MUSICIANS are fine tuning their guitars for next weekend’s world record attempt on a Dorset beach.

Geoff Baker, who has organised the Guitars on the Beach event, now aims to make Lyme Regis the live music capital of Dorset.

He will write to the council’s strategy and policy chief, Coun Mark Gage, to present the case for a new economic strategy of making the resort an ‘all-music’ destination for visitors.

Mr Baker said: “It has been an amazing year for music in Lyme and I believe we can now capitalise on this for the future economic benefit of the whole town.

“Last week’s folk festival was a fantastic success in drawing visitors and promoting the town and the festival has now put Lyme on the folk map of Britain.

“If the town council gets behind this wave of tourist attraction, we could make Lyme the music capital of Dorset and put some big money back in the town. So if music be the food of Lyme then I would like to see the council promote it to play on.”

A massive band of 2,700 guitarists will gather on Front Beach to perform Buddy Holly’s classic hit Rave On, on Saturday afternoon, led by West End musical star and former Woodroffe pupil Billy Geraghty.

The guitar that will be played by Billy Geraghty, the Fender Stratocaster, is to be raffled off at the end of the day along with two other acoustic guitars, which organisers Bob Brooker and Paul Bester will hold onto until then.

Organisers are expecting thousands of people to line the beach to witness the record attempt and are predicting an increase of takings by up to £70,000 for local businesses.

Lyme resident and Deep Purple star Ian Gillan sent his wishes, saying: “I want to wish everybody good luck. I am sure that it will be a great monster strumming success.”

  • Organisers have revealed that up until Sunday, Guitars on the Beach was going to be cancelled because they had no stage for the beach performance and no funds to get one.

But at the last minute, Lyme scaffolder Nigel Emmett generously offered to build the stage with local builder Alan Reynolds. They will work for five hours on Friday, setting up the stage through the night.