CHIPPING Norton-based folk rock band Fairport Convention won a major award at the Radio 2 Folk Awards last Monday.

The band's album Liege & Lief, first released as an LP in 1969, was voted Most Influential Folk Album of All Time in a ballot of the public run by the BBC during December.

Fairport vocalist and guitarist Simon Nicol, one of the band's founder members, said: "It is very gratifying - and humbling - to find that an album we recorded over 35 years ago is still held in such affection and esteem by folk music fans."

After the presentations, a reunion of Fairport Convention took the stage, which apart from the late singer Sandy Denny, recreated the 1969 line-up which recorded Liege & Lief.