WESTBURY Festival is in full swing and has drawn in the crowds to more than 30 events already, with another three days to go before the big folk night finale.
This year’s festival – the ninth – has a wider range of events than ever before and people have been turning out in force to support the annual fortnight of local culture and entertainment.
Hundreds have attended the free lunchtime concerts at All Saints Church, while the opening concert, gardening talk and brewery tour have all been sell-out successes.
Festival chair Ian Cunningham says, “It’s been a very successful festival with lots of variety, which hopefully has meant lots of people were able to find something they were interested in.
“We’ve had a brilliant series of concerts in the church so far with Fiona Harris contralto, Celia Waghorn on flute, Stephen and Edward Cooke on organ (with duets using two organs!) and with Catherine White on harp, when 240 people filled all the seats in the church.
“Finnegan’s Wake were well received, the up the tower bell event with Chris Jenkins was brilliant, and we had a full house at a fabulous tea with the head gardener at Fairfield College.
“We’ve had to put on a second brewery tour; it’s not clear whether us underestimating demand means we can or can’t organise the proverbial event in a brewery!”
It’s not over yet!
There are still several events left to go on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and the two-week festival comes to a close this Saturday, 8th October, with a special folk night at the Laverton.
Local singer songwriter Kirsty Clinch will headline the event at the Laverton; Kirsty performs her own music inspired by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Eva Cassidy and Newton Faulkner and recently recorded a new album. She will be supported by country and rock ‘n’ roll three-piece Fellow Travellers, and Comrade Sir Henry. The concert starts at 7.30pm at the Laverton and tickets cost £10 each.
The remaining events, listed in short, are:
• Westbury schools’ little lunch concert at All Saints Church; Thursday 6th October; 1.10pm; free.
• Brewery tour at the Twisted Brewing Company; Thursday 6th October; 7pm; £3.
• Festival Rhyme Time for under threes at Westbury Library; Friday 7th October; 10am for babies, 11am for toddlers; free.
• All Saints Church little lunch concert with guitar duo Bruce Treasure and Al Summers; Friday 7th October; 1.10pm; free.
• Live rock band and great food and drink at The Hollies; Friday 7th October; 9pm; free.
• Harmonica workshop at the Laverton with blues master Nigel Ricketts; Saturday 8th October; 10am; £4 to include harmonica to keep.
• Westbury Area Family History Group open day at Westbury Methodist Church; Saturday 8th October; 10am; free.
• ‘Writing the short story’ talk at Westbury Library with local author Richard Platts; Saturday 8th October; 11am; free but booking is essential.
For more details or bookings go to www.wmafestival.co.uk or visit the box office at E.J Crafts on Maristow Street.
Ian added, “Our free events have been a lot better attended, but that’s to be expected because there were a lot of them.
“We would like to see more support for the paid events because, while we don’t take a profit from the festival, we still need income to cover costs and organise next year’s events.
“We are grateful for the generous help of our sponsors Hills Waste and Elkins Ford, with Cooperative Funeral Care and Rygor sponsoring individual components, and we are looking for one more large sponsor to ensure that the festival can continue.”
