HELEN HOWARD - 1945 - 2025

Helen Walker was born in 1945 in the tiny village of Newchurch in Pendle. She was brought up in the Burnley area, then later became a Bolton girl. She learned guitar during the early folk boom, becoming part of the team at Bolton Folk Club in the mid 60s, at the Balmoral pub. She handled the bookings there, bagging Christy Moore, Ewan McColl and Peggy Seeger and many other notable singers. She was big into trad song and soon gained a good repertoire, which she performed every week, with Trevor Colluney and Ray Haslam.

Along came Dave Howard in 1968, who soon decided that Helen would make a great lead singer for his group, the Jovial Crew. This inevitably led to romance and marriage in 1970, when the Howards left for Glasgow, where Dave was starting his career with the BBC. Soon drawn into the healthy Scotish folk scene, they rubbed shoulders with Rab Noakes, Barbara Dickson and her all time favourite, Archie Fisher.

1975 saw them back in Lancashire and two kids later, they jumped back into the Manchester scene. They became long time residents at Annie Morris’s Fallowfield club, the White Swan, making lots of musical friends in the area.

They ran the Black Lion club in Salford in the 80s, geting all the top names on the scene, including the famous “Sing for Ethiopia” weekend in 1985. They took over running “Porkies” FC at Bramhall in the early 90s, again, booking all the big names.

Dave meanwhile was doing sound at the BBC in Manchester, plus running his own studio at home, recording many local folkies in the days of cassettes, Helen being very much the support, in the catering and printing department.

1996 saw them winging off to Co Kilkenny, in S Ireland, following the dream, with their 8 gramophone records!

For the next 16 years they loved their country life, looking after 10 acres of land, a B & B and a recording studio. Helen and Dave dived into the local music scene, sessions, concerts hanging out with members of Clannad, John Martyn, Mick Hanly and dozens of local trad players. Dave still had time to play with an Elvis tribute band, Helen being one of the chick singers – don’t ask!! Helen’s backup work for the recording studio and B & B kept her busy and she loved the clean air, country vistas an learning to paint artwork in water colours and oil. She became very proficient on the bodhran and spoons, on top of her fine singing style. They finally managed to record their own album, “Cobbler’s Shoes”, a proud legacy for Helen.

She came back to her roots in 2012, now living near Bury, where she had worked and sung all those years ago. They become part of the Barlow club, at Edgworth, singing, MC-ing, doing bookings and generally organising, while Dave ran the sound. Monday nights sessions at the Oddfellows Arms in Middleton was her regular singing outlet and sadly her last. Helen passed away suddenly in Oldham Hospital on Feb 12th 2025 after pancreatic problems, a complete surprise to us all. We gave her a great send off on March 3rd, at All Saints, Bury, with a great session to finish, and 220 friends and family in attendance. RIP my darling Helen.