FINE weather resulted in a bumper turn-out at this year’s Ealing Jazz Festival.

Thousands turned up to see some of the best jazz Ealing has to offer in the five-day festival, which was held in Walpole Park and finished on Sunday night.

Ray Gelato Giants got the event off to a flying start Wednesday night with some swinging jazz, and Dick Esmond’s Sound of 17 Big Band brought an end to the annual event.

It was the 30th Ealing Jazz Festival, and Mr Esmond, who is its co-founder and artistic director, said it was a memorable occasion.

He said: “We had a very large number of people turn up. The music brought them in and it was fantastic. All the bands were great.”

The festival showcases the best jazz Ealing has to offer, with Mr Esmond saying: “All the bands are led by locally based musicians. People that have had long links with Ealing in playing on their home turf.

And he said these bands helped the festival, which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year, draw in bigger crowds than earlier years.

He said: “It’s difficult to size how many people came but it was well up there on previous years. We’re talking about thousands.

“There were far more than I can remember seeing last year or the year before that, especially at the weekend.”