BOSCASTLE was alive with music, beer and other activities recently, with the Boscastle Beer and Music Festival.

Over the weekend of October 7 and 8, the village was hounded by great music, good local beer and an event that everyone will remember for some time. With a variety of music on Saturday, October 7, Sunday saw the return of the traditional floral dance, led by the Camelford Town Band, and great performances from such acts as the Boscastle Buoys in the afternoon, to the Countrymen and the Belfast Busker in the evening. There was also a re-enactment battle from the Warriors of Tintagel, plunging the village into times past.

Back for its second year, Boscastle Beer and Music Festival was located in the main car park in Boscastle, and with its carnival atmosphere was a fun event for all the family. The festival consisted of the rainbow marquee, which housed the bar and music; an arts and craft marquee with a variety of stalls of amazing artwork and locally crafted items; as well as some independent shops and stalls.

The Warriors of Tintagel Saxon battle re-enactment group set up a Saxon camp with battle demonstrations and living history talks. Children’s entertainment included circus workshops, provided by Kate Leeds from Boscastle Playgroup, as well as a bouncy castle, swingboats and face painting to keep the little ones happy.

Unfortunately bad weather meant some of the outdoor activities had to be cancelled on the Saturday. On Sunday, however, the weather was in festival-goers’ favour and attendance was high with all the outdoor activities going ahead as planned.

A highlight of the event was the return of the floral dance procession from the village hall through Old Road, led by Camelford Town Band, with the children of Boscastle Primary School.

The rainbow marquee was host to local bands and musicians, including Innereyefull and the Belfast Busker headlining, and featured debut performances from North Coast Harmony and Gordon Zola and the Yargbirds. Boscastle’s very own Boscastle Buoys and the Countrymen Singers wowed the audience with traditional Cornish songs.

Sponsored by Kindred Spirits Festival, the aim for the beer festival was to raise money for local community groups as the organisers, Andrew and Tracy Leeds, live in the village. A total of £1,400 was raised from the event and will be distributed between Boscastle Playgroup, Boscastle County Primary School, Boscastle NCI Coastwatch, Boscastle Football Club, Energia Samba Band and the Warriors of Tintagel.

The Boscastle Buoys presented a cheque for £2,000 to Catherine Robins, community fundraiser for Cornwall Hospice Care, taking the amount raised by the singers to a total of £30,000 altogether.

A spokesperson from the event said: “To summarise, despite the bad weather on Saturday, overall the event was a huge success and our deepest thanks to all the volunteers whom without a doubt made this event possible.”