FURNESS music fans were among the thousands who headed to the shores of Windermere 20 years ago to enjoy some of the big names in modern music as the Radio One Roadshow took to the stage.

The Mail, on Wednesday, August 4 in 1999, noted: "Whether it was the glorious weather, the prospect of glimpsing Another Level's abs or DJ Dave Pearce who attracted the crowds is unclear - but the overall impact of the Radio One Roadshow stirred the Glebe to boiling point.

"Bowness welcomed its biggest influx of people since the summer season began as more than 6,000 music fans from South Cumbria besieged the Glebe for a morning of free entertainment.

"DJ Dave Pearce, famed for his dance anthems and gigs in Ibiza, is a seasoned professional with large crowds and he soon had the crowd sizzling in the midday sunshine.

"The usual competitions, such as Bits and Pieces and Fantastic, involved members of the audience stepping up on the bandwagon to compete against each other on air to win various Radio One goodies.

"The Fantastic competition involved two devoted Another Level fans battling it out with pop trivia questions to win the coveted prize of introducing the band.

"But there was no lacking in audience participation when boy band Another Level took to the stage.

"The chart toppers, who recently celebrated chart success with From The Heart taken from the Notting Hill soundtrack, had the majority of the crowd clambering towards the crash barrier to get a glimpse of their idols.

"Other headline acts included Apollo Four Forty and the Rough Drivers.

"The show wound to a close around lunchtime but most of the visitors were content to stay in Bowness to enjoy the weather and the picturesque surroundings of the Lake District."

Big chart hits in early August 1999 included Ronan Keating with When You Say Nothing At All, Ricky Martin with Livin' La Vida Loca and Steps with Love's Gota Hold on My Heart.

In 1999 the Radio One Roadshow season had started with Chris Moyles as host at Hull, followed by Zoe Ball in Scotland and Northern Ireland before Dave Pearce took the show to Bowness, Morecambe, Blackpool, Rhyl and Swansea.

The first roadshow was hosted by Alan Freeman at Newquay in July 1973 and the last was held in March 2000.