PLANS are already underway for next year's Upton Blues Festival after a successful second year.

Organisers estimate between 5,000 and 6,000 travelled from as far afield as Glasgow for the three-day festival in the pubs of Upton at the weekend.

Stuart McEwan, chairman of the organising committee and landlord of Ye Olde Anchor pub, described the event as superb.

"The whole thing went off extremely well," he said.

"The new venue under the bridge was very good, the one criticism last year was that all the venues were a bit small. Putting the stage under there allowed a large venue."

Mr McEwan said next year's event would take place at the same time, the third weekend in July.

"We have got to sit down and talk to the landlords and go from there," he said.

Festival spokesman Rachael Willoughby said: "It was a great weekend with a fantastic atmos-phere and a good mix of blues music, something for everyone. It's

too early to tell how much money we made on merchandise for next year but it was looking quite good. Plans will start underway for next year very soon."

Margaret Dovey, from Gifted in the High Street, said the town had seen the benefits of the influx of blues fans.

She said Saturday had been much busier than usual.

"There were a lot of people in," she said. "It wasn't jam packed but it was certainly busier than a normal Saturday."

Lindsey Dyke, from Upton Tourist Information Centre, said visitor figures were up 50 per cent on last year.

"The flowers were all out from Upton in Bloom, everything was fine and dandy," she said.