'I'm quite sentimental' - Joy as folk festival finally returns to Cromer

Scott Butler, who founded the event in 1999 and still organises it today, said he was "choked up" about the festival being back for the first time since 2019.

Mr Butler, from Overstrand, said: "I'm delighted and quite sentimental about being back after the lockdown because there were moments when I thought we might lose it, and could have easily have gone that way.

"But the faithful kept their ticket money in the box office, and everybody is really enthusiastic about being back after what has been three years of hiatus.

"The artists have been playing their socks off because a lot of them haven't played much in the past few years."

The festival is centred around Cromer Pier's Pavilion Theatre - dubbed 'the best gig on the North Sea' - but there are other free performances happening around the town.

People packed out the Garden Street community centre to hear shanty groups sing as part of the Folk off the Pier fringe programme.

Being run for the first time this year as a separate, not-for-profit event, Folk off the Pier gigs have taken place at the Henry Blogg Museum, Cromer Social Club, the Albion and White Horse pubs and many other venues.

Fiona Davies, from the Folk off the Pier committee, said: "This is all about bringing some wellbeing into the town for everyone, and for the musicians as well, who have had it harder than most."

Morris dancers jangled through traditional dance numbers in front of the parish church, and buskers young and old played on the seafront and streets.

Brian Antuar, squire of the Holt Ridge Morris side, said their audience had been welcoming. Mr Antaur, from High Kelling, said: "We do what's called Cotswold Morris, it's a particular style of dancing. We use hankies and sticks, but we don't colour our faces or wear tattercoats."

Events continue around the town today (Sunday), and this evening's highlight will be a sold-out gig at the pier, headlined by folk rock legends Fairport Convention.