There was sunshine and blue skies and a real sense of warmth for Callington’s first MayFest in three years on Saturday, writes Sarah Pitt.

The town was buzzing with music and song as everyone celebrated the fact that ‘Sumer is Icumen In’ – summer’s on the way.

Local schools had made amazing puppets and were carrying them proudly aloft. Then there were the Wreckers Border Morris troupe of the Tamar Valley, with their headdresses of feathers.

Town cryer Tony Stentiford, resplendent in his costume, was beaming from ear to ear, accompanied by not one but two generations of his family. His daughter Alice, in her own town cryer’s garb, was down for the day from Bradley Stoke near Bristol, where she is a town cryer, with her infant daughter Beatrix, in costume too. The procession made its way down through the town, culminating in the town centre where everyone got involved in the riotous Serpent Dance, threading its way through the crowds and the music beat an upbeat accompaniment.

Among them was ukulele player Liz Bracey-Davis from Gunnislake and fellow musician Anne-Louise Mellor from Callington.

‘I love MayFest,’ said Liz. ‘I was here at the first one in 2013 and I’ve been at all of them. I like to dance, I like to drink my pint and I like to eat my pasty.’ Anne-Louise said: ‘We are singing in the May here today basically. It is a Cornish tradition, we are welcoming in the May with music and dancing and singing.’ Here for the day with Anne-Louise was her house guest Alexis Sunderlage from the US, who joined in the Serpent Dance. ‘It is a lot of fun,’ she said. ‘There is a big community here, everyone is so excited.’

Spanish sizzle was provided by the Flamenco Chicas, a Plymouth-based group with dancers from the Callington area. Leader Mercedes Romero said: ‘We are really happy to be part of this lovely festival. It is a lovely atmosphere and it is amazing that a town of this size could put on something like this.’