aThe Queen of the Solway returns at the end of this month.

It is 40 years since this Maryport dance festival was started by the late Florence Mulgrew - a passionate dance dancer and dance teacher.

Florence, who died in 2017, at the age of 83.

She danced until she was 16 and then gave up performing for teaching.

Her first task was to prepare routines for Maryport carnival. She then opened her own dance school and taught literally hundreds of West Cumbrian children to dance.

Florence was a devout Catholic, who travelled to Lourdes on several occasions.

Mrs Mulgrew also started the Queen of the Solway Dance Festival in 1982 which brought young dancers from the North East and Lancashire as well as Cumbria.

This provided a chance for her young dancers to showcase their talents and to compete against others from outside the area.

Although the festivals runs the gamut of dance styles, adjudicators have always spoken about the high level of tap dancing in West Cumbria - and some have put it down to clog dancing which would have been popular in years gone by.

While the festival brought job, it also had extremely sad times,

Florence had to leave one year because her daughter Margaret, was critically ill in hospitakl and later passed away.

Then there was Florence's death at the age of 83 - when the decision was made that the festival should go on in her name.

Horror came to the festival in the year that Chloe Rutherford had died in the Manchester arena bombing. Chloe had been a regular dancer at the Maryport festival.

The festival has also had its share of trying to find new accommodation.

It started off in the civic hall. When it was demolished it moved to the Wave Centre and now, because there is no longer any room for them there, they are holding this year's festival at Maryport Primary School on Camp Road. to show how much talent our young people have.

Mostly, though, it is a festival of joy.

The dancers get to wear their pretty costumes, dance their feet off and provide great entertainment both for proud parents and the general public.

For them it is fun.

For Sandra Chapman and Joan Nicholson, who have helped run the festival since its beginning, it is also fun - with a lot of hard work thrown in!

READ ABOUT THIS MONTH'S FESTIVAL: //www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/20110758.dancers-return-maryports-queen-solway-event/