Ceremony for eisteddfod,

Crowds lined the streets in Welshpool to witness the colourful parade of bards and druids in town for the proclamation ceremony for next year's Powys eisteddfod.

Green and white-robed officials walked from Welshpool Town Hall to the Gorsedd Stone Circle in Severn Road on Saturday to make the proclamation for the Powys Provincial and Chair Eisteddfod - Welshpool 2009.

More than 100 druids, bards, eisteddfod officials, children's dance groups and civic dignitaries took part in the ceremony and parade to announce the traditional Welsh cultural event's return to the town next year.

The parade was led by the Abergynolwyn Silver Band. Geraint Evans, eisteddfod joint secretary, said organisers were delighted with how well the event had gone and how many people turned out to watch the parade and ceremony.

"Of course we were blessed with beautiful weather and everything went extremely well," he said.

"We had tremendous support from the public - I haven't seen so many people lining the streets for an eisteddfod parade. It was very, very busy."

The Powys Provincial and Chair Eisteddfod will take place at Theatr Clera, Welshpool, on October 23 and 24 next year.