Malibu Beach and Butterfly Beach in California, Lunan Bay, Lower Largo and Arisaig in Scotland, and now Lighthouse Point in Connecticut. In the garden there might even be a hint of red desert sand from Utah, harvested by yours truly in Arches National Park in Moab. The sand rivalled the colour of the setting sun beyond ‘delicate arch’. I'd never seen anything like it before. Surely, mother earth won't mind me taking a little bit home as a reminder, I thought? I scooped a few handfuls into a zip-lock bag. Mother Earth did not appear to mind, but Denver Airport security did when the X-ray revealed a baggie of dusty granules in my backpack. The officer pulled my bag off the conveyer belt. Mind if I have a look? he asked, calling over his fellow officers.
(photo Jo Williams)
FINAL CONCERTS OF 2025
These are the last gigs of 2025 and then a break until mid-January 2026.
November-UK
19th Baldock Folk Club, Baldock, Hertfordshire
20th Grateful Fred’s Presents, Bijou Sessions, Southport SOLD OUT!
21st Acoustic Wessex, Blandford Forum, Dorset
22nd Lawn Tennis Club, Cambridge
23rd Private Concert
(photo by Jo Williams)
GET YER 2026 TICKETS (it helps the venues & us!)
"Brooks' Acoustic" CD Launch Solo Tour (PART 1)
FEBRUARY 2026
6th Cambridge Folk Club, Cambridge UK
7th Cafe No. 9, Sheffield UK
10th Fougou Music, Livermead Cliff Hotel, Torbay, Devon UK
13th Roots Music Club, Brewery Tap, Doncaster UK
14th Canopy Theatre, Beccles, Suffolk UK
19th House Concert, Edinburgh UK
20th The Book Tree, Pickering, North Yorkshire UK
22nd Lazy Sonnie Afternoon, Son en Breugel, The Netherlands
23rd Midnight Special Blues, Camberley, Surrey UK
27th Folk At The Fox, Bulmer Tye, Sudbury UK
(design by Leslie Lee)
“Working In Wood” Brooks & Aaron Catlow CD Launch Tour (PART 1)
MARCH 2026
1st Concert, Axbridge, Somerset UK
4th Spalding Folk Club, Spalding, South Holland, Lincolnshire UK
5th Cafe No. 9, Sheffield UK
6th Lingfield Community Arts, Lingfield, Sussex UK
7th The Back Room, Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire UK
8th Folk On The Moor, Wooter, Devon UK
10th Leith Folk Club, Edinburgh UK
13th Glenbuchat Live, Glenbuchat, Scotland UK
14th Concert, Edinvillie, Aberlour, Scotland UK
18th Willows Folk Club, Preston, Lancashire UK
20th St Mary's Church, Brought Ferry, Scotland UK
21st The Institute, Laxey, Isle Of Man
(photo by Theo Looijmans, design by Leslie Lee)
OUT-OF-PRINT CDs??
If you're looking for copies of some of my out-of-print CDs, look no further! Thanks to Tony, I have been given a few copies of the pesky varmits. Here's what I've got:
NORTH FROM STATESBORO (1990) 1 CD
BACK TO MERCY (1992) 2 CDs
KNIFE EDGE (1995) 1 CD
SEVEN SISTERS (1997) 3 CDs
DEAD SEA CAFE (1998) 1 CD
HUNDRED YEAR SHADOW (1999) 1 CD
Email me here and let me know if you want one and we can sort it. They don't have those annoying plastic CD boxes, so you'll either need your own or a sleeve for the disc and booklet. Either, it makes postage really minimal. Once they're gone, they're gone!
(photo by Jo Williams)
PLAYLIST 2512 FARE THEE WELL 2025!
Celebrating its first year in existence, welcome to the 10th PLAYLIST! Use the code at the bottom of this email to access your free tracks.
QUICK LINKS