THE COUNTDOWN has begun to the fourth Callington Festival Week with a good mix of fun and culture and plenty to occupy the whole family, starting with the carnival on July 7.

From car boot sales to concerts, vintage cars and walks, organisers are hoping to bring out the crowds and beat the £10,000 raised each year so far for local charities.

There is still time to enter a float for the carnival, but already numbers have exceeded previous years. Walking entries can enter on the day.

Entertainment will begin in Fore Street at 4pm while people gather for the procession at 5pm. There will also be a rehearsal with the Callington Scratch Orchestra in the afternoon, ahead of a performance in the evening. Anyone can join in.

On Sunday July 8 there will be a car boot sale in the pannier market and the Tamar Historic Vehicle Club's Festival of Transport at Polhilsa Farm and on Monday the Lions bingo.

The next day sees a concert in St Mary's Church by Callington Town Band and as part of the classical Dante Festival on July 11 there will be a workshop in the afternoon and a concert entitled 'Sound the Horn' in the evening.

Callington Community Gospel Choir perform on Thursday July 12 and there will be a Dante Festival walk on Kit Hill on the Saturday (July 14).

Saturday afternoon sees the Callington Lions Fun Day which will take place at the Saltash Road Recreation Ground from 1pm to 5pm.

It is free admission to the event which will include an 'It's a Knockout' competition, barbecue, bar and raffle, with a £150 cash prize, charity stalls, Rowlands Fun Fair, martial arts display, circus skills, birds of prey display, dog show, bouncy castle and cream teas.

The famous Arrow Barrow wheelbarrow display from Harrowbarrow team will also be taking part.

Wendy Buckthought from Help For Heroes will be opening the event at 1pm.

Festival co-ordinator Rick Lumley said a lot of hard work had gone into planning the festival over the last 12 months and he hoped as many local residents would come out and join in the fun.

'Each year we aim to get bigger and I have already taken my first booking for next year so the Callington Festival is becoming well known now,' he said. ' It is now firmly established in the social calendar.'

Concert prices have been kept low to be affordable and all money raised will go to charity.

Some 4,500 programmes for the festival have been delivered to the door of households in Callington and surrounding communities and they are also available in the town hall.

For more information contact Rick Lumley on 07866 152455.