All ready for Ludlow Festival despite weather

It looks set to be a wet start for Ludlow Festival tomorrow – but organisers say come rain or shine they are determined to make the two-week event a success.

The festival is due to pull in thousands of visitors to the town over the next few weeks for a host of different shows and activities. They include a one-woman Charles Dickens dramatisation from Harry Potter film star Miriam Margolyes.

There will also be open-air performances in Ludlow Castle of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

• Check the latest local weather forecasts

Festival spokeswoman Liz Hyder said thousands of people had already booked tickets for dozens of different shows taking place around the town, which will end with a firework display and finale concert at Ludlow Castle on July 8.

Ms Hyder said: "If the weather is bad this will affect ticket sales and attendance. Ludlow is a bit funny with the weather and seems to have its own microclimate. We hope it will help us.

"People across the country are now waiting until the last minute to book tickets for festivals so they can assess things like the weather.

"One thing we have in our favour is time because the festival is over two weeks and also the fact a lot of events taking place are also inside."

She added the festival is organised each year by an enthusiastic band of volunteers and she thanked them for their hard work.

The festival will start with a rousing peal of more than 5,000 changes on the bells at St Laurence's Church. Morris dancers will take over Castle Square and organist James Lancelot will perform inside the church.

The first performance of Much Ado About Nothing will take place tomorrow at 8pm.

Tickets for the 'grand finale' event have almost sold out and for further information visit www.ludlowfestival.co.uk