THIS year's Simonsbath Festival springs into action on Bank Holiday Monday - May 7.

The Simonsbath Festival celebrates the cultural heritage of Exmoor, with traditional May Day and Midsummer festivities to open and close the festival, while inviting musicians from abroad to celebrate their cultural heritage during the six weeks in between.

The festival programme is packed with variety, including opera, jazz, classical and world music concerts, talks, walks and an art exhibition.

It will get underway at 2pm on May 7 with May Day celebrations on Exford Village Green.

The children of Exford School will dance around the maypole to the live music from the local band Spinach for Norman and there are other fun activities to enjoy, such as a tug o’ war competition and tea and cake on offer.

Festival concerts start on a high note on Saturday, May 12 at St Luke’s with the Wellensian Consort performing a programme of traditional and contemporary pieces, including a new choral work by a local composer which is based on the poetry of an Exmoor farmer.

Meanwhile, the Simonsbath Festival Art Exhibition will run from May 12 to May 28 at The Old Pottery, Simonsbath, in the centre of the village just by the Exmoor Forest Inn, showcasing some of the South West’s most innovative and influential printmakers.

To receive a full colour, printed festival programme email info@simonsbathfestival.org.uk.

For bookings call Marian Lloyd on 01643 831451, email tickets@simonsbathfestival.org.uk or book online at www.simonsbathfestival.org.uk, where full details of the programme are available.