SALISBURY Arts Centre is hosting a Ceilidh on Friday to help banish the winter blues.

This is the first Ceilidh held at the venue for several years and organisers are hoping an evening of dancing and socialising will be just what’s needed at this time of year.

Champion caller Gordon Potts will be calling the dances, with his band Panjandrum providing the music.

The event is the first in a new series of live music events by the Arts Centre’s new music programmer Thomas Brooman.

Brooman co-founded WOMAD festival with Peter Gabriel in the 1980s and has programmed and collaborated in the production of festivals around the world.

“My wife and I just stumbled across a village hall near Brixham holding a Saturday night Ceilidh,” he said. “We’d never been to a Ceilidh before and we had a fantastic time.

“My favourite thing about that evening – and Ceilidhs ever since – is that everyone joined in and as soon as the ice was broken everyone had the most brilliant fun, everyone dancing, with a smile on every face.”

H Tickets are available from Salisbury Arts Centre for £10 on 01722 321744 or at salisburyartscentre.co.uk.