WHEN the annual Oxford Folk Festival was cancelled this year, many music-lovers were left bereft.

But some of them decided to do something about the situation and will this weekend stage the first Folk Weekend Oxford.

Although not connected with the festival, hundreds of morris dancers, musicians and singers will descend on the city for three days of events.

It had been a scramble to arrange, said organiser Ian Giles, because the Oxford Folk Festival committe only announced in February that the event would not be held this year.

The festival organisers said it was unaffordable in the current economic climate.

Mr Giles, 56, said: “We have organised this all in five weeks.

“Planning for the usual event takes a whole year, so there have been moments of real panic but it is all in place now. It should be fantastic. There’s so much good feeling about the event.”

Events begin tomorrow night at venues including Oxford Castle, the Half Moon pub in St Clement’s and the Newman Rooms, in Rose Place, off St Aldate’s.

Almost 50 morris dance sides and more than 500 performers will be appearing at the castle and around the city centre.

Other events include a harp-playing workshop and performances of blues, Irish and French music, while the Old Tom pub, in St Aldate’s, is inviting musicians to drop in and play at any time over the weekend.

Mr Giles said: “I go to the folk festival every year, as I’ve been involved with folk music in Oxford for donkeys’ years.

“When it was announced that it wasn’t going to be taking place, there was a real groundswell of support to organise another event.

“It was fantastic when the call went out – the response was phenomenal. There will be so many people to thank when this is all over.”

Mr Giles, a castle tour guide, will perform in his own three-part harmony group Vinegar Tom and folk group Magpie Lane.

He said: “This has all been voluntary. Everyone is doing everything for free, just for the love of it. Hopefully, this is just something we can do for a year to keep folk music alive in the city, before the folk festival returns next year.”

Last year, more than 30 morris dance sides from all over the country attended the festival. This year’s event was to feature Adrian Edmondson with his band the Bad Shepherds.

In a statement on their website, the organisers said: “We are delighted with the groundswell of local folkies organising events to fill the gap left by the cancellation of the festival.

“However we feel it would be unethical to become involved in these, as it would be confusing for observers to think we are involved in any way, since we have cancelled the official festival.”