Colourful Wath Festival draws the crowds

HUNDREDS descended on Wath as the annual folk festival brought some of the biggest names on the folk and acoustic music scene to the town.

Visitors from far and wide came to take part in community events and workshops around the town and enjoy music concerts featuring the likes of Adrian Edmondson and The Bad Shepherds, who sold out their Sunday night concert at the Montgomery Hall.

Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart also drew a crowd, while Niamh Boadle was named the winner of the festival’s Young Acoustic Roots Competition.

The Lancashire lass won over the judges with her beautiful, precise guitar technique and pure voice.

Other acts appearing over the weekend included the Heidi Talbot Trio featuring Boo Hewerdine and John McCusker, Stacey Earle and Mark Stuart from the USA, Ella Edmondson, Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley, Sarah MacDougall and Tim Tweedale from Canada, John Tams and Barry Coope, Steve Tilston and Dave Bowie and the Lonnie Donegan Band featuring Peter Donegan.

Community events proved to be very popular with participation from the schools of Wath, the Barnsley Samba Band, Bill Brookman's Street Theatre and fire eating, the Orlyk Ukranian Dancers, Wath Morris team and the Mighty Zulu Nation dancers.

The highlight of 2010's community events came with the 200th anniversary of the reading of Thomas Tuke's Will and the traditional bun throwing from Wath Parish Church tower.

Mr Tuke was wealthy gentleman who specified that penny loaves should be distributed from the church annually upon his death, to keep the people of Wath well fed and his wish has been upheld every year at the festival.

The organisers of the festival said that they would like to thank the community, the sponsors and everyone who took part to make this year a resounding success.