LAST Saturday I attended the Wimborne Folk Festival. The procession was led by a band called Gugge (as in Googie) 2000.

Later they played in front of the Minster before a large crowd on the Minster Green and who were enthralled with their performance.

Gugge 2000 are a band of around 40 local amateur musicians, formed in 1998 and based in Bournemouth.

They play a kind of music called Guggenmusik which translates as Happy Music.

It originated in Europe and is particularly popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

I believe Gugge 2000 was formed after a visit to Lucerne which is twinned with Bournemouth.

Although they are all amateurs they have a very professional and unique sound which is a blend of brass and percussion.

They are acclaimed both on the continent and in this country where they regularly play at such events as Worcester Live Festival and the London Marathon.

It’s a measure of their excellence that this year they have been invited to play at the Edinburgh Festival in August.

You would thus think that in promoting the name of Bournemouth so widely that Bournemouth Council would be prepared to acknowledge this and book them to play regularly at venues such as the Lower Gardens bandstand.

Events such as the Candles Evenings and the Air Show would be ideal as their kind of music lends itself to being played outdoors.

But to my knowledge Bournemouth Tourism tend to overlook the ‘Diamonds’ in their midst.

So come on Bournemouth council, give Gugge 2000 a platform they richly deserve to entertain residents and holidaymakers alike.

DAVID WEBBER, Forest Way, Wimborne