Inaugural Lyme Regis Folk Weekend to boost town's tourism (From Bridport and Lyme Regis News)

Inaugural Lyme Regis Folk Weekend to boost town's tourism

1:10pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in News By Adrianne Maslen

ORGANISERS of the first ever Lyme Regis Folk Weekend hope the festival will give the town an extra boost at the end of the tourist season.

Jeremy Hayes and Geoff Hughes are bringing some of the UK’s highest profile folk acts to Lyme Regis from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1.

Entertainment will be focused around the Marine Theatre where the major concerts will be held, with free entertainment in smaller venues around the town.

Jeremy and Geoff are both members of Uplyme Morris Men and are keen to make the most of the growing folk scene.

Jeremy said: “We have spent a few years going around to various festivals in the South West where we go to perform and we always think we want to do the same in Lyme, because Lyme is made for it. It’s a perfect place to hold a folk festival.

“We want it to be a bit like Sidmouth Folk Festival but on a smaller scale.

“Folk is quite trendy, it’s going through quite a renaissance, particularly with younger people, so the time was right to do it for the town.

“One of the things we were keen on is for the town itself to benefit.

“We wanted to extend the season for another week because the Bank Holiday is the previous week.

“I think this events tourism is what Lyme needs in the summer to keep people attracted and keep people coming in.”

The main acts to headline over three nights at the Marine Theatre will be Turin Brakes, The Albion Band, and Spiers and Boden.

Smaller concerts will be held in several town pubs and in the Marine Parade Shelters.

Local folk acts will include Jackie Oates, Devon-based Jim Causley, bands from Woodroffe School, and Lyme youth music group B Sharp.

As well as concerts, there will be a youth music workshop, a Morris dance parade with troupes from around the country, shanty singing, street entertainers, a dance workshop, a VW camper parade, and storytelling at the Town Mill.

Jeremy said: “The people performing at the theatre are some of the biggest names in the folk scene in the country.

“They are the kinds of names you don’t normally see in the Marine Theatre and the out and about events in the town add to the festival atmosphere.

“We are lucky that we have some high quality folk performers locally.

“This is an opportunity for local bands and local people to rub shoulders with the more established performers.”

Tickets are already on sale for the Marine Theatre concerts and selling well, Jeremy said.

“We have had a very good response already,” he said. “We’ve also have some very good responses from businesses in the town.”

For more information and tickets visit the festival website lymefolk.com