KENNY Speirs and Real Time play the final club guest night of the year at the Black Swan Folk Club, Peasholme Green, York, on Thursday night.

"We usually try to have something a bit special for this night, and this one is no exception," said club organiser Roland Walls. "Real Time is a top class band from the Scottish Borders, with a lovely mix of traditional, contemporary and original songs from two strong singers, supported by fiddle, guitar and keyboard.

"Kenny Speirs first came to notice as a founder member of the John Wright Band, accompanying that majestic but now sadly departed singer for 11 years. A fine vocalist himself and acclaimed across Europe as an excellent guitarist, Kenny went on to form Real Time with his partner, the North East English singer Judy Dinning, and another ex-John Wright Band musician, keyboards man Tommy Roseburgh."

After Judy's untimely death in 2013, the band has reformed with Eilidh Grant on lead vocals and newest recruit Carla Blain on fiddle. Moreover, Kenny Speirs has blossomed as a songwriter, releasing his first entirely self-penned album, Sleepwalking, earlier this year and seeing it very well received.

"We can expect to hear some of those songs given the band treatment on Thursday night," said Mr Walls. "Real Time don’t get down to England very often but I managed to see them in action at a festival this summer and they certainly were very entertaining, so I’m delighted they are coming south again.

"Kenny Speirs and Tommy Roseburgh have also contributed to several albums by our own Stan Graham over the years, so naturally Stan is the master of ceremonies for this one, while the expected floor singers will be Judith Haswell, Steve Marshall and Val & Mike Bennett from the Cottingham Live folk club."

Tickets cost £10 at blackswanfolkclub@yahoo.co.uk or on 01904 632922 or £11 on the door.