Leigh is getting ready to host its annual Folk Festival and programmes for the events are now available.

Over the weekend of June 23 to 25, the streets and pubs of the old cockling town will fill with live music for the ninth year.

Many events indoors and all those outdoors are free of charge thanks to fund raising that goes on throughout the year.

It all starts on the Friday night when Muckle Flugga, who play a range of folk instruments, perform in the Ship.

There will also be a storytelling, monologue and poetry evening in Leigh Sailing Club and a sing-around in the Peter Boat Inn on the same evening.

Four bands will perform in the gardens of Leigh Library during the course of Saturday and seven Morris dancing teams will perform at different venues round the town.

Children will also have the chance to enjoy the Eastwood School steel drum band and the Oxford based theatre group, Network of Stuff, who will be acting and miming.

On Saturday evening there will be a barndance in Clements Hall, a rock 'n' roll evening at the Ship and a music session in the Peter Boat Inn.

Things will really come to a head on Sunday when across four stages and five dance areas there will be 24 bands and 32 dance teams.

There will also be a massed dance procession through Old Leigh with 400 dancers.

A Songs of Praise hour will be held with the combined churches of Leigh and Southend. Then there is another barndance planned to round off the weekend on Sunday evening.

All in all there will be over 600 performers taking part in the festival, which originally started as part of National Music Day.

Full programmes are available from the Southend Tourist Information office, High Street, Southend, Leigh Library, and many of the Leigh pubs. For more information ring 01702 390454.

Folk on the move - Leigh hosts a giant folk festival over a June long weekend with more than 600 performers

Picture: STEVE O'CONNELL

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