A CUMBRIAN hotel is hosting a fundraising weekend of live music, including a visit from one of the North East's leading ska bands.

The Midland Hotel, in Appleby, welcomes The Skapones on Friday December 15 for the first of two nights for the Specialized Project, which raises money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, Youth Music UK and Tonic Music for Mental Health.

Darlington-based band The Skapones have supported acts such as The Selecter, Bad Manners, The Lambrettas, The Beat, The Hotknives, Roddy Radiation of The Specials, and Bruce Foxton's From The Jam since forming less than five years ago.

Now well established in the north of England, some of their biggest appearances to date have included sets at the Great Northern Mod and Ska Festival and The Lindisfarne Festival, and the Feuerwerks Open Air Festival in Mainz, Germany.

In November, they played support to Madness at the band's prestigious House Of Fun weekend to 1,500 ska fans.

Their recorded material includes two EP releases - The Tommy Gun and Rudy's Return, which features Lynval Golding and Jon Read of The Specials.

A debut album, From Cradle To Grave, is due out in early 2018.

They have also recorded tracks in the past for the Specialized Project.

The Midland's Cliev Bissland says: "The Specilized project was inspired by my friend Paul Williams and has ambassadors such as Lynval Golding and Roddy 'Radiation' Byers from The Specials, Lee Thompson from Madness and Nick Welch of Bad Manners and Selecter fame.

"We have raised around £10,000 over the last five years the project has been going."

The free event at The Midland on Friday 15 starts at 7.30pm.

A further live music night on Saturday 16 will see brand-new covers band The Deep End headline with a set that includes tracks by Small Faces, George Harrison, The Beatles, and Tom Petty.