THE Great British R & B music festival rediscovered its blues roots as more than 50,000 fans enjoyed a holiday weekend of top tunes and great entertainment.

Last year's problems with overcrowding and under-age drinkers littering the streets were forgotten as revellers came to Colne for the right reasons -- to lap up the best of blues music from this country and abroad.

Numbers were down from the 80,000 or so that crammed Colne in 1999, and organisers were happy to see the reduction.

Crowds were more manageable and fans were free to move around from stage to stage more easily -- relatively speaking that is, considering the town's population quadrupled during the course of the four-day event. Organiser Gary Hood said: "The whole festival has gone extremely well. The crowds on the street have been much better behaved than last year.

"I feel we've got the blues back, the way it should be."

The wide range of blues music on offer also hit the right note with fans.

"The music has been excellent," added Gary. "The highlight for me was Cephas & Wiggins on Sunday night."

The absence of the traditional street fair at the top end of town seemed to go unnoticed with the fun fair in the car park behind the New Red Lion pub, Market Street, still pulling in customers to that part of town.

A new addition this year, the Up 4 It youth stage opposite the town hall, proved a hit with younger audiences.

The town's biggest party of the year rounded off early today and not long after the last note sounded organisers will be looking ahead to 2001's event.