THE 21st Saltburn International Festival of Folk Music, Dance and Song took place at the weekend.

Events began on Friday afternoon with a Singaround and then Backshift and friends, hosted a lively Musicians’ Session upstairs in Saltburn Conservative Club.

Street entertainment, featured Feet First Appalachian Clog Dancers, Locos in Motion Border Morris, and Zoot who presents juggling, teetering ladders and daredevil unicycling. Darlington Mummers also performed their play in the Emmanuel Church Hall. In the photo the doctor is attempting to revive his patient but cannot find her pulse.

Baldrick’s Plan sang at the free Folk Concert for the People of Saltburn in the Methodist Church on Saturday. Based in Cornwall they sing English traditional music and songs ancient and modern from other sources.

Bruce Gomersall won the Fred Jordan Memorial Trophy for Unaccompanied Traditional Style Singers and repeated his excellent performance on Sunday afternoon in the Emmanuel Church Hall.

One of many outstanding performances at the festival was provided by Na Leanai, billed as (“the kids”) from the Sands Family from County Down. Their singing and musicianship was exceptional and especially appreciated by packed houses at both their concerts.

Roy Bailey, at the tender age of 82, appeared in Saltburn Community Theatre on Sunday afternoon accompanied by Mark Block. Roy has been performing for over 50 years and still sings songs of dissent and hope with great passion, much to the joy of his many fans who packed in to see him.

A fabulous weekend of music, song and dance was enjoyed by all, a great credit to John Taylor, Paul Lucas and the volunteer stewards.

Ken Bladen