THE FUTURE of the Ilkley Summer Festival is already in the making - less than a week after the first successful event ended.

Dancing in the street at the Festival Finale for All on Sunday brought the inaugural three-week event to a festive conclusion.

Festival organisers are already declaring it a success, and have revealed they will be sitting down together within days to start work on next year's event.

Founder member of the festival, Ilkley councillor Anne Hawkesworth, said: "It exceeded my hopes and expectations, and I hope it will be the first of many. It's been very good and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. We'll be having a post-mortem in about a week's time and then we've got to start going for next year.

"There are obviously things we'd like to reassess, but I would definitely hope that there would be another 'Last Night Of The Proms', and I hope we could make Yorkshire Day even bigger and better.

"Some things I see as being milestones in the festival and within the month. Anyone booking their holidays or bidding to go away, ought to look towards similar events on the same dates next year."

She believes it not only brought together a range of existing Ilkley summer events and promoted some new ones, but also brought people from outside the area into Ilkley - which may help local tourism in future.

The Ilkley Summer Festival team co-ordinated a wide range of activities laid on by sports clubs, groups, schools, businesses and other local organisations.

Coun Hawkesworth looked back on the highlights of the inaugural event.

She said: "I think perhaps for me it was the Saturday evening but another highlight was the smaller things, like knowing 25 under-12s were learning the skills of cricket at Ben Rhydding," she said. "The support that residents have given has just been wonderful." She said another highly successful aspect of the festival had been the three-day French Market on The Grove - which has already had enthusiastic shoppers asking for further continental markets.

Others in the town have echoed the enthusiasm for marking down August in next year's calendar for another Ilkley Summer Festival - and perhaps future years.

Former Ilkley Parish Council chairman Mike Gibbons, who involved with the parish council-organised Music and the Grove event on Saturday, said: "I'd like to congratulate the festival organisers for an excellent series of events throughout August."

The final events over the weekend included a concert by Terry Lightfoot and his band, who stepped in at the last minute to replace Kenny Ball, who was unable to attend.

The concert took place at the King's Hall, Station Road, on Friday. The event was organised by the Friends of the King's Hall.

People of all ages enjoyed the party spirit at the Festival Finale on The Grove on Sunday.

Entertainment came from a young Ilkley Music Centre rock band, all-girl pop band Red Shift, a Punch and Judy show, a magic show, band Jazz Mundo and Tina Turner tribute act Janet Jaye.

The festival officially ended on Sunday evening with a final flourish, in the form of a mass balloon launch on The Grove.

Grooving on The Grove as

last night is party time

A 'MAGICAL' evening of music on The Grove had people dancing and celebrating the conclusion of the first successful Ilkley Summer Festival.

The Ilkley Parish Council-organised Music on the Grove event on Saturday was one of two large-scale events over the weekend to mark the end of the three-week festival.

Creating a Last Night of the Proms-style atmosphere, concert-goers turned up with flags and banners to wave, and some even ventured out of their seats to dance as the night progressed.

Residents bought tickets for seats and tables on The Grove, which was sealed off to traffic on Saturday and Sunday.

The music was provided by Guiseley Jazz Band, baritone David Owen-Lewis, the Marsden Brass Band, which played popular classics.

Mr Owen-Lewis' light-hearted performance saw him douse a member of the audience with shaving foam, and pretend to shave him while performing a piece from opera The Barber of Seville.

The only hitch to the evening came when the planned fireworks display, contributed by the Ilkley Summer Festival, failed to arrive. The Marsden Brass Band stood in place of the fireworks display, and played an extra set to end the evening on a high note.

Councillor Mike Gibbons, of Ilkley Parish Council, said: "I believe Saturday night was a huge success. Everyone seemed to enjoy the entertainment. I'd like to thank the Guiseley Jazz Band, David Owen-Lewis and his accompanist, Gavin Bailey, and I'd particularly like to thank the Marsden Brass Band, who continued to play long after their booked time. It gave us a wonderful finale. There was a real party atmosphere and superb entertainment.

"Although we had a wonderful street party for the jubilee, this is the first concert of it's kind on The Grove, and we may well learn some lessons from it, like a better PA system. It may well be something we'll consider again in the future."

Ilkley Summer Festival founder, Anne Hawkesworth, also believes Saturday's concert was a high spot in the in the festival programme.

"It was absolute sheer magic," she said.

She said a similar concert would be a sought-after event for the next Ilkley Summer Festival.

l A final chance to see the festival off with a bang will take place this weekend.

Ilkley Summer Festival has rescheduled the fireworks display - which it had hoped to hold at the end of the parish council's Music on the Grove event - for this weekend. The fireworks display will take place on The Grove on Saturday, at 9.30pm. There will be music from Jazz Mundo.