Upton Blues Festival was formed on the balcony of Ye Older Anchor Inn by the then landlord Stewart McEwan and friend Richard (Dick) Tippen, whilst watching the annual Upton Jazz Festival parade pass by. They commented on the average age of the people in the jazz parade and both said we need to start a festival that appeals to a younger audience. Why not start a Blues Festival in Upton they both said?

The plan was formulated in the "Ye Olde Anchor Inn" pub and a gang of seven people got together over a beer or two and each invested a crisp £10 note to get the festival off the ground. The seven were Stewart McEwan, Richard TIppen, Cliff (Nobby) Dawe, Tina Marshall, Fred Symes, Robin Staite, Rachel Willoughby.