A NINE-YEAR project to restore a dilapidated bandstand will conclude this weekend.

Tomorrow, a day of fun and activities is taking place in North Lodge Park to mark the official opening of the newly-restored bandstand.

Activities on offer at the park to mark the launch include brassbands, Punch and Judy, face painting, Victorian reenactments and model steam engines. The activities start at 11am.

The Mayor of Darlington, Coun Bryan Thistlethwaite, will perform the official opening at noon.

Cockerton author Paul Rabbitts, who has just completed a book about bandstands, will be present with some of his collection of historic bandstand pictures.

The Grade II-listed bandstand has been carefully restored using traditional methods at a cost of £216k.

The Friends of North Lodge Park spent nine years raising money for the work and secured funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Groundwork UK Community Spaces, Darlington Borough Council, Fair Share Trust and the Garfield Weston Foundation.