for folk festival

FRINGE events for this year's Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival are shaping up with new attractions being added on an almost weekly basis.

The latest addition to the festival, which this year runs from June 17 to 19, is the Amplifier music road show, offering aspiring young musicians free tuition and taster sessions during the course of the weekend.

Dave Thompson, events coordinator for Middlewich Town Council and a keen musician himself, is delighted with the latest addition and hopes it will attract more young people to the festival.

He said: "Amplifier is funded through Youth Music and Cheshire County Council and it is a really good way for kids to get into music and find out more about music careers.

"The workshops will be a great opportunity for teenagers to try things out."

Middlewich musician Craig Moores, of Hayhurst Avenue, will be one of eight tutors on hand to offer his musical expertise to the teenagers taking part in the Amplifier workshops.

The taster sessions will take place at Market Fields, from 11am to 5pm on Saturday, June 18, for children aged between 13 and 18.

Festival organisers have also arranged a community busking day to promote the big event and are inviting musicians from across Middlewich to join them at the Bull Ring on Saturday, May 14, from 10am.