A FOLK and blues club will put on its last ever show just weeks before it was set to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Carlisle Folk and Blues Club will host its last ever event on December 14, with club favourite Jon Brindley performing with support from the club's Johnny Nichols.

The club was forced to fold after main organiser Ted Muir decided to give up the reins of the club, with no one available to take up the mantel.

The 76-year-old who lives in Thurstonfield, had planned to retire from the role months ago, but he was hoping someone would be able to take over from him.

However, personal reasons has meant that the other two people involved in helping to run the club are unable to fulfill the roles carried out by Ted.

Ted said: "The club has been on the go since 1989, with numerous musical acts. I have been involved for the last 10 years.

"In 2015 we were in the old Fire Station for club nights. When the 2015 floods came and flooded the whole place and we couldn't do any club nights.

"The guy running it at the time didn't want to find anywhere else to use. We knew there were other venues."

He continued: "When the Old Fire Station came back 10 months later he decided he wasn't to continue and that it was going to close.

"The five of us who were running it at the time said we can carry it on. So we moved the club from the Old Fire Station and found a new venue.

"I have been running it once a month since then."

Ted's intentions have been clear for a while.

"The team of guys knew I was planning to hand it over to them. One of the other two organisers left in February, he decided he couldn't give the time anymore.

"So there was only one other guy. I was telling him he needs to get a team together, as I said I was leaving at the end of the year. He hasn't been able to do that."

Following the decision to close, the club - made up entirely of volunteers - decided their last actions would be ones of charity.

"We have donated our assets to three charities: £1,000 each to Music in Hospitals and Care, Eden Valley Hospice, and Macmillan Cancer Support.

"Our equipment has been sold off to go to charity too."

The events were always a success, says Ted.

"I think everybody that has been involved over the years had a good time. I would say 10 years ago we had 10-12 people helping out with the organising, doing different things.

"But people get older and drift off."

How did members respond to the news that their beloved club was to close at the end of the year?

"When we did the announcement in November we said this was out last year a lot of people said why is it closing, we said it is not due to poor attendance.

"Most of our events managed to break even, sometimes we even made a few quid, which helped cover for the ones where we didn't break even.

"It is the fact that we haven't been able to get somebody (to take over)."

It is not an easy time for Ted.

"It is very sad, 2019 would have been our 30th anniversary but my other compatriots said if we are going to finish we should finish straight away.

"It is sad that it has come to this, but it is a fact of life unfortunately."

Ted went onto say that the reason he decided to give up the reins, is that running the club was taking up too much of his time, which is something he was no longer willing to let happen.

The last ever club night will take place at 7.30pm, with tickets priced at £10.

To buy tickets, call 07760218116.