Bank Holiday Hopes: weather causes problems for some events

The west country's tourism industry always holds its breath for a bank holiday weekend, hoping that decent weather will bring out the crowds. A number of events planned for the weekend have been hit by adverse conditions though.

Flooding at Taunton's Vivary Park has caused the postponement of the Somerset Diamond Jubilee Spectacular. It's hoped the Military Wives Choir and other military bands will be able to perform later in the year. The local Rotary Club's Child's Play event which was also due to take place in the park this weekend has also had to be rescheduled.

At Watergate Bay the English National Surfing Championships have been postponed due to the lack of waves. Competitors want big waves blowing in from the Atlantic, but the surf has been almost flat. The organisers are hoping to stage the competition next weekend.

Some attractions which have been waiting several million years to meet their admirers are not worried about the weather. The Lyme Regis Fossil Festival is being held in a huge tent on the beach. The event drew fourteen thousand people to the town last year for this free hands-on exhibition.

Jill Newton of the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival said: "The Fesitval attracts scientists from all around the world, particularly the natural history museums. Adults, children, anyone with an interest in fossils and pleontology and this part of the Jurrasic coast turns up and has a great time."

Today the place was packed with excited school children digging out dinosaur bones and helping in an international scientific study of soil samples. Students from the local school manning their own stand still find fascination in what's on their doorstep.

Harry Coutts from Lyme Regis Woodroffe School said: "We know some people who are quite crazy about fossils."

Charlotte bernhardt from Lyme Regis Woodroffe School said: "It's a really good place to find fossils and you can find quite a few. When you go further down the beach you find a lot and people come back with interesting things they've found and quite enjoy it actually."

Fossil fans may not worry, but other visitors to the west country do want fair weather for the weekend.

The weather won't divert fourteen groups of Morris Dancers who're gathering at Bovey Tracey. The 180 dancers will be performing at varous places around Dartmoor over the weekend, then gathering for a grand finale at Widecombe.