Arley Hall in Arley, Northwich, Cheshire hosted the Arley Hall Concerts of 2026, on Friday 15th, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th May. Arley Hall is a beautiful location to hold outdoor concerts. When I was invited to attend and cover the three days I was delighted. The weather has turned cold and it is outdoors, so I need to be prepared.
Friday 15 May 2026
Tonight is billed as Mega Y2K!
Adam Rickitt is the headline act, with support from Boyz Beyond and January Butler, who performs as Celine Dion. Tonight is a smaller event and it is being held in the VIP marquee, but still several hundred people are here having a good time.
Boyz Beyond is a tribute to Backstreet Boys, Five and Blue. They are first on stage, (the stage isa raised platform at the end of the marquee), three young men singing the hits of other groups and the crowd are joining in.
Next is January Butler, who looks amazing and sings Celine Dion songs with an incredible voice. How she can stand in those high heeled shoes for one hour, I do not know!
During the evening the marquee is filling up and the buzz of the crowd is increasing. There are families with children sitting at the tables. Friends wanting a night out. Boyz Beyond are back on stage for half an hour and people are getting up and dancing to the hits they sing.
Adam Rickitt and his Angels
Adam and his backing dancers ‘Adams Angels’ enter the stage at 9pm and the crowd go wild. People surge to the front of the stage. Adam’s wife Katy is one of his backing dancers and all through the performance they give each other a little touch, a kiss, a look that they can’t believe the reception they are receiving. Many of the crowd seem to be their friends and customers from the bar they own, Dexter and Jones in Knutsford. Adam keeps shouting to them as he recognises the faces, even going into the crowd to speak to them. The clapping, cheering, shouting is loud – everyone loves both Adam and Katy. Adam did not enjoy the first time he was a pop star but now that his wife is with him he is loving every minute – and so is she! He tells us that Katy recently joined the dance school Empower and it has given her so much confidence. When he sings ‘I Breathe Again’ it takes me back to when I was taking his photo at that time – how the years fly by.
At the end of the energetic performance Adam says he will be joining the crowd. What a fun evening and welcome back to the pop world Adam and Katy! A talented, fun, caring, kind couple.
Saturday 16 May 2026
Back To Boogie
The weather could not get much worse. The rain is causing flooding in some areas on the way to the venue.
On arrival the car park/field is full of people already who have gone in. I have missed Livin Joy – ‘Dreamer’, ‘Dont Stop Movin’, who was the first stage act. Romina Johnson is on stage (‘Movin Too Fast’) so I make my way to the pit to get a few photos. The rain is so heavy, my camera is soaked but I am here to get you the coverage.
Deniece Pearson (Five Star) is next. I love the Five Star songs and so do all the crowd. ‘Rain Or Shine’, ‘Stay Out Of My Life’, ’System Addict’, ‘Can’t Wait Another Minute’, ‘All Fall Down’,’Let Me Be The One’. Deniece is a powerful performer and a joy to watch and listen to. She has fans that travel from far afield to see her. The rain never stops!
The Real Thing are next. ‘You To Me Are Everything’, ‘Saint Or Sinner’, ‘Can You Feel The Force’, I am feeling very damp, my camera is dripping, can I stand around for another two hours waiting for Jaki Graham and Imaginations Lee John? No sorry – I am at my limit and need to get warm and dry as I have tomorrow to see someone that got me inspired to do this at the age of fifteen.
Deniece Pearson (twice)
January Butler
bottom l-r
Ray Stiles and Rob Davies (Mud)
Romina Johnson
Sunday 17 May 2026
Glam 70’s Revival
Today there are tribute acts on stage before Mud and Bay City Rollers.
I wonder how I will feel when I start listening to them play all the hits?
At least it is not raining.
I am here for Stuart ‘Woody’ Wood. The Bay City Rollers were Alan and Derek Longmuir, Eric Faulkner, Stuart Wood and Les McKeown. We have our memories of a boy band that achieved sales of over 120 million records worldwide.
MUD are on before The Bay City Rollers. Ray Stiles and Rob Davies are in the band as Les Gray and David Mount have died. ’Tiger Feet’, ‘Lonely This Christmas’, ’The Secrets That You Keep’, ‘The Cat Crept In’.
Rollermania time
It’s Rollermania time! “Bye Bye Baby’, topped the UK singles chart for six weeks in 1975 and became the best selling single in the UK that year, selling nearly a million copies. ‘Saturday Night’, ‘I Only Want To Be With You’, ‘Money Honey’, ‘Rock And Roll Love Letter’,
If you watch this clip you will see what Roller Mania was!
It is a special night for me because being a Bay City Roller fan and buying all the magazines made me decide to do celebrity interviews and photography – I knew I could do a better job of giving readers what they wanted. I feel I have come full circle but I’m not throwing in the towel yet!
Tartan, especially for the Bay City Rollers
Many of the audience are wearing some form of tartan – good to see that are getting into the spirit of it. Women over 50 are wanting to remember how they felt in the 70’s, chasing the Bay City Rollers, the screaming concerts. We did not have the internet or mobile phones – they were everything to us, our entertainment!
When I talk to the fans, several tell me that their friends who were fans have died. One young man had a piece of tartan on his wrist – he came today because his mother, who has died, was a big fan. One sister had half of her dead sister’s tartan scarf, the other half was buried with her in February. There are so many upsetting stories but the Bay City Rollers are bringing them all together.
I am backstage and the group are meeting a few fans and they happily pose for my camera. Woody looks like he has a cold but smiles at everyone and gets on with his job, pop star, idol to those who are here.
They go on stage, it is backlit so I can’t get good shots but do the best I can without using flash.
Bay City Rollers are 53 years old
Woody speaks a few times. He talks about the fact that the Bay City Rollers are 53 years old, oh I feel old! I was a young fan! He talks about not having Alan Longmuir or Les McKeown with us any more – they have both died. It makes me feel very sad. I think everyone also thinks of the people we have lost. Life is hard but Woody is here to entertain us for an hour with his group, so we can be taken back to our teenage years – in our heads.
I leave and am singing all the songs to myself!
I hope Les McKeown and Alan Longmuir are still rollin in heaven.
All photos by Deborah Law.
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