A SINGER songwriter with a love of nature is playing in Carnforth, with a show at the heritage centre on June 10.

'Contemporary folk' artist Ben Maggs is touring his latest album 'Come as You are', which came out in November 2015. His tour has included sell-out headline shows and a support slot with Scottish legends The Proclaimers.

For Ben connecting with a live audience is a precious experience, but this particular gig has even greater significance.

He said: "Playing in Carnforth is something I am really excited about, especially as it’s at the Heritage Centre, which I remember visiting with my family many moons ago. Generations of my family have been fascinated by steam powered travel, so the station and works at Carnforth was an obvious place to visit whenever we came here.

"As a boy I was often in Lancashire as I have close family in Morecambe. Most of my other memories are of places like Happy Mount Park, Frontier Land, Morcambe Bay near the Hest Bank Signal Box and wandering by the canal in Bolton Le Sands."

Ben’s debut album ‘Come As You Are’ draws especially on his experiences and adventures around the British Isles - walks in the gentle Cotswold Hills; haunting shadowy nights wrapped by Skye’s unforgiving Cuillin ridge; nomadic weeks on Scotland’s west coast and Islands, with a guitar, living in a car with the sea for a bath, no plan or maps and precious little underwear.

Ben said: "If I had to describe the themes of the album and the tour, I’d say wild nature, human nature and the nature of love."

Ben’s Carnforth gig comes off the back of a month long tour in Scotland, where he will play in locations as far afield as The Orkney Isles, Isle of Lewis, Isle of Coll, Isle of Luing and Knoydart Peninsula.

"As soon as I knew the gig in Carnforth was a possibility I jumped at the chance. I’ve wanted to play in the area for so long, I’m delighted it’s finally happening. Having so many memories of being here when I was growing up, it feels a bit like heading home," he said.