THE merry sound of squeeze-boxes, morris bells and folk song filled Weymouth Pavil-ion for the town's first Folk Festival over the weekend.

A bustling display of folk traditions and a host of musical talents made up the fun-packed bill for the three-day event.

Morris dancers, some dressed as folklore animals, paraded the beachfront and back-streets of Weymouth to the sound of fiddles and accordions.

And concerts, workshops and children's entertainment took place inside the Pavilion where a make-shift folk village was set up.

Stalls selling anything from banjos to bongo drums filled the corridors of the complex, while lessons on how to play the accordion were given in the Pavilion's Sun Deck.

Festival organisers declared the weekend a great success with ticket sales for the concerts selling well, and now hope to stage the event next year.

Festival organiser Ken Ramsey said: "For the first ever Weymouth Folk Festival this is a great success.

"We had around 200 people fill the halls for the opening night and we're hoping even more will turn up next year."

Onlookers from across the region came flocking to the town for the festival and were treated to impromptu performances by fiddlers and dancers dressed in traditional garb.

"It's been hot work but we've enjoyed it," said morris dancer Len Leggett, who was disguised as Old Tup - a legendary Portland sheep from Dorset folklore.

Mr Leggett, 54, a member of the 16-strong Frome Valley Morris and a follower of the folk tradition for 25 years added: "The children loved it - they've been following us all down the promenade.

"Folk music goes back many years but has been dying out in recent times, so this is a great way of keeping the tradition alive and meeting other people."

Other weekend highlights included concerts by a host of acclaimed folk singers.

Traditional music lovers were treated to the rich sound of the accordion, expertly played by folk stalwart John Kirkpatrick.

Widely acclaimed in folk circles, Kirkpatrick has been involved in the tradition since the late 1960s with solo projects and as a member of various bands including Steeleye Span in which he played with folk diva Maddy Prior.

And Maddy made up a fitting finale to the cultural weekend with a concert lasting more than two hours.

The songstress played alongside Rose Kemp and Abbie Lathe with a welcome selection of songs from her Steeleye Span days and more recent material.