A FESTIVAL which has become a nationally-recognised event is expected to attract visitors to the region and take away some of the foot-and-mouth gloom.

For the past nine years, the Friends of Killhope have organised and run a Grand Mineralogical Exhibition, at Killhope, the North of England Lead Mining Museum, in Weardale, County Durham.

The event takes place during the first weekend in September and exhibitors from all over Britain will attend, making the show an opportunity for visitors to admire some of the most spectacular North Pennines minerals.

This year, a successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid means that all of Upper Weardale can join in the festival fun.

Museum manager Ian Forbes said: "We will be holding the exhibition at the nearby Ireshopeburn Institute - meaning the extremely successful spar box exhibition being held at the museum can continue uninterrupted over the weekend."

The grant from the Awards for All programme will help fund a vintage bus to shuttle visitors between the sites and joint discount tickets will encourage people to visit all three.

Mineral shows are a revival of Victorian tradition in the dale when miners showed off minerals unearthed during their gruelling work.

The event will run on Saturday and Sunday, September 1 and 2.

l A day of festivities to mark the 100th anniversary year of Queen Victoria's death will be held on Sunday at the museum, from 10.30am to 6pm.

Visitors can enjoy Victorian costumes, sideshows and rides, traditional music and dancing and more. There is a shop and caf and there will be a beer tent.

For details, contact (01388) 537505 or www.durham.gov. uk/killhope.

Read more about foot-and-mouth here.