Planning is already well underway for the 2008 Marsden Jazz Festival - our 17th Festival - which will take place on the second weekend in October (Friday 10th to Sunday 12th October 2008). Even whilst the sounds of the last of the 2007 gigs were echoing down the narrow Colne valley, a small but dedicated group of volunteers began planning for the 2008 Festival. We look forward to welcoming all our old friends - and a good few new faces - back to Marsden in 2008 to what, we feel sure, will be yet another swinging Marsden weekend.

We hope to announce details of the headline acts booked for the 2008 Festival before the end of February. Watch this space for the first announcement.

The man who, more than anyone else, has been responsible for the smooth running and continued success of the Marsden Jazz Festival over the last 16 years decided to step back from his central role at the end of 2007. Mike was the driving force behind the proposal for the very first festival and has been the artistic and organisational linchpin ever since. His decision to take a back seat in future means he will have more time for a host of other artistic and literary projects he is currently involved in. He will leave a massive gap and we will all miss his good humour, his calm and measured approach to organisational challenges and his warm friendship. We are determined not to let him go altogether and are confident that we can still call on his endless talents at times of real need.

At the end of January 2008, the Festival Committee and volunteers arranged a special get-together to pay tribute to Mike's tremendous contribution to the Festival and to present him with a few mementoes.