THOSE good people at the Red Lion Folk Club in Kings Heath have some good and bad news to report this week. Veteran Vin Garbutt, one of the top attractions on the folk scene for more than 30 years, has been forced to cancel his Birmingham show scheduled for May 21. But organiser Della Hooke tells me that the bad news on Vin is balanced by the news that she has managed to book Waterson-Carthy as top-flight replacements at short notice. Vin was forced to pull out of the Red Lion gig after a serious health scare which saw him undergo heart surgery before being found to have a duodenal ulcer. The ulcer went undetected, with Vin not showing any of the usual symptoms, until it burst, leaving Vin in a critical condition at one stage and having to undergo emergency surgery. The Teessider is now making a gradual recovery, but progress is very slow and Vin says it will be next month before he is able to resume his hectic touring schedule. Della was left frantically searching for an artist or artistes to step into the breach and she was cock-a-hoop when she told me the news this week. "Chris and I have been running the Red Lion for about five years and I have been trying to get Waterson-Carthy on a number of occasions in that time. "We were left in a terrible pickle when Vin cried off but luckily Waterson-Carthy have agreed to appear and I am chuffed to bits. "It is a real shame about Vin and we wish him all the best. I understand he nearly died at one stage so he has been extremely ill," says Della. Martin Carthy, voted Folk Singer of the Year at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in February for the second time in four years, will be joined by his wife Norma Waterson, their richlytalented daughter Eliza Carthy and top-class musician Tim van Eyken for what promises to be a marvellous night at the Red Lion. Vin has been over-whelmed by goodwill messages since his health problems were announced but still has some way to go before he is back to his old self. The latest bulletin on Vin's website says that his health has improved and he is starting to sound like his old self. His heart op has been deemed a complete success and Vin is feeling no ill-effects as far as his breathing is concerned. He looks and feels fitter, although he is still pain-fully thin. His problems are now a lack of strength and stamina - the two things needed in spades to get him through a concert. His website adds: "This has been a hard mental battle for Vin, but his confidence is just starting to return. He seems to have had every complication going and every little glitch really demoralises him, but he is trying hard to think positively. "Cards and good wishes are continuing to arrive and each and every one of them puts a smile on Vin's face and lifts his spirits." Waterson-Carthy appear at the Red Lion, Vicarage Road, Kings Heath on May 21. Doors open at 7.30 for an 8.15 pm start. Phone 0121 472 4253 for ticket details. | 
