A shoot-out took place in Ross at the weekend. Some cowboys were shot, down by the river. OK I confess. I did it but before you call the Sheriff, send out a posse and sling a rope over a tree. I used the Nikon D90 with automatic intervalveometer, loaded with Nikkor lenses and a 16 gig magazine. I shot them in self defence. They were listening to and performing country music and I'm a blues man. Hope you like the film.

Jokes aside - the 8th Ross Country Music Festival took place over the weekend. This great event attracts hundreds of cowboys, cowgirls, indians, soldiers, and just plain country music lovers to the Rowing Club annually to not only enjoy the music and dancing, but to raise money for St. Michael's Hospice.

Continued . . .

The field at the Rowing Club was packed with tents and caravans and one little wooden house belonging to Annie and her husband, who bring this amazing house to the festival each year. Annie is more than happy to show people around their little home from home, which is filled with all kinds of authentic memorabilia. This year she was keen to show us some of the changes they had made. Her husband does all of the cooking outside too.

The event opened on Friday evening, with Clive and Bonnie Beard and their C&B Country Disco and regular favourite, Dave Sheriff. While the music plays the line dancers will dance and by the end of Saturday, some of them must have felt pretty exhausted as the danced to the music of Back to Back, Stephen J. Towers, Eagle Country and the C&B Country Disco.

Marie Fullwood kept everybody fed with the great food served from her mobile catering van and we would like to thank her for the lovely cup of tea we had from this great supporter of local events. Raffles were held on the Saturday and Sunday in between performances by Travis Logan, Royston Jones, Marty Smith and Chrissie Byrne and the event was officially opened by Ross Town Mayor, Councillor Jo Lane, ably assisted by 2010 Carnival Princess Adele Brooke. All in all, Colin and Anne Gray and their team put on yet another fantastic festival.