THE music played on at Leigh Folk Festival, but thousands of spectators suffered a soaking.

The weekend festival, now in its sixteenth year, features 90 musical and dance acts, with everything from traditional folk to African dancers.

Julie Stimpson, 46, of Edinburgh Avenue, Leigh, was there with her daughter Emilia, two.

She said: "The children just love it. We wander about and see what's happening."

Nick Leggett, 34, of Mount Avenue, Chalkwell, brought along his children Sam, seven, Brooke, five and 14-month-old Jess, to enjoy the events in Leigh Library Gardens on Saturday.

He said: "It's always a very good day out and the children love it. We have a mooch round and have some fun."

Music organiser Paul Collier said the festival was the highlight of the Leigh social calendar.

He said: "Although the free weekend is the highlight, we carry on doing performances throughout the year because we're keen to have the brand known and it's good for the local artists, particularly the youngsters."

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FESTIVAL PROGRAMME SATURDAY

Saturday afternoon events are held in Leigh Library Gardens on Broadway West and at venues around the Broadway. In the evening the barn dance, music and song sessions are in the Old Town.

All day Saturday. Salvo the Clown, face painting, music and dance displays

10.30am: Storytelling in the library with June Wells and friends

11am: Climb the tower and see the view, weather permitting, St. Clement's Church

11.30am: Punch & Judy with Professor Chris Gasper

11.30am: Group Senzala Essex,

11.40am: Drohne,

Noon: Borderdash; Greengate Rapper; Moonshine Morris; Royal Liberty Noon: Group Senzala Essex

12.20pm: Thameside Mummers, Church Hill

12.40pm: Jackie Oates, New Road Methodist Church

12.45pm: Street Dance display by the children of Chalkwell Junior School

1.25pm: Family Barn Dance with Roy Nicholls, Paddy Beadle, Fiona Maltby and Keith Baxter

1.30pm: Punch and Judy with Professor Chris Gasper

1.30pm: Open Mike Competition in St Clement's Church hosted by Tone Deaf Leopard, St Clement's Church

2pm. Circus Optical presents Circus Skills - a workshop for all ages

2pm: Group Senzala Essex (capoeira),

2.20pm: Songbirds

3pm: Punch and Judy with Professor Chris Gasper

3.10pm: Sandy Brechin and Ewan Wilkinson

3.15: Borderdash; Greengate Rapper; Moonshine Morris; Royal Liberty and the Leigh Mummers,

4pm: James Yorkston

4.30pm: Punch and Judy with Professor Chris Gasper

4.50pm: Keep on the Grass

7.30pm: Barn Dance with the Metric Foot Band, St Margaret's Church Hall

9pm: Grand Reunion in the Smack pub

8pm: Singaround hosted by Derek "Otto" Oliver in the Peterboat

8pm: Ian Slater and Friends in the Crooked Billet

SUNDAY

Sunday events are in the Old Town with events on the High Street, the wharfs and open space. In the evening there is the family barn dance and music sessions in local pubs.

All day Sunday: Salvo the Clown, face painting, information tent on the High Street

11am: Juggling with Southend Juggling Club, Leigh Sailing Club

11am: Punch and Judy with Professor Chris Gasper, East end of High Street

11am: Nick Silvey and Band, Peterboat

11am: Baldock Midnight Morris ; Black Horse and Standard; Greengate Rapper; Moonshine Morris; St. Clements Clog, Osborne's cockleshed

11am: Chelmsford Folk Dancers, Victoria Wharf

11am: Bows n' Belles; Harwich Morris Men; Hertfordshire Hollies; Priory Morris; Rising Larks, Strand Wharf

11am: Hoy Artists Showcase: Tony Prior, Kiti Theobald, Dave Symonds & Simon Oliver, Billet Wharf

11am: Tizzy Simple, Foundry Stage

11am: Annie's Fantasies; Cockleshell Clog; Dark Horse Border Morris; Gong Scourers; Royal Liberty Morris, Boatyard

11.20am: Tribe of Kismet, Victoria Wharf

11.30am: Simon Stephenson, Billet Wharf

11.40am: Culpeppers country and western, Victoria Wharf

11.45am: Set Adrift, Foundry Stage

11.50am: Arfur Doo & the Toe Rags, the Peterboat

Noon: Storytelling with June Wells and friends, Leigh Sailing Club

Noon: The Blackhearts, Billet Wharf

Noon: Black Horse and Standard; Gong Scourers; Hertfordshire Hollies; Mandrake Morris; Manor Mill Morris, Osborne's cockleshed

Noon: Honeygales, Clarendon Centre

Noon: Southend Irish Association, Set Dancing, Boatyard

Noon: Annie's Fantasies; Baldock Midnight Morris; Cockleshell Clog; Dark Horse Border Morris; Greengate Rapper, Strand Wharf

Noon: Chelmsford Folk Dancers, Victoria Wharf

12.20pm: Preview Club Showcase: Simon Routh, Foundry Stage

12.20pm: Culpeppers country and western, Victoria Wharf

12.20pm: Aswan Egyptian Dancers, Boatyard

12.30pm: Robin Bailey, Clarendon Centre

12.40pm: Ron Trueman-Border and the Perfect Strangers, the Peterboat

12.40pm: Southend Irish Association, Set Dancing, Boatyard car park

12.40pm: Preview Club Showcase: Dave Anton and Simon Routh, Foundry Stage

12.45pm: Anna-Louisa, Billet Wharf

12.50pm: Preview Club Showcase: Mick and Anne, Foundry Stage

1pm: Punch and Judy with Professor Chris Gasper, East end of High Street

1pm: Last Night's Fun, Billet Wharf

1pm: The Jive Club, Victoria Wharf

1.10pm: Preview Club Showcase: Roy Mette, Foundry Stage

1.15pm: Procession of dancers along the High Street to Victoria Wharf, led by Hockley Royal British Legion Pipe Band

1.35pm: Famous Potatoes, Peterboat

1.40pm: Preview Club Showcase: The West Brothers, Foundry Stage

1.45pm: Craft Session with Pat Roberts, Leigh Sailing Club

1.45pm: Askew Sisters, Billet Wharf

1.50pm: Leigh Mummers, Strand Wharf

2pm: Bows n' Belles; Harwich Morris Men; Moonshine Morris; Rising Larks; Royal Liberty Morris; Osborne's cockleshed

2pm: Kennedy School of Irish Dancers, Victoria Wharf

2pm: Bill Pardon & the FaB Choir, Clarendon Centre

2pm: SE Essex Scottish Society dancers, Boatyard

2.15pm: Adrian Nation, Billet Wharf

2.20pm: Tribe of Kismet, Boatyard

2.20pm: Aswan Egyptian Dancers, Strand Wharf

2.25pm: Tony Prior, Peterboat

2.30pm: The Telling, the Ship stage

2.30pm: Ayigafrik - West African dancers, Victoria Wharf

2.30pm: Roy Nicholls, Kym's tea rooms

2.30pm: Formbys, Clarendon Centre

2.40pm: Will Hall, Foundry Stage

2.30pm: SE Essex Scottish Society dancers, Boatyard

2.30pm: Ceroc Dancing, Strand Wharf

3pm: Punch and Judy with Professor Chris Gasper, East end of High Street

3pm: Baldock Midnight Morris; Manor Mill Morris; Priory Morris; Rising Larks; St Clements Clog; Osborne's cockleshed

3pm: Last Night's Fun, Billet Wharf

3pm: Maureen Corr Irish Dancers, Victoria Wharf

3pm: Annie's Fantasies; Cockleshell Clog; Dark Horse Border Morris; Gong Scourers; Moonshine Morris, Boatyard

3pm: Black Horse and Standard; Greengate Rapper; Harwich Morris Men; Mandrake Morris; Royal Liberty Morris; Strand Wharf

3.20pm: Nancy Wallace and Jennymay Logan, Peterboat car park

3:30pm: Clare Blackman, Foundry Stage

3.30pm: Scene 24, the Ship - outdoors

3.40pm: Maureen Corr Irish Dancers, Victoria Wharf

3.45pm: Pete Morton, Billet Wharf

4pm: Music and Dance with Roy and friends, Leigh Sailing Club

4pm: Cockleshell Clog; Dark Horse Border Morris; Greengate Rapper; Priory Morris; Royal Liberty Morris; Osborne's cockleshed

4pm: Habena, Victoria Wharf

4pm: Local Wildlife, Clarendon Centre

4pm: Annie's Fantasies; Baldock Midnight Morris; Hertfordshire Hollies; Mandrake Morris; Manor Mill Morris, Boatyard

4pm: Bows n' Belles; Gong Scourers; Harwich Morris Men; Moonshine Morris; St Clements Clog, Strand Wharf

4pm: Southend Poetry Group, the Coal Hole

4.15pm: The Seasiders, Peterboat

4.20pm: Phil Burdett, Foundry Stage

4.20pm: Tanglefoot Appalachian, Victoria Wharf

4.30pm: Punch and Judy with Professor Chris Gasper, East end of High Street 4.30pm: Pete Dunhill and Charlie Skelton, Billet Wharf

4.30pm: Copper Box, the Ship

4.30pm: Four Absent Shoes, Clarendon Centre

4.40pm: Flamenco Ole, Victoria Wharf

5pm: Ceroc Dancing, Victoria Wharf

5.10pm: Legacy, Peterboat

5.10pm: Deferred Success, Foundry

5.20pm: Tanglefoot Appalachian, Victoria Wharf

5.30pm: Hoy Artists Showcase: Tony Prior, Kiti Theobald, Dave Symonds & Simon Oliver, Billet Wharf

5.40pm: Flamenco Ole, Victoria Wharf

6pm: Riga Music Bar acts: Porter, Two Timers and the Thelma Davis Trio, Peterboat

6.15pm: Curtis-Slater , Billet Wharf

7.30pm: Poetry, music, short film, comedy, open mic featuring: Pot Pourri,Tim the Hat and Sophie Burrows, upstairs at the Ship pub.

FOLK FESTIVAL PICTURES IN MONDAY'S ECHO