ORGANISERS of a rural music festival have pledged that the show will go ahead, despite the epidemic.

Preparations are still being made for the annual Swaledale Festival, which is staged in the most northerly areas of Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale.

Philip Parr, directing the festival for the first time, said the programme, from May 25 to June 10, would have to be limited, but vowed that events would still be in held in churches, museums, schools and pubs throughout the area.

Mr Parr said: "Of course we are disappointed to lose some events, but we hope to reschedule everything we can't do in our usual early season slot to a second round, in October.

"The main change in the festival is to pull concerts and other events back from the small venues scattered all over the dales, to the main market towns of Reeth, Leyburn and Hawes, all of which are easily accessible and full of good things to do."