THIS weekend’s 21st Lyme Regis Jazz Festival is expected to see a varied line up of festival favourites and new acts.

Jazz lovers will descend on the town for three days of music and events from Friday to Sunday.

It was uncertain if the event would go ahead at the beginning of the year when former organiser John Fry stood down and warned of dwindling support and struggling finances.

But Tony Colston, who owns By the Bay on Marine Parade, stepped in and has managed to pull together a packed programme.

Mr Colston said: “We are pleased that it’s come together and we couldn’t have done that without all the people who have supported the festival in recent years, particularly John Fry who has been hugely helpful in the handover.

“The way that the whole programme looks, the type of new bands we’ve got and the mix we’ve got this year, hopefully it will draw people into the town and provide a good stepping stone for next year.”

The festival will be officially opened by Town Mayor Sally Holman at 4pm at Cobb Gate, where the Chicago Jazz Aces will perform.

On Saturday at 10.30am the Grand Umbrella Parade will make its way down Broad Street, led by Lady Marshal Val Chambers and town crier Phil Street, and joined by the Louisiana Parade Band.

Mr Colston said: “Bring out your decorated umbrellas and come and enjoy a knees up down Broad Street.”

Bands will perform over the three days at four main venues – Marine Theatre, Royal Lion Hotel, Masonic Hall and Pilot Boat Inn – with special events at the Mariners Hotel, By the Bay Restaurant, and jazz vespers at St Michael’s Parish Church.

There is also a charity ball featuring the Wise Guys from 7pm at Uplyme Village Hall on Friday. For details and tickets call 01297 446057.

“It’s a good mix of different types of jazz,” said Mr Colston. “We’ve got some of the usual bands returning but quite a few new bands as well.

“The performances at the Mariners Hotel and By the Bay will be very different from the normal jazz groups that are playing throughout the town.

“We haven’t purposely gone in a different direction. It was all pulled together at quite short notice and there are a lot of bands who are really keen to play at Lyme Regis Jazz festival, one for historic reasons, and two because it’s got a good track record.

“Then it was a question of what we could do to get a good mix.”

Tickets are selling well from the tourist information centre, which organisers would like to thank for its support.

Tickets for individual events, stroller tickets for one day or the entire three days, and programmes at £2 will be available at the TIC over the weekend and from the festival stall at the Royal Lion Hotel.

People can also pay on the door at individual events and a schedule and other information are available at www.lymeregisjazzfestival.co.uk