THERE was plenty of sound in Coleford at the weekend as revellers enjoyed the return of Coleford Music Festival.

The crowd had lots to catch up on after the last event was hosted eight years ago.

The three-day event saw the town centre come to life with musicians from near and far including Neville Staple, who headlined on Sunday.

Joint festival director, Nick Penny said: “Both Amanda (Smith) and I have worked tirelessly the last 18 months to get the show off the ground and are extremely happy with how it went. We were elated to see Coleford town centre so busy and everyone enjoying themselves.

“We couldn’t have done it without the help of our core group of supporters who included Nicky Holloway, Rach Thomas, Vicky Thornton and Kev Jarvis.

“Sunday was a big day and we had four main stages which featured lots of local musicians. Neville was superb and the festival finished on a chilled high.

“In terms of a show next year, we will have to have a thorough debrief with the licensing committee, police and key stakeholders. Both Amanda and I would like to see it return as an annual event – but the cost to hold such an event is £40,000, which is a lot of money to find. Luckily this year Coleford Town Council came onboard and funded half of the project. A bucket collection over the weekend raised £3,000 which goes towards supporting the festival.”