AN internationally renowned blues festival in South Lakeland celebrated yet another successful event at the weekend.

The sixth Bowness Bay Blues Festival welcomed sell-out crowds to venues across the town.

People flocked from countries as far away as New Zealand to watch the eclectic line-up of acclaimed artists, cementing the festival's reputation as a key event on the blues music calendar.

To top it off, £11,000 was raised by the The Rotary Club of Windermere, who organise the event for its chosen charities: the Langdale and Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team and Blood Bikes North Lancashire and Cumbria.

Rotay Club member David Thomas said: "The whole thing was a joy again this year. It gets bigger and better every year and it's just wonderful.

"This was the first time we have sold out of tickets. We had a tremendous range of performers.

"We invested in getting big bands to headline at the Wheelhouse and it paid off. We had Geoff Aichison from Australia. My wife and I saw him at the Liverpool Philharmonic, so to have somebody who plays those venues play in Bowness is great.

"He was supported by The Stumble who were really good.

"It went on from there. The cruise on Windermere on Saturday, with Matt Woosey from Germany, went down a storm. Changing State, from the Lakes School, were supporting each night and they stepped in and played a longer set when a band pulled out due to injury. They did really well."

The 2018 festival is already being planned, with organisers hoping to expand on this year's success and grow the event further.