UNEXPECTED good weather helped draw record crowds to the 2008 Otley Black Sheep Folk Festival.

Music lovers, spurred on by the clearest skies for many weeks, turned out in force to enjoy the four-day annual event last week.

Big names like Chumbawamba, Vin Garbutt and the Duncan McFarlane Band were a hit but audiences were also enthralled by emerging talent like Kerfuffle and Toothless Mary.

The strong line-up and bright weather helped ensure all of the festival’s venues were packed out from its opening night, last Thursday until its finale on Sunday.

Organiser Steve Fairholme said: “It was brilliant, we had great weather and the turnout was bigger than ever. Everywhere was full, so you really can’t do much better than that!

“Chumbawamba were very popular and Coope Boyes and Simpson were absolutely fantastic. We also had lots of people phoning in saying the Duncan McFarlane Band were the best thing at this year’s festival, so they obviously went down really well too.

“But I think everybody was in really good form and that, combined with the atmosphere and the weather – which was unbelievable given what we have had for the rest of the summer – all made for a really good weekend. I am sure that helped bring a lot of people out.”

Otley’s MP Greg Mulholland was amongst the revellers who enjoyed this year’s festival. He said: “As ever the festival was a wonderful event for the town as well as the many people who visited.”

The success was all the sweeter for the festival organisers as they had to make last-minute rearrangements to overcome several problems, not least the loss of the Red Lion on Kirkgate as a venue.

Mr Fairholme has real concerns about how many venues will be available for next year’s event.

He said: “We did have quite a bit of messing about this time which we could well have done without.

“It does make you wonder how many other pubs will have closed by next year, I think quite a few are struggling.

“I personally think the pub companies are to blame, because they all seem to make the landlords buy only this expensive beer and they end up not being able to afford it and having to close.

“They are ruining our heritage.”