THE 18th annual Pickering Jazz festival will see top bands from all parts of the North taking part.

Staged at the town's Memorial Hall from Monday, July 25 to Saturday, July 30, the popular event will include the River City Jazzmen from Tyneside, Winston's Pennie Jazz, a West Yorkshire Dixieland band which is making its debut at the festival, and the Yorkshire Post Jazz Band.

Also taking part will be T J Johnson's Band, the Harlem Hot Stompers from Manchester and the Gambit Jazzmen.

The festival's first event will be a jazz church service at the Methodist Church in Potter Hill, at 10.30am, with the Quayside Hot Stompers and Delia Glaiser, and there will be a free open air concert at the rear of John Pearson's home, at Crossgates, Eastgate, Pickering at 2pm.