MUSIC connoisseurs were served a real treat at the weekend during what has been described as the best Furness Folklore Festival Ulverston has ever staged.

Visitors and locals were entertained from last Thursday, when the festival was launched with a young people's showcase in the Coronation Hall, until the final dance displays in Market Square on Sunday afternoon.

In addition, there was a mass Morris-dancing procession in the town centre on Saturday and the finale concert in the Coronation Hall at night was a sellout.

Throughout the weekend there was also storytelling, gurning competitions, various workshops and performances by Cumbria's most talented folk musicians in the town centre.

It is the third year the festival has been staged in the town and organisers said it is definitely the most successful so far.

Coordinator of the event Mike Kermode said: "It is definitely the best festival we have had yet.

I think it is down to us having more experience in organizing the event and that the interest in this type of music is definitely growing.

"The show on Saturday was a sell out, which has not happened before, and there was a big crowd around the cross in the town all weekend.

We are going to start organising the event for next year now."