Summer of music

THE appearance of a former member of one of the biggest bands on the planet was something of a coup for the organisers of this year’s Newark Blues Festival.

Mick Taylor, guitarist with the Rolling Stones from 1969 to 1974, performed with Tobi And Friends in the grounds of Newark Castle on Sunday.

The festival received his seal of approval. “The music and atmosphere were great,” he said.

But don’t just take his word for it. The Newark event, in only its fourth year, was voted second in this year’s British Blues Awards.

That’s quite an achievement, having been up against hundreds of festivals across the country.

The event was created by a local family — Darren Pointing working with his father, Darrell, and son, Joe.

They have worked to ensure that not only does it showcase some of the country’s finest blues music, it also provides a platform for local talent such as The Unusual Suspects, who were part of the Saturday night main stage line-up.

The Pointing family’s drive and determination shows how a germ of an idea can grow into something special.

As Joe said: “When this all started we were just going to perform at the pubs, but then we decided to go for it and we are so glad we did.”

Following on from a successful Newark Festival at the end of August, and the Southwell Folk Festival earlier in the year, the area can rightly claim a place at the forefront of this summer’s music scene.