TEIGNMOUTH'S much-loved and much-missed harbour fiesta is back this weekend.

It has been rebranded the Riverbeach & Harbour Festival and will stretch across three days instead of one.

And one of the highlights will be the blessing of the boats ceremony at 2pm on Saturday, one of the favourites at the original fiestas nearly 40 years ago. All kinds of craft will be taking part, including fishing boats, harbour working vessels and the lifeboat.

The revival is a joint initiative between the Teignmouth Traders' Association, and three local charities – the Eastcliff Centre, the Helen Foundation and the RNLI. Each will have a day dedicated to their cause.

Over the long weekend, pubs and restaurants in the area will be supplying local delicacies, with some demonstrating cooking and food preparation techniques.

They will also be providing venues for local bands and artists, who will be performing into the evening, with a wide range of music, including jazz, rock, acoustic folk and blues.

Other events on Saturday will be activities and games based around a sea theme, including sea shanties, crabbing for children off the fish quay, and a special urban art event.

Sunday sees inter-pub games, a children's nautical themed fancy dress, Punch & Judy, and a display by the Teignmouth lifeboat.

Monday will feature a wealth of children's games, and the urban art activities will continue.

Programmes at 50p each are available from local pubs.

One of the stars of Saturday will be Daisy the dog (pictured left), wearing her Muse hoody, lovingly embroidered by owner Jenny Samuels with the logo of the award winning album, The Resistance.

She will be personally in charge of all the collectors for the Helen Foundation.

Muse, who are patrons of the foundation, can't make it because they are heading off to Paris for the first leg of their European tour, but have sent a message wishing the festival, and Daisy, all the best.

Skimming through the 24 page tabloid size programme from the 1972 fiesta reveals just how many well known Teignmouth and Shaldon businesses have disappeared.

The publication was packed with ads, and the long gone names include the Royal Hotel, Waltons estate agents, the West End Garage, Liptons, SWEB, The Red Canary Club, the Talbot Hotel, Gordon W Yelland baker, Hitchens, the Regia hotel, the Dunmore Hotel, Shaldon, Bobbetts garage, Central Garage, the Riviera cinema, the Sebastopol Inn, Perretts outfitters, and County Garage.