John Watterson brings his superb show, celebrating the hilarious works of Jake Thackray and Les Barker - two of our finest and funniest songwriter poets - to the Cruck Barn at last!
John Watterson (aka Fake Thackray), an adopted Yorkshireman, was born and grew up on the Isle of Man, which is where he first saw and met Jake Thackray in 1975. He recalls a performance at the local folk club, which had the audience in stitches and also a chat with a very modest and self-deprecating Jake at the interval – ‘a big man and a huge talent, clearly embarrassed by the standing ovation, Jake preferred to have a pint at the bar with the punters and didn’t really see what the fuss was about’.
John took a business degree at Loughborough (‘my mum was stationed at Bletchley Park in WW2 and said Loughborough was quite nice’) and this was followed by a 30 year ‘accidental’ career in the laundry industry (‘I went to an interview in 1979 just for the travel expenses, and the buggers gave me a job!’).
On learning of Jake’s passing in 2002, John decided that the songs were too good not to be kept alive, so he set about learning more of them. ‘Before I had decided what to do when I grew up, it was time for my mid-life crisis. I told my wife, Carol that I wanted to give up the day job and sing Jake’s songs and she said – OK then – so I did!’
A few years ago John had the huge honour of performing at a memorial evening in Monmouth (which is where Jake and his family had moved to) attended by Jake’s widow, Sheila, and two of their sons (who signed the back of his guitar – now a much treasured possession). ‘The scariest gig of my life – but such a privilege!’
Members of the Thackray family are now actively supporting John’s research to write a biography of the great man, and John has, on occasions, been thrilled to be allowed to borrow Jake’s own guitar to play at gigs. ‘‘There is a line in ‘Last Will and Testament’ which cracks me up if I am playing the great man’s guitar - ‘….You can fish your trout with my fly and tackle, you can play upon my guitar…’ Brings a lump to the throat’’ John admits.
John's appreciation and love of Jake Thackray's music is obvious to his audience. His performance is a celebration of the man that was Jake Thackray – his life, his work and his genius – a genius which the new age of music lovers are in danger of missing out on. John is a talented guitarist and vocalist and has that engaging quality that makes you want to listen to his performance. When you wrap these ingredients up in the songs of Jake Thackray the result is a highly entertaining, heartfelt tribute to one of the finest songwriters of the 20th century.
John has toured the show with Fairport Convention on their 6 week nation-wide tour, and has performed 20 shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, earning several 4 star reviews. He has also been delighted to support Ralph McTell, Richard Digance, Vin Garbutt and many more of his music heroes.
Radio appearances have included Radio 3s ‘The Verb’ with Ian McMillan, and Radio 4s ‘Great Lives’ with Matthew Parris and Isy Suttie.
Fake Thackray is in increasing demand for clubs, festivals, village halls arts centres and theatres, as well as house concerts and after dinner engagements. ‘It is wonderful that Jake still has so many fans across the country, and the younger generation are catching on to a man who should be regarded as one of our greatest national treasures’ says John.
Les Barker, who sadly passed away in January 2023, was one of the UK’s finest and funniest wordsmiths, once described as 'the best Poet Laureate we never had'.
John brings together the work of these two incredible and much-missed talents.

Plumhall (Michelle Plum and Nick B Hall) are an acclaimed UK songwriting duo known for their captivating vocal harmonies and exquisite acoustic guitar playing. Their original songs have earned them widespread acclaim.
Their first two albums, Thundercloud and The Ghost of Noise, received significant recognition, including a “Hidden Gem” recommendation from The Guardian/Observer. From the alt-country feel of the debut to the more experimental sound of the follow-up, Plumhall have shown their ability to blend strong songwriting with diverse musical influences. Their much-anticipated third album, One Star Awake, was released in June 2024 to critical acclaim and is available on all major platforms, as well as in CD format at their live shows.
2024 was a remarkable year for the pair. They completed a successful 30-date tour as special guests of Fairport Convention on their Winter Tour, with Fairport joining Plumhall on stage each night to perform “One Star Awake,” the title track of Plumhall's latest album, which also features Fairport's Ric Sanders. They were thrilled to be invited to perform at Costa Festival in Ibiza in May. They then reunited with Fairport at the Cropredy Convention in August, where they performed as part of an extended Fairport lineup including Ralph McTell.
Plumhall have had the honour of performing with the legendary Al Stewart multiple times, including at renowned venues such as London’s Palladium and Cadogan Hall. They have also played alongside esteemed musicians like Larry Campbell, Phil Beer and Steve Knightley.
In 2018, filmmaker Richard Heap invited Michelle and Nick to write an original song for, arrange live acoustic music for, and appear in the 2020 feature film The Runaways. The song "Closing Down" has since become a beloved part of their repertoire.
During the pandemic lockdowns, Plumhall built a loyal global following through their livestream performances, which led to a fan-made video for their song "A Darkness That Won't Leave The House", later championed by Janice Long on BBC radio.
Michelle Plum’s musical background includes a four-year stint with Chumbawamba, 4 years as a session musician with The Chris Norman Band, and a co-founder of the folk band Waking The Witch. Nick Hall has toured with Ian Prowse & Amsterdam, Magna Carta, and The Hall Brothers.

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