A FOLK music icon will be taking a biographical journey from the streets of Manchester to the upper echelons of the music industry at the Brewery Arts Centre next month.

Mike Harding’s name is synonymous with the folk music scene in the north of England and beyond.

For 15 years he presented his highly-popular folk, roots and acoustic music programme on BBC Radio Two, establishing a regular evening audience of a million listeners until he was replaced as presenter two years ago by Mark Radcliffe.

Mike is also a prolific author with more than 40 books to his credit and his latest set of memoirs, The Adventures of the Crumpsall Kid, forms the basis of a new show which he’ll be bringing to the Kendal arts centre on Saturday, November 14 (7.30pm).

The show tells the tales of his childhood growing up in the shadow of a dark, satanic cracker factory in north Manchester where, in 1944, he was born into a working class Irish Catholic family.

Mike’s formative years were overshadowed by the death of his father who was killed returning from a wartime bombing mission just four week as before he was born and after a chequered early career as dustman, bus conductor, road digger and carpet-fitter, Mike took a degree in education, paying his way by working at night in folk clubs.

He found work as a teacher but the lure of the bright lights proved too much and he embarked on a career in music with a debut gig with The Edison Bell Spasm Band at Leeds University 1967.

During subsequent gigs, Mike discovered an aptitude for telling funny stories to fill in the awkward moments caused by instrument tuning and equipment failure.

His patter became part of the act and when the jokes dried up he delved into his store of real-life stories for which he has become famous.

In 1975 the record The Rochdale Cowboy flung him from folk music into the mainstream of live entertainment and over the prevailing 20 years he recorded 20 albums, embarked on world tours and had his own regular TV series and radio shows.

Mike is also well-known locally as he lived in Dentdale for around 23 years which he describes as a “wonderful part of the world.”

He added: “I live near Settle now and the folk music scene down here is pretty lively with regular sessions at the Lion in Settle and a yearly folk festival in the town itself.

“This year the festival was totally free because we raised the money to pay for artists and venues over the previous year. The only place outside Canada to have a completely free folk festival I believe.”

Mike also has a long association and affinity with the Brewery Arts Centre.

“I’ve played there a lot of times at the Brewery folk club in the old days then as the presenter of the BBC Folk Show when we did the Young Folk Awards there.

“I’ve also visited many times as a punter. I saw Robert Plant there doing a largely acoustic set, Loudon Wainwright III and my own personal favourite Taj Mahal.

“The Brewery is a great venue for live music and I was there at the unveiling of the 'new' theatre when Alan Bennet’s Talking Heads was the opening production.

His close proximity to the Lakes also led to a love of hill walking and many forays into the fells.

“My favourite place in the Lakes is the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel where I have spent many a happy hour over the last 40 years or so singing and playing into the early hours. It is also the site of my very worst ever hangover and doing the Langdale Horseshoe with a head like a box of hot frogs was not the best day of my life.”

Mike is still keeping his legions of folk fans happy on the internet on which he continues to broadcast a live show on Sunday teatime and subsequent podcasts.

Tickets for The Adventures of the Crumpsall Kid from the Brewery box office on 01539-725133.