The Nailsworth Festival gets underway this weekend, with the town set to welcome a host of professional musicians as well as the usual array of guest speakers and local performers who will be putting on a show for the people of the south Gloucestershire town.

The annual festival, which begins on Saturday 19 May, runs for a week and will feature performances from renowned musicians such as ‘The Temperance Seven’ and ‘The Tippett Quartet’. Tim Hughes, Publicity Manager for the Nailsworth Festival, says he’s anticipating a fantastic week of entertainment for the people of Nailsworth to enjoy. “The 2018 Nailsworth Festival promises to be a great week for the town,” said Tim. “We work hard to ensure that there’s activities and performers for all ages to get stuck into, the 2018 festival is certainly no different,” added Tim.

One of the highlights of the week-long festival looks to come in the shape of a performance by ‘The Temperance Seven’, who will be playing at Nailsworth Town Hall on Saturday 19 May. The seven-piece jazz band, who topped the charts way back in 1961 with ‘You’re Driving Me Crazy’, will perform their favourite tracks from their huge collection of work. Continued Tim: “We were so pleased to be able to book an act like ‘The Temperance Seven’. There are few bands anywhere in the world that have been going for as long as they have, their music is so uplifting, it promises to be a great concert.”

Another event not to be missed is Sir Richard Eyre’s talk at Nailsworth Primary School on Thursday 24 May. The renowned film and theatre director, who has just finished working alongside legendary actor Sir Anthony Hopkins for a new BBC adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘King Lear’, will be discussing his distinguished career in which he’s directed a number of award-winning films and theatre productions.

Tim, a resident of Nailsworth and a festival organiser for the past eight years, says the support of local businesses is a huge help when it comes to booking performers. He said: “We’re extremely grateful to all the wonderful local businesses that sponsor the events during festival week, their generosity is really appreciated and allows us to book the best performers. The whole ethos of the festival is to put on a show that the people of Nailsworth can be proud of. There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from Punch and Judy shows in Mortimer Gardens, to food stalls, music performances, talks and exhibitions throughout the town.”