Shrewsbury Quarryfest goes down a storm - with pictures

Under cloudy but dry skies fans of live music soaked up the atmosphere as the inaugural event got under way.

A huge marquee had been placed under the shade of the trees at the far end of the park and band after band took to the stage. First up was The Ronaldos fresh from their appearance at Brookfest. With their mix of hits they kicked the sell-out festival off in style.

Music lovers had travelled from all over Shropshire to attend the one-day event which was a mix of local bands and tribute acts.

One of the first through the doors was Stella Cardinali, a 47-year-old cleaner from Shrewsbury. She was at the festival with a group of friends and said: “I decided to come along as I liked the sound of the bands. I went to the Let’s Rock concert in the Quarry and had a great time. I think we should have more things like this in the Quarry. It is the perfect place for this sort of thing. I’m really looking forward to seeing Abba and Madness later but the local bands have been good.”

Karen Evans, 47 from Shrewsbury was enjoying a cooling drink in the sun. The teaching assistant said: “We thought this would be a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I have seen The Ronaldos before and they are very good.”

Joining Madness, Abba and The Ronaldos on the line up was Jack in a Box, Skaburst, Two Blank Pages, Dynamite Dick Band and a Bruno Mars tribute act.

Paula Haynes, a 50-year-old civil servant from Telford had caught the train from Wellington. She said: “I am here with two friends. Our husbands are away playing golf in Spain so we decided to come here. We saw it advertised in the paper and thought it sounded like fun. It is something different for a Saturday. It is a really nice way to spend the day.”

Wendy Lewis from Welshpool had brought her nieces Ffion Deakins and Sian Jones, both aged 12.

She said: “We have come to see Abba. We are big fans. I heard about the festival on Facebook and thought it would be nice for the girls to come along.”

Also to learn about the festival on Facebook was 37-year-old Sharon Jones from Shrewsbury. She said: “I love live music and this was a perfect mix for me. There is a great atmosphere and everyone is really friendly.”

Samantha Manning, organiser said: “It was a lot of hard work but we got the result we wanted. We had lots of good feedback from people as they were leaving the event.”

“The weather helped a lot as people could sit out most of the day while listening to the music.

“I think we probably will look at doing something again next year but obviously we don’t have dates yet.

“We will need to talk to the council about and will also see if we can get more feedback from the public on what they thought and what we might be able to do better,” she added.

With her boyfriend Will Jenkins was 24-year-old Beth O’Connell from Telford. She said: “We came on the train so we can have a drink and listen to the bands. I am really looking forward to seeing Madness. Skaburst were really good. I hadn’t heard of them before, but they got everyone in the tent dancing. There is a brilliant atmosphere.”

Billed as a family friendly festival, there was something for all ages. From a circus tent and play bus to street food and a number of bars, the festival organisers had made sure every taste and age was catered for.

Adrian Timmis, 42 from Oswestry had also decided to attend the event after hearing of it on social media. He said: “It is great to have live music in the heart of Shrewsbury. The town is getting a name for being really vibrant and these sort of events are great. It is great value for money and everyone seems to be having a fantastic time. More things like this should take place.”