New musical show featuring Scarborough folk duo the Blow-Ins and theatre director tim Tubbs opens BigIdeas by the Sea
Opening the 2026 Big Ideas By The Sea festival at St Mary’s Church is the premiere of Mr Walters’ Excursion, a new musical concert presentation by Scarborough folk duo the Blow-Ins – Bridget Cousins and Phil Bennett – with narrative by Tim Tubbs.
William Walters was transport manager for Bass, of Burton-on-Trent, the world’s then largest brewery.
His principal task was organising the annual seaside excursions, from 1877 until 1914, of 8,000 or more Bass employees and their families, by special trains running all night.
The Blow-Ins, Bridget Cousins and Phil Bennett, who play harp and guitar, and write their own songs about Scarborough characters, have invited local historian and theatre director Tim Tubbs to write a narrative around the last of the Bass Brewery excursions, on July 24 1914, just before the First World War brought them to an end.
Mr Walters, with his famous annual guide brochure, highlighting the delights of Edwardian Scarborough, introduces the Blow-Ins’ songs about Scarborough’s personalities, from Anne Brontë and Sir George Cayley to Mary Craven and Oliver Sarony.
Tickets: pay what you like (guidance £7.50) at www.ticketsource.com/bibts on the door.