AFTER a soggy start, sunshine and blue sky turned up for Gunnislake Festival last Saturday and parish crier, Hilary Fairhurst proudly led the colourful and musical procession into the square to begin the festivities.

Dartmoor Border Morris began the 'arena' displays and were followed by Samba Kernow from Liskeard and David Buncle's ever popular falconry display.

Local band Yorkie kept the many folk attending entertained with a special guest appearance of crooner, Michael Campari, while Blue Angel ended the musical programme late in the afternoon. In between, the many stalls and sideshows gave everyone plenty to see and do whether it was a visit to the Shelterbox tent provided by the Callington Rotary Club, Punch and Judy for the children, Gunnislake Football Club's barbecue refreshments, the cream teas provided by the village's newsletter team, the all-day refreshments laid on by the Crusade Fellowship, the racing gig displayed by the Calstock Club or the local WI stall, topped off with two colourful ladies on stilts overseeing proceedings.

A visit to the superb history exhibition set up by Mandy Rolfe in the public hall evoked memories of the village's festivities marking earlier Queen's Jubilee Celebrations and contrastingly marked the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic and its effect on the village.

A special feature of this year's festival was the performance by the Gunnislake Amateur Dramatic Society (GLAD) of a sequel to their successful pantomime of 'Babes in the Wood'.

The 'celebrity' who opened the Festival was none other than the Sheriff of Nottingham (alias Ian Pethers) and while he was traditionally booed for his later skulduggery, the show was much appreciated by an enthusiastic audience, some of whom actually took part in an impromptu performance later in the afternoon.

Sheryll Murray MP attended the festival for the first time and indicated how much she had enjoyed it. She was accompanied by her parliamentary assistant from Westminster, Alice Perry.

The four-day festival began with a Wednesday showing of the film 'Last Train to Callington' which took viewers on a nostalgic journey over the Bere Alston to Callington railway journey which existed before the Beeching cuts in the 1960s.

The Callington Singers, who have been applauded in concerts all over Europe, provided a different musical genre in St Anne's Church on Friday with a splendid concert of sacred music while in the Church hall, local artists gave, over the four days, a fine exhibition of their work.

A guided walk of the old roads of Gunnislake was led by Stephen Docksey and Brian Spencer on Thursday.

Throughout the festival the four local pubs provided their own entertainment.

The popular festival family quiz has a closing date of August 31 and can still be accessed via the festival website at http://www.gunnislakefestival.co.uk">www.gunnislakefestival.co.uk

Sponsored by Gist Insurance Brokers of Callington, the quiz has a first prize of £50.

A spokesperson for the event said: 'The small hardworking committee feel that their efforts in organising the 12th annual festival were well worth while and very much appreciate the support and co-operation given by many people, which have been instrumental in keeping alive a community spirit in the first and last village in Cornwall.

'And they are grateful as well to whoever organises the weather!'