Where: Mitcheldean

When: Friday, July 19, to Sunday, July 21

Villagers in Mitcheldean are counting down the days to the Mitcheldean summer party, with great music of all kinds throughout the village!

The heady mixture of free music festival, poetry and storytelling festival, beer and cider festival, food festival, village fete and much more is unique in the Forest of Dean.

New high points for this year include:

• Free messy play area at the Saturday fete on the playing field
• Special show from Black Rock Reptiles
• Get your photo taken by Forest of Dean Camera Club, see their fun boxes
• Zorb balls joining the bouncy castle and other rides at the fete
• Mitcheldean Has Talent in the new marquee
• Try Balkan circle dancing at the afternoon ceilidh in the community centre
• Forest dialect play by Harry Beddington in the Jolter Press, from 6pm on Sunday

The Poetry Recital continues to go from strength to strength and this year will be in two halves and two venues:

1. Youngsters in the Church from 12 noon - pupils of Mitcheldean Primary School will start us off with a performance of poetry, story-telling, song and dance, to be followed half an hour later by the awards ceremonies for the Young Poets and Young Storytellers Competitions

2. Adults in Jolter Press from 3pm - highlights include Dick Brice leading a celebration of the Forest, old and new, then and now, once seen never forgotten. Then from 5pm a line-up to die for: the best poets from across the region (Jonathan Edwards, Anna Saunders, Ben Ray, Ziggy Slug and the Forest's own Maggie Clutterbuck) - a poet-pourri to live long in the memory!

It's a free festival as ever, and regular activities will be happening again - Morris dancers everywhere, buskers, the barn dance on the Saturday evening, and the Sunday folk walk (book now for your cooked breakfast in the White Horse!).

Not to forget the Bespoke Brewery's great beer and cider festival at the Brewery Tap, which will be open from 11am both Saturday and Sunday.

Mitcheldean's own Jolter Press will also be open all weekend for locally-produced cider and perry.

See the website www.mitcheldeanfestival.fod.uk/  for past photos and regular updates, and we look forward to welcoming you to the party!