ANOTHER cosmic festival is being planned for Mersea Island.

The first Cosmic Puffin Festival took place at the Mersea Outdoors centre, East Mersea, last Easter with a sackload of bands and artists.

Organised by Jamie Anderson to raise funds for the Puffin Ward at Basildon Hospital and Children of St Mary’s Intensive Care (Cosmic) in London, it raised £1,400.

Now Jamie has decided to do it again, with double the number of bands, two stages and three days of festival fun.

He said: “There’s a huge mix of musical styles and that was what was so good about last year. You had all these punks jumping around to the punk bands, but then sticking around to listen to the blues band, and loving it all.

“This year is going to be much bigger with 43 bands.

“We will be raising money for two new charities, the National Autistic society and Bliss, the premature baby charity.”

Local bands playing over the weekend include Automatic Slim, New Town Kings, Surfquake and Hokie Joint, and there will be workshops, a storyteller and circus skills.

Running from April 10 to 12, tickets are £25 for a weekend pass with camping, available by writing to 59 Bromley Road, Colchester, CO4 3JF. For more information, go to www.cos micpuffin.co.uk