A balmy Summerbreeze from the depths of down town Mississippi coasted across the waves and arrived right in Morecambe this weekend. The jazz, soul and blues festival promised a soothing and grooving ambience with the likes of Jimmy Ruffin and Gwen Dickey and it certainly delivered.

Admittedly the weather couldn't be better and it brought the crowds out in droves. By 6pm crowds of people who had been chilling out during the afternoon were still basking in the baking hot sun. Rollerbladers coasted amid the crowds giving Morecambe a slice of American park life. By 9pm Gwen Dickey was charming the crowds with Car Wash and Love Don't Live Here Any More. Her voice was immensely powerful and it was a shame she was only singing to backing tapes. But she went down a storm and was adored by the crowd. The Morecambe version of the Spice Girls danced the night away and eventually Gwen had a full entourage of young dancers accompanying her. The sun was slowly seeping into the sea, a couple next to me were gyrating in an outrageously bedroom-like fashion and the crowds were crooning and swaying.

But if anyone can really croon then it has to be Jimmy Ruffin. He burst on stage dressed in a black suit, a fiery red open-necked shirt and gold necklace. He tantalised the crowd with tales of making love in Mississippi back in the 60s when, as he pointed out, he was a virile young man. I've Passed This Way Before, Farewell is a Lonely Sound and It's Wonderful To Be Loved By You sent the crowd wild. A guy next to me was dancing in circles with his detachable deck chair tucked under his arm. A pensioner had sent her dutiful son to get Jimmy Ruffin's autograph and I later spied her swooning to What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.

Undoubtedly Jimmy's most famous song signalled the grand finale of Summerbreeze. Excited youngsters stood alongside devoted Ruffin fans hypnotised by the soulfully uplifting experience and everyone cheered as the evening drew to a close.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.