Singalong is pub's alternative to parkrun

A "singalong" in a pub, inspired by a famous running event open to all ability levels, is set to make its debut.

"PubSing" will be held at The Twa Dogs pub in Keswick, Cumbria for the first time on 15 October, with its creator Paul Stafford saying he wants to create a musical equivalent to parkrun for "anybody who likes singing".

He hopes to see at least 12 people attend the event - one shy of the very first parkrun's 13 participants - and continue to host it on the first Thursday of every month throughout winter.

"We're going for fun, we're not expecting good singers, we want anybody to come along," he said.

Stafford says he "always liked singing" but "was not very good at it" and only sang as part of a choir for a short spell because it was "too formal".

"I enjoy it when you're in the shower or in the car, or when you sing along when you've had a few beers," he said.

Stafford says he started to believe there was an appetite for something more casual after attending a music bingo event earlier in the year.

"Everybody there loves to sing along to all the cheesy hits, and I thought hold on, rather than going to a choir or trying to stand up and do karaoke, there has to be an informal setting - it's got to be a pub," he said.

Stafford believes the group singalong might have some physical health benefits because of the use of the lungs, but said it could be "brilliant" for people's mental health as well.

"It reduces stress and it's a really good community thing to do as well," he said.

"It means your brain's in a good place and you're happy. If you're running away from a tiger or a bear then you're not singing, you know."

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