DESPITE biting winds and grey skies leaving much of the region shivering, hardy musicians braved the cold to ensure an annual folk music festival went ahead.

Musicians and dancers from across the country battled against the weather to take part in Darlington’s Spring Thing Folk Festival this weekend.

The annual festival, running for almost 30 years, moved to the Dolphin Centre following last year's closure of its former  Darlington Arts Centre home.

Despite facing an uncertain future, festival chairman George Armstrong said he was delighted with everyone who pulled together to ensure the event went ahead.

“We have been through a steep learning curve, but it is absolutely fantastic to see everybody pull together to make it work,” he said.

“We thought the weather would be the end of it, but the support has been fantastic. We have got a great team of people behind it who prove that there is no ‘I’ in team.”

Throughout the weekend visitors took part in music workshops, ceilidhs, open mic sessions, song writing contests and craft fairs, while hardy teams of morris dancers from across the North-East performed in the Market Square for onlookers.

The festival is organised by Darlington Folk Club and Darlington Borough Council's events team in association with Darlington Mummers and Darlington Folk Workshop.

Marion Ogle from the council said: “It has been a great experience working with the festival team.

“They are full of enthusiasm and really wanted to make it work. I am really looking forward to next year’s festival.”