13210-2GAZETTE & HERALD: ALL Chippenham was a stage to colour, music and dancing as thousands of people flocked to the folk festival over the bank holiday weekend.

Morris men, belly dancers and musicians jigged and played for an estimated 30,000 people and turned Chippenham High Street into a colourful cavalcade of entertainment.

One of the major parts of the festival is the parade on bank holiday Monday.

The streets were packed and impromptu stages erected on the high street, with stalls selling everything from clothes, jewellery and crafts.

Anyone who wanted to dance could reel to the sound of the ceilidh band playing at the Butter Cross.

Gill Coultier, of St Paul's Street, Chippenham, said: "It is very colourful with a relaxed fun atmosphere. It has been a really good day out. There is something for every age, kids love it."

People said they keep coming back year after year.

Mike Adamson, 46 of Hampshire said: "The festival is very good. I have been coming for years. I do a lot of dancing here that you do not get at other festivals. It is just a really good relaxed atmosphere."

Wynne Lewis, 57 came from Solihull with his wife Jacqui for the festival and said: "It had been brilliant we have been coming for nearly 30 years and it is always really good.

"The weather has held up and we have enjoyed a bit of a dance. It has been terrific, great very fun.

Chief organiser Bob Berry said the festival was about teaching youth traditional English folk music to keep it alive and that is how the weekend started.

Up to 300 children from schools across North Wiltshire were taught about traditional song and dance. They then were able to show off their new skills on Friday at the special arena built at Island Park (Monkton Park).

Mr Berry said: "This year has been staggering.

"We have had really, really good weather and everybody seems to have been enjoying themselves.

"We have even had artists come here who aren't performing to see friends it has just been incredible."

The music carried into the weekend with some of the best Morris men in the land showing what they could do with a couple of stick and some clogs with bells on.

Black Adder, Bristol and Chippenham's very own Morris dancers made up some of the 17 groups that had come to the festival from all over the country.

Adding an exotic flavour were the Barefoot Belly Dancers, Case De Flamenco and Morena Slovak Dance Company, who performed their brand of Eastern European dance.

Music lovers were well served with bands such as Brass Monkey, the Canadian group Tanglefoot, Pete Coe and Bill Caddick performing over the weekend.

The tradition of story telling was not forgotten with Billy Teare from Northern Ireland and Patrick Ryan with amusing tales reflecting life and humanity.

Participation was also an important part of the festival and there were a number of workshops people could participate in over the weekend.

Learning the influence of style in song, and a good storyline and a few tips from expert musicians were on hand to help the novice and accomplished alike.