Shropshire Star

Line up announced for Shobdon Food and Flying Festival

A singing TV weatherman and a Great British Bake Off star will head up the bill alongside planes and food at an annual festival.

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Des Coleman

The line up for this year's Shobdon Food and Flying Festival, hosted at the airfield near Leominster, has been announced – and will include a star turn by ITV Central weather presenter Des Coleman as Sammy Davis Jr, and also top tips from Bake Off contestant Howard Middleton.

The summer weekend festival is now in its 13th year and combines vintage aircraft and the chance for visitors to take to the skies with food, both locally produced and from around the world.

An evening of live music from the cast of the country’s leading Rat Pack tribute show will start the festival weekend on June 30, featuring Coleman, alongside others playing such icons of 1960s cool as Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

Des is best known for his nightly weather forecasts for ITV News Central across the Midlands, but has worked in the West End and also starred in Eastenders, and the Rat Pack show had been going for two decades, he said.

“This is our twentieth anniversary year and the show is still going down a storm," he said.

"It’s taken us around the World and it’s such fun to perform. The music is so timeless, that’s why audiences still enjoy it so much. The dancing girls just add that bit of Vegas glamour.”

Des will be joined over the festival weekend by Middleton, who headlines the event’s cooking demonstrations. Howard was one of the stand-out characters of series four of the Bake Off. He also appeared in last year’s Christmas special and had the final word on the show before it switches from the BBC to Channel 4 later this year.

There is also a line up of aviation attractions with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight promising two flypasts on the Sunday and a host of vintage aircraft expected at the historic WW2 airfield throughout the weekend.

Simulators, trial flights, gliders, helicopter rides plus guided tours of classic aircraft will also be on offer.

On the food side, over fifty of the region’s finest producers will be there with flavours from Japan, Thailand, Spain, Italy and the best local produce from the Shropshire and Herefordshire region.

There will also be an arts and crafts marquee, classic cars and more live music.

For more information, visit shobdonfoodandflyingfestival.co.uk

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