VIDEO THOUSANDS of people turned out to enjoy a day of music in memory of a Suffolk woman who died from cancer.The second Kesgrave Music Festival took place on Saturday and saw festival goers basking in the sun and enjoying music from 23 bands and performers.

HUNDREDS of people turned out to enjoy a day of music in memory of a Suffolk woman who died from cancer.

The second Kesgrave Music Festival took place on Saturday and saw festival goers basking in the sun and enjoying music from 23 bands and performers.

The festival is held in memory of Kesgrave woman Kate Moyes, who died in 2005 aged 29 after a battle with cancer.

As the hottest day of the summer brought the sun shining over Suffolk, visitors flocked to the festival and organisers were confident they would attract an even bigger crowd than last year, which 2,500 people go along.

As well as a main stage of music, this year saw the introduction of a Live Lounge inside the community centre, which saw a number of acts perform acoustic sets and gave visitors a chance to cool down away from the baking sun.

The festival was held on what would have been Kate's birthday and all money raised is donated to the St Elizabeth Hospice, which cared for her. All the bands performing gave their time free and Ipswich based insurance company AXA donated free full insurance for the event.

Organiser Debbie McCallum said she was delighted with the response the festival had this year.

She said: “It's a really good line-up this year and we are so pleased with all the bands and performers.

“We have wanted there to be something for everybody, so that if you come along with the children there is always something to do.

“The weather has been absolutely superb. We had a cool morning to get everything ready and then at 12 the sun came out. The sun always came out on Kate's birthday.”

Mrs McCallum said holding the festival was the ideal way to remember their friend.

She said: “There is a mixture of feelings. When you see it all happening you're really happy with all the people coming out, but there is also sadness that someone so beautiful is gone and can't be here.

“She'd have loved it, she was a very special person and we wanted to do something special to mark that.”

As well as the line-up of well known Suffolk acts, storyteller John Row was mingling with the crowds.

Mr Row has been a popular performer at a number of major festivals this year, including Glastonbury.

He said: “It nice to come and do something like this,” he said.

“I've been doing all the national festivals this summer and it's really nice to come back and do something in my own town, there's a lovely feel to the day.”

At the first festival last year, £12,500 was raised for the St Elizabeth Hospice and the organising team were hoping to beat that amount this year.

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