Tim Metcalfe previews this weekend's Cropredy Festival . . .

Most rural communities faced with a weekend invasion of hairy, beer-swilling, music fans would be barring their doors and locking up their daughters about now.

But the tiny North Oxfordshire village of Cropredy, near Banbury, presents a far more welcoming face.

In fact, the village embraces the annual gathering of Fairport Convention fans - more than 20,000 of them - with a genuine delight that would be the envy of many a concert promoter. And the money raised for the village during the festival is certainly the envy of less fortunate communities.

The friendly fusion of villager and music fan began in 1979 with an informal concert given by members of Fairport Convention at the manor house home of the late Richard Crossman, the former Labour minister, and his wife Anne.

Fairport were 'adopted' by the village after band members Dave Pegg and Dave Swarbrick had moved to Cropredy earlier that year. They joined the darts team at the Brasenose Arms and 'borrowed' the village hall for rehearsals - and the concert on the lawn at the manor house helped raise funds for the village hall commitee.

Money still comes in to the village from the festival - which this year, for the first time, lasts for three days. Fairport alone raise around 10, 000 for village funds each year by donating tickets which are sold at a discount to locals.

A small army of villagers get together to provide breakfasts for festival-goers throughout the weekend - the money raised goes to the village hall, the playschool and other community groups.

Margaret Cook, of Creampot Close, Cropredy, organises the feeding of the hungry hoardes at the village hall - where more than 2,000 breakfasts will be served over the period of the festival.

"The people who come to the festival are unique," she said. 'many of them have been coming since the seventies. We look out for the faces. There's one man who is always the first person to come and have breakfast every year. We even get letters afterwards."

"It's fair to say that without the Fairport money we would be struggling to manage," she added. "The festival money allows us to improve the hall and not penalise the village organisations by putting the rents up.

"The hall is in a good state of repair and, in the past, we've been able to decorate and provide disabled toilets," Mrs Cook said. "Last year we refurbished the hall and we've just had a new kitchen fitted. We had to get all the electrical wiring renewed and we'd like to pay for that with this year's festival money. It's a two-way street," Mrs Cook, who is in her sixties, "It's good for the village and good for Fairport."

Another village organisation to benefit has been the tennis club, which has aquired two courts thanks to money raised at the festival - plus some additional funding from the National Lottery. Funds raised for the parish council at the festival saw the construction of a sports pavillion in 1996.

Cropredy is recognised as one of the most civilised and relaxed events of its kind. Many festival regulars met their spouses at the event and now bring their offspring along to swell the crowds.

Dave Pegg, one of the longest serving members of Fairport, has been organising the festival, with considerable assistance from his wife Christine, since 1980. He said: "I'm sure a lot of the youngsters who come each year first turned up with their parents."

The festival is now in its 26th year - so how long can Fairport keep it going?

"We'll keep doing it as long as people keep turning up," Dave said.

His sentiments are echoed by Fairport's long-serving guitarist and singer, Simon Nicol. "I hope there will still be a Fairport, still be a Cropredy festival, long after I'm gone and forgotten."

**This year's Cropredy festival takes place from today until Saturday. Tickets (now on the gate only) cost 52 for all three days; 44 for two days; 30 for Saturday only.