Last updated 12:11, Friday, 22 August 2008

TEN thousand people will be descending on the area this weekend for Solfest, one of the few music festivals in the country to sell out this year.

Aspatria and Silloth, which will see the bulk of the visitors, are gearing up for the occasion with shops offering Solfest Specials.

Aspatria Farmers’ co-op has a large sign in its window urging people to by their Solfest ‘wellies and woollies here’ while other businesses are organising extra staff for what could be a busy weekend.

Simon Kay, one of the Solfest organisers, said he was delighted that businesses would see a spin-off from the three-day music event which starts today at Tarns, near Mawbray.

He said: “We consider the surrounding towns and villages just an extension of Solfest itself.”

He said the wellies and woollies idea was a good one and he was advising people to bring both this weekend after recent wet weather.

He thanked local people who had worked tirelessly to lay bark and to generally help clean up the area for the festival.

He added: “It’s still a bit messy around the gates but we are restricting vehicle movement now and, if the rain holds off for a couple of days, the fields should be okay.

“The land at the site is quite porous so the water does disappear quickly.”

People passing through Aspatria and Silloth will not escape Solfest as most shops in both towns will be tuned into Radio Solfest for the weekend. Radio Solfest starts today.

For the second year in a row, organisers have obtained a restricted service licence, which will allow them to broadcast from the site on a 25 watt transmitter which should carry for one to two miles. Last year, though, people on the M6 heard Radio Solfest.

The temporary station, which can be found on 87.7 FM, was due to begin transmission this morning and will continue until Monday afternoon.

It will include broadcasts, from various workshops and music from some of the stages.

All tickets have been sold and 10,000 people are expected to attend.

As well as musical acts including Supergrass and Chas and Dave, there will theatre, comedy and children’s activities.

Campsites have been improved this year and each camping field will have its own village green.

Mr Kay added: “This is where people in the various campsites will be able to meet up around a campfire and play music and exchange stories.

“Meals will be available, so they can sit around on the green having breakfast together.

“We are our own worst critics and after last year’s festival we thought the area that needed to be better supervised was the camping sites, so we have also hired a campsites manager this year.”