WHEN Joan Armatrading last took to the road in 2015, rehearsing and playing the opening show at Pocklington Arts Centre, it was to be her last big world tour.

After 235 dates, that was it, done and dusted. No more endless long-haul flights, no more torturous routing, such as for a gig that required the Birmingham singer-songwriter to pass through seven countries en route.

Nevertheless, Armatrading will be touring once more from September 10 to October 29, but focusing her 33 dates on a "much more comfortable option" by sticking to Britain.

"I was never going to quit live work completely, and I’ll certainly never retire, but I won’t be doing a two-year tour again!" clarifies Joan, whose travels will take in the Grand Opera House, York, on September 23 and Hull New Theatre on October 1,

As in 2015, the tour will be a solo venture: Joan alone, playing, talking and taking her audience on a musical journey through her catalogue old and new, right up to this spring's new album, Not Too Far Away, her 21st studio release.

Released on BMG, its ten tracks include the single Loving What You Hate, sure to be aired in York and Hull. So will Love And Affection , her signature song, now 42 years old. "I always play that song. Why wouldn’t I?", says Joan, now 67. "My fans want to hear it and if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be where I am today so, of course, it’ll always be in my set. I’m very grateful to them. But I’m on stage for a good while, so I’ll be playing some of the other hits as well, along with material from the recent albums."

Tickets for York are on sale on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york; Hull, 01482 300306 or hulltheatres.co.uk.