A world championship that involves banging cutlery together is being revived in a North-East village. Andrew White reports.

A MAESTRO on an unusual musical instrument is to defend his world title in the North-East almost 30 years after the competition was last held.

Bert Draycott WCSP - the letters stand for World Champion Spoons Player - is challenging allcomers to beat his cutlery skills when the championships are staged next month.

The competition will take place in Trimdon Village, County Durham, during its annual traditional music festival.

Mr Draycott, 72, won the inaugural title when it was held in the Busty compressor house at Fishburn Colliery, County Durham, in 1973.

A virtuoso on the dessert spoons for 50 years, Mr Draycott believes he will take some beating at the revived championships.

He said: "I've instructed thousands of people, but not everybody gets away with it because it's not as easy as it looks.

"It's quite technical, but you'd have to see my act to understand it."

Mr Draycott still performs on the folk circuit and has developed a series of special moves, including the Fishburn Flick, Shotton Stott, Blackhall Bounce and Newcastle Knuckle Knocker, and hopes to put them to good use in the competition.

He said: "I'll take on anyone at anytime in anyplace. Playing spoons is how I keep my youth. I only look about 40 because I've never grown up."

Sandra Kerr, lecturer in traditional music at the University of Newcastle, said the spoons are a time-honoured percussion instrument and very significant in North-East folklore.

She said: "It's the people's instrument, because everybody's got a pair of spoons to bang together.

"I absolutely applaud this competition in Trimdon. It's groundbreaking news and I'm very proud of the North-East for initiating it because it's a fantastic instrument."

She added: "It's about time spoons came out of the closet, they should be up there with the pipes and the concertina.

"I would like to see a spoons orchestra in the North-East. You could have everything from tiny fork spoons through to huge ladles for the bass section - I think it's got potential."

The festival takes place between Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 14 and includes performances by Lindisfarne, Vin Garbutt, and Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies.

The World Spoon Playing Championships will be held in the Bird in Hand pub in Trimdon Village on Saturday, September 7, starting at 1pm.

Orgainser Peter Brookes said: "We want to see lots of people challenging Bert. Even if they've never played the spoons before we want them to come along and have a go."

For more information about the festival visit the www.trimdonfestival.co.uk website.

Tickets for all performances during the festival are available by ringing (01388) 815700.