CHIPPING Sodbury’s annual festival is well underway with events taking place in the town every day.

The 29th Sodbury Festival kicked off on Friday (June 13) with a packed team quiz in the town hall. On Saturday night, it was the turn of Irish comedian Jimmy Cricket to entertain the crowds with his stand up Laughter Show.

Sunday was a busy day with the official festival service in St John’s Church followed by a sherry reception, attended by new South Gloucestershire Council chairman Cllr Howard Gawler, and the crowning of the festival princess, Sophie Saxby, 10,and her attendants Jessie Lewis-Evans,10, and Scarlett Howes,9.

There was also a car treasure hunt, teddy bears’ picnic and concerts by the Gloucester Cathedral Choir and Yate and Sodbury choirs accompanied by western group Blondes with Beards.

Festival chairman Brian Hardy said the 10-day programme of events were going well so far.

“The quiz was almost a full house and was really enjoyable,” he said. “And Jimmy Cricket was superb. He acme to our sherry reception on Sunday too and mingled with people, he was lovely, genuine off the street guy.

“Everything is going reasonably well, we could do with a few more people at things but we are doing quite well.”

Local historian Jim Elsworth’s infamous slide show Ever Changing Sodbury was sold out on Monday night and tonight hundreds of local families are expected to an evening of free music in Broad Street with the popular Music in the Street night, featuring Bath-based band Vegas.

Schoolchildren have been taking part in concerts in the town hall every day this week as well as enjoying free workshops including a session with author and illustrator Karin Littlewood and a puppet-making workshop in the town hall.

On Wednesday night, Yate student Francesca Norris will stage a fashion show in the town hall after joining the festival committee last year as part of her degree at Bath Spa University.

On Thuesday (June 19) opera group Tessitoura perform Hansel and Gretel in the town hall (7.30pm) and Friday (June 20) will see a combined schools concert take place in the town hall (7.30pm) before carnival day takes place on Saturday (June 21) featuring an all day street fair, a flypast by a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Hurricane and Spitfire at 1.50pm and the Disney-themed procession at 3pm.

Added Mr Hardy: “We have a packed family programme and there is something for everyone this year.

“I hope it goes well for the community, we don’t do this for ourselves but for them. We could do with a bit more input from the community with more people coming through the doors so please come out and support us.”