Bradford's famous Topic Folk Club is hitting a high note for its 50th anniversary celebrations.

The club, which believes it is the oldest continuously operating folk club in the world, is marking half a century of live music in the city with a series of autumn concerts.

The club, founded in 1956, operates weekly - except when its chosen night falls on Christmas or New Year's Day.

Over the years it has played host to great names in the world of folk music, including Peggy Seeger, Ewan McColl, the Incredible String Band and Maddy Prior.

Other celebrity singers and entertainers who have appeared at The Topic include Mike Harding, Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly.

A young Bob Dylan is also believed to have sung there in the early 1960s.

The club is now based at the Cock and Bottle, Barkerend Road, Bradford, and operates every Thursday.

Club organiser John Waller said the pub is a fitting venue because it claims to be the oldest public house still open in Bradford.

The Topic has been based at a number of different venues, but has never strayed from the centre of the city.

For 22 years, from 1968, it was at the Star, on Westgate, and more recently spent ten years at the Melborn in White Abbey Road.

Mr Waller said: "We are delighted that the club has reached this landmark year.

"We have a very active bookings policy and because of that we can get people from across the world to sing in Bradford.

"We have something for everyone interested in acoustic music where the words matter."

The season of celebration concerts continued last Thursday with a performance by singer and guitarist Paul Downes.

Other guests in the next few weeks include Julie Felix, Vin Garbutt and Wizz Jones, who first played at The Topic in 1958.

Also booked are a series of younger acts including Kate Bush's cousin Beck Sian and violinst Tom Kitching.

The season will end with a concert by the original members of Scarlet Heights, Bradford's best known Irish band.

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