IT WAS rock legend Keith Richards who said: “Give me a broom and a string, I wouldn’t get bored anywhere”.

And that’s something Bryanston School technician Barry Cox has taken to heart.

After more than 20 years of making his own guitars – and teaching pupils at the school how to construct their own too – he will bring Wimborne’s first-ever guitar festival to the Allendale Centre this summer.

The event will feature live music, song writing workshops and guitar building advice across August 9 and 10.

Barry, of Merley, said: “I actually started all of this when I saw a strip of patterned material in London department store Liberty.

“I had this immediate thought – ‘I bet that would look good on a guitar’. It sounds bizarre but it’s true.”

After destroying three guitar necks and four guitar bodies in his quest for perfection, Barry had created his first guitar, and has gone on to build many more.

Now he says he wants to bring the joy of constructing an instrument to a wider audience.

“We’re doing this on a wing and a prayer,” he said.

“We’re starting from absolute scratch and working our way up, so we’re just trying to do the best we can on enthusiasm alone.”

For more information, or to support the festival, contact the Allendale Centre on 01202 887247.