A BRITISH folk singer has marked Bolton down as a destination on a very big pub crawl.

Beans on Toast is to take to the road to visit some of the UK’s best local pubs this May.

The Down The Pub Tour is a 19-day adventure from Preston to Bridgwater via Plymouth, Hastings ... and Bolton.

On Saturday, May 6 the ‘rebel songwriter, folk hero and people’s champ’, also known as Jay McAllister, will be enjoying a pint at the Alma Inn and entertaining with music and storytelling.

It’s Jay’s second visit to the town, following his Small Town Celebrations tour last year.

He said: “Bolton is one of the places I really wanted to go back to because we had such a classic time last May.

“Small Town Celebrations was about making a documentary and after the gig we asked people to come forward with suggestions of where to visit. We were invited to the Carrs Pastie factory by Matt Carr. for me that’s exactly the type of place I wanted to visit.

“It was a Monday night and I wasn’t sure who would turn out for a gig but the crowd was really into it and I appreciated that.”

Inspired by his song Down the Pub taken from his latest album A Spanner in The Works, Jay will be taking his fun and unpredictable live show on an intimate run of dates that are all about celebrating the finest Great British public houses.

The Essex-born folk songwriter is a fan of touring off the beaten track and his Small Town Celebrations documentary was premiered at last year’s Glastonbury Festival.

He adds: “This time, the idea of this tour is to get round all the bizarre and interesting pubs around the country.

“The pub industry, like many industries in this day and age, is having a a bit of a struggle. Rising business rates and the like are taking a toll. That’s why I’m championing the #saveourpubs campaign.

“I want to get out and about an help celebrate this great old English tradition which is going down the pub!”

n The tour starts at the Ferret in Preston on Thursday, May 4 before coming to the Alma Inn, Bolton on Saturday, May 6. Details from beansontoastmusic.com