IT MAY have been a bit late but the sun finally arrived on Saturday afternoon as the Swindon and Cricklade Railway’s 11th real ale and cider festival got up steam.

The site at Blunsdon was packed on Saturday with families enjoying the warm weather, the live music and the ambience as well as the wide range of cider and beers on offer.

Spokesman Adrian Brodie, who was busy serving a queue of visitors in the new marquee, said: “It’s going very well. We’ve got a core of people that always come because they love it.

He explained: “We’re not huge and we’re not trying to be, but we are friendly and people come to us because it is a family and fun thing to do.”

A total of 17 ales and 11 ciders were on the racks for tasting. The most popular included Monkey Mango cider and a concoction called sloe gin cider.

And it wasn’t just local people who were lining up to sample them or take a ride on one of the railway’s vintage trains.

Visitors were from as far away as South Dakota in the US and Japan.

The festival is due to finish at 5pm today.