Hagley Hall music boost

Hagley Hall is set to play host to a three-day pop festival featuring local heroes The Wonder Stuff in a bid to raise revenue for the upkeep of the stately home.

Two thousand tickets are due to go on sale for the weekend festival – announced by Lord Cobham – which will be in a 'big top' style marquee, in the next few weeks.

The entertainment is part of a drive by Lord Cobham, the 12th Viscount of Hagley Hall, to help pay the building's bills and open the hall up to the community.

The Stourbridge band has been confirmed to top the bill at Katiesfest 2009, featuring around 10 bands and 10 acoustic artists, in May.

The large-scale event has outgrown its original Wollaston venue which was this year confined to Katie Fitzgerald's pub in Enville Street.

Organisers say they have been trying to secure a more spacious site for nearly two years.

Hagley Hall marketing manager Kate Oliver said: "We want to be seen to be giving back to the community, which is why we are keen for local bands to be playing.

"Hagley Hall is a very old, huge building which needs an awful amount of money to pay for its heating and damp protection."

She said Lord Cobham wanted to restore the hall to its former glory and hosting events was the first phase.

Eddy Morton, who runs Katie Fitzgerald's, said the organising committee had looked at various venues, before landing Hagley Hall's grounds.

The Wonder Stuff's frontman Miles Hunt and violinist Erica Nockalls performed alongside a line -up of nearly 40 artists during this year's nine-day music extravaganza at Katie Fitzgerald's in August.