THE 12th Stanley Blues Festival, whose future was in doubt earlier this year, proved to be one of the best festivals so far.

Good weather, a bumper crowd thought to exceed 12,000 and a great line-up made for a fine day for music fans from all parts of the region and beyond.

Louisiana guitarist and singer Sherman Robertson, who topped the bill with his band Blues Move, was delighted with his reception.

"When I walked out on stage and saw the crowd I thought 'I'll have to have a bit of that.'

"I play from the heart and I play off the soul of the people. The people were giving me what I want. I got lost in there. I hope the rest of the tour is as good.''

The free festival also featured North-East acts The George Shovlin Band and The Blues Burglars, Nashville soul man Charles Walker, British blues veteran Stan Webb and power blues-rock trio The Hamsters, who play Stanley's Lamplight Centre in January.

Paul Green, of organisers Northern Recording, was delighted. "The crowd were fantastic and the bands were great. People were queuing from 8am and the gates didn't open until about 11.30am."

The festival, held in a giant marquee on the Kings Head Field, is under-written by Derwentside Council, but that support was thrown into doubt when the authority identified the funding as a possible target for cuts.

Festival compre, radio presenter Mike Elliot, urged the crowd to write to councillors expressing support for the event in a bid to secure funding for the future.