Carnival, music and art for Bank Holiday in Audlem

It's Carnival Day in Audlem, one of the biggest days in the village calendar. The Parade starts at 1.00pm and then proceeds around the village with the Carnival Queen and her attendants followed by Morris dancing troupes and marching band plus traditional fancy dress floats . The Parade will arrive on the Village Playing field by 1.30pm where there's lots of attractions – the Big Fun Fair, Band music and many many stalls.

Carnival Day Buskers – musicians, singers and other entertainers – can be found around the village and in particular outside the Methodist Church and the Mill Shop. If you find any, don't move them on! Stay awhile and enjoy the atmosphere.

The Festival music programme continues with Nick Lundie at 11.30am in the Coffee Lounge. He's a young singer/songwriter and guitarist from Nantwich who should be familiar to regulars at The Lord Combermere Music Nights and the Audlem Chilli nights.

In the afternoon, it's Cajo Funk performing in Blues Alley at 2.00pm. The locally based saxophone and keyboard duo play a soulful mixture of jazz funk and blues with fiendishly clever arrangements by two integral members of festival favourites 'Funk School'.

At the Lord Combermere, this year's hugely successful outdoor stage gets underway at 3.15pm with The Reads, a dapper four piece hailing from Chester and North Wales. They have a collective age of 120, like long walks and pub lunches and their favourite colour is blue. Thanks to an inspirational introduction in 2000, they have spent the past several years writing, producing, recording and performing music that they love to play.

At 5.00pm, there's more great music with Poyzer & Fluff at the Lord Combermere. Acoustic guitar, e-bow, fiddle, cello, passionate voices and a set of incredibly moving and inspired songs. If there's one new and refreshing acoustic super-duo to check out this year, this is it, with acclaimed songwriter Darren Poyzer teaming up with former Incredible String Band fiddler Fluff. This is one highly charged, entertaining and enlightening live show. They are followed at 6.30 by Hollow Floor. All the way from Audlem, they are Pete Marshall, Ian Haughey, George Marshall and Jack Marshall. All together they take Ian & Pete's songs, add electric & acoustic guitars, a driving fretless bass and full on rocking drums. Sometimes they even play other people's songs. The evening at the Lord Combermere finishes with the Folk Music Session. So strap on your fiddle and join in with another classic Audlem Folk Session!

Down by the canal at the Shroppie Fly, Festival favourite Pete Price is playing in the afternoon at 4.00pm. He's an extremely talented Acoustic Guitar/Vocalist with a wealth of experience, covering many different blues styles.

Meanwhile, Terraplane Blues are playing at the White Lion in Hankelow. This duo play an exciting mix of authentic acoustic blues and hokum from the 1930's to 1960's featuring songs by the likes of Robert Johnson, Skip James, Casey Bill Weldon, Leroy Carr, Elmore James, Sleepy John Estes and Muddy Waters.

The traditional Jim Jam session and Festival finale is at the Shroppie Fly at 9.30pm. Once again, the session is hosted by guitar ace Jim Kirkpatrick and friends. Tonight will feature Mr Al Dean on bass, John Gunstone on hammond organ and Johnny Miller (of Billy J. Kramer fame) on drums. All your favorite blues and rock tracks are guaranteed, along with some interesting arrangements of the group's own creation.

And don't forget, Monday is the last chance to see the great art displays around the village. The exhibition at the Methodist Church was reviewed yesterday on Audlem Online. There's also exhibitions at the Mill Shop, St James' Church and the Coffee Lounge.

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