WITH the Bank Holiday weather typical of what the great British public has come to expect, the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival showered fans with the music they have grown to love.

The Muncipal Hall, with its blues heavyweights, is the powerhouse of the festival, but there was wall-to-wall music in pubs and clubs throughout Colne.

The pick of Saturday afternoon was acoustic guitarist Mark Flanagan. His slick fretwork and mellow voice were superbly accompanied by a mournful harmonium during a reflective, thought-provoking set, performed with laid-back ease.

Bald Bristol-based Bluester Eddie Martin's Big Band upped the tempo, with the Little Big Horns brass section igniting the performance -- and the audience.

Next up was Mississippi guitarist Percy Strother who fired up the blues traditionalists in the brightest red suit imaginable.

Mr Big Walker and the Blue Souls, featuring Zora Young, closed the show, although it was more than an hour before Miss Young took to the stage and an even longer wait for legendary Chicago guitarist Jimmy Dawkins. Fans who stayed the course into the early hours were rewarded with a masterful performance by one of the true all-time greats.

Down the road, while the European Stage has been renamed, there was nothing particularly new on offer, with an established line-up on show. The free fringe yet again offered musical gems. Thirteen-year-old guitarist John Standing's rare talent shows a maturity way beyond his years. One wonders how long it will be before his main stage debut.

On the intriguingly-named Greek fringe (in a Greek restaurant) Jamaican Ska-influenced Ras Natural and the UK Players were a spicy ingredient. Likewise, the new anything-but-the-blues outdoor stage proved extremely popular with the young. Girl band Earl, Afterglow and the Voodoos were among the best of the rest.