What's On section.qxp_Layout 1 22/07/2021 14:35 Page 94
MENDIP TIMES
Ramblers planning walking festival return
A THREE-day free walking festival organised by Mendip Ramblers is due to take place – Covid restrictions permitting – over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Last year’s festival was postponed due to the pandemic, but the ramblers are hopeful it will take place this time. The festival will be centred on Shipham and offer four walks each day: a short family-friendly walk of about three miles, a medium walk of about five miles, an intermediate walk of about eight miles and a long walk of about ten miles. The main walks all start at 10am with the family walk starting at 1.30pm. All walks begin at Shipham Village Hall. Elaine Dadley, from the ramblers, said: “All are welcome, ramblers, non-ramblers, visitors to the area, and those from the surrounding area. We hope that the variety of walks will encourage new walkers too. “Children with their families are especially welcome; the short afternoon walks might be a good introduction to the pleasures of walking? If allowed tea and cake at the end of each walk is the reward.” For details, visit: www.mendipramblers.co.uk or phone Kevin on 01749 672996
Wells Festival of Literature opens its doors . . . and its windows
LAST year the Wells Festival of Literature was one of the few events in the country which featured live people – both speakers and audiences – at Cedars Hall in the city. But it also opened windows to the world by live streaming every event and beaming in some of the speakers who were unable to travel because of local lockdowns and other Covid restrictions. The plan this year is for every speaker to appear in person, but the organisers will continue to cater for the expanded virtual audience by live streaming again. This year’s festival takes place between Friday, October 15th and Saturday, October 23rd. The festival competitions – an integral part of the event – are truly international, with entries flooding in from every continent except (so far!) Antarctica. Now audiences are following suit: amongst the first to subscribe to the Festival’s Friends scheme this year were a couple from Florida. And those logging into the streamed events did so from all over the UK, as well as from France, Primary school children celebrate their love Germany, Spain and the USA. of reading Fans of the festival, now in its 29th year, might fear that this worldwide growth could change the unique flavour that has made Wells so successful. Richard Manning, WFL chairman, disagrees. He said: “The festival remains an organisation run and managed entirely by volunteers, the largest in the country able to claim that; it takes place in one venue with no two events happening at the same time. So, it’s always possible to attend every event. And now our ever-expanding audience can enjoy the whole festival online from the comfort of their own armchairs.” Richard added: “But what really marks WFL out is our continuing commitment to providing support for local state schools and colleges. Using our profits to encourage a love of literature amongst the younger generation has been a stated aim of the festival since it started. “With the disruption to education caused by Covid, WFL’s support in opening doors for these youngsters has been needed more than ever. And it’s been given – in the form of virtual author visits, book donations, poems by post and even a reading shed!” Full details of this year’s programme will be published in brochures and on the festival website in August. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, September 6th, although priority booking (for Friends and Sponsors) opens on Tuesday, August 31st. For details, visit: www.wellsfestivalofliterature.org.uk
Page 94 • MendiP TiMes • augusT 2021
