BALMY weather, free-flowing champagne and the incredible voice of diva Lesley Garrett combined for an unforgettable night at Durham County cricket ground on Saturday.

More than 4,000 hamper-laden fans braved the fuel crisis to enjoy the first major non-cricket event at the Riverside ground, Chester-le-Street.

Organised by the Lord's Taverners Northumberland and Durham Committee, to celebrate their 50th birthday, the night saw the down-to-earth soprano put in a stunning vocal performance.

Music buffs queued from early afternoon to make sure they got a good pitch on the club's turf, before enjoying turns from the Virtuoso Jazz Quintet and Chester-le-Street Civic Choir.

As darkness descended, Lesley Garrett took to the stage and performed a repertoire ranging from the world of opera, including arias from Puccini, Dvorak and Bizet, through to the music of Gershwin and Rodgers.

Leaving the stage she said: "It was a blast - I had the time of my life. The most wonderful part was the audience - and, of course, it didn't rain."