THE 13th Tavistock Festival opened last Friday with the festival president, photographer, writer and broadcaster Adam Hart-Davis, giving a thought provoking lecture.

The Drake Lecture, entitled 'Are we alone in the Universe?' by Mr Hart-Davis, was closely followed on Saturday by a creative writing workshop led by Myfanwy Cook on 'Black Holes and New Frontiers' and afterwards local historian Gerry Woodcock led a walk — 'to Fitzford and back'.

Chairman of Tavistock Festival Christopher Kirwin said the feedback of the festival so far had been positive.

'We are very pleased with the start of the festival especially with Adam Hart-Davis, as he gave a very thought provoking speech and it was an interesting lecture.'

Mr Kirwin added that Sunday's highlight was the performance by Tavistock's Stannary Brass Band which gave the first musical event of the festival.

The festival's series of six organ and piano recitals commenced at the parish church on Tuesday with the church's own director of music, Sean Sweeney.

Tickets are selling fast for Sunday's highlight — a lecture by Kate Adie at The Wharf at 7.15pm. The BBC's former award winning chief news correspondent still presents BBC Radio 4's 'From Our Own Correspondent'. She retired from her main role in 2003 and since then has written four best selling books.

Kate is now promoting her latest book 'Fighting on the Home Front: The Legacy of Women in World War One', which has been praised as history at its 'most celebratory'. In the book she shows how women emerged from the shadows of their domestic lives.

Kate's talk about the book is described as gripping and she will be signing copies of her book for those who wish to buy them afterwards. Tickets are available from The Wharf.

Other forthcoming highlights include the Tavy Tars and friends tonight at the Tavy Club, art workshops at The Wharf's Canal Road on Friday, the Russell Lecture, given by Professor Jeremy Black, entitled 'Why the Allies won WW2?' in the library and at Mount Kelly College on Friday night, a concert by the South West Chamber Choir in the parish church at 7.30pm on Saturday and a performance by Snake Davis and his band at the Wharf at 8pm on Saturday.

As part of Tavistock Festival, the Tavonians Theatre Company is performing its successful Love Letters on Tuesday, April 28 in Nicholls Hall in Lydford, and on Friday, May 1 in The Old School in Stoke Climsland.

Love Letters, by A R Gurney, was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is a moving and amusing presentation of a relationship between a man and a woman from their early childhood to their later middle-age.

Information about the festival can be found at http://www.tavistockmusic.co.uk">www.tavistockmusic.co.uk or by picking up a brochure from The Wharf, the Bedford Hotel or the parish church.