FOLK music enthusiasts should beat a path to Ludlow Assembly Rooms in mid-August for a chance to hear two award winning groups.

The eight piece band E2K plays a mix of jazz, African rhythms and folk. Featuring Kellie White form the Albion Band and Ghanaian star Kwame Yeboah, E2K will launch their latest album in Ludlow on August 14.

Kate Hendry, marketing manager of the Assembly Rooms, advises "Book early to avoid disappointment. Audiences can expect a real party atmosphere."

Earlier there will be a chance to take part in a one hour workshop with E2K. Come to both and you can get a special ticket for both.

The name Bill Jones suggests a hulky six-foot bloke. In fact Bill Jones's first name is Belinda and she has become big news on the folk circuit. She played in her father's ceilidh band and studied jazz piano as a music student in London. From then she has played in venues across London and at Glastonbury.

In Ludlow on August 21 she will show she has what one critic described as "a larkish, unsullied voice." With luck, she may also show off her skills on piano, accordion, flute or Irish whistle.