Festival - bigger and better

A busy programme kicks off as the Selsey Festival 2011 promises to go bigger and better than ever.

Now in its ninth year, the Festival, running from Monday, August 8 to Monday, August 29, promises a wide range of events to bring the community together

(selseyfestival.moonfruit.com).

Festival co-ordinator Sue Graves said in the early days, the Festival used to approach people about putting on events; now people approach the Festival with ideas for shows - a change which perhaps lies behind the Festival’s most varied programme yet.

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“We are really, really pleased with it this year. We have got some really interesting new events lined up. It’s getting more and more established now.”

The Festival provides the insurance and the venues; various groups and organisations bring to it finished events which then all come together under the festival banner.

It certainly adds to the community feel of it all: “People bump into people at the Festival that they wouldn’t ordinarily meet.”

Highights include:

Tuesday, August 9, Selsey Writers’ Circle - Meet The Authors Afternoon. All tastes catered for. Come along and browse. Among the authors this year are Simon Brett, Peter Lovesey, Dee Williams, Beryl Kingston, Elizabeth Arnold, Val Biro, Catherine King, Roberta Grieve, Eve Phillips, Patricia Carlton, Janet Lawrence, Joan Moules, Susan Webb, James Morley, Jean Newman, John Owen-Smith, Patricia Carlton, Pamela Birley, Sue Moules, Wendy Hughes, Len Tyler, Eileen Robertson, Beth Elliott, Ginny Vere Nicoll and Josephine Chia. 2-4pm. St Peter’s Hall. Admission: free

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Tuesday, August 9, Youth Drop-In Afternoon. Lots of activities for ages ten-16. Admission: £1 per session. 2.30pm-5.30pm, Selsey Centre.

Tuesday, August 9, Festival Gala opening event: By The Sleepy Lagoon. A chance to celebrate Selsey’s famous composer Eric Coates with the musicians Peter Dempsey (tenor) and Guy Rowland (piano). Exhibition about Eric Coates in the Council Chamber. Produced in collaboration with Pamela Howard. 7.30pm, Town Hall. Tickets £8.50 from box office or online.

Wednesday, August 10, Adventures In The Coral Sea. An illustrated talk by Mulberry Divers on the underwater world filmed during their visit to Queensland, Australia and Papua New Guinea. 7.30pm, Town Hall. Admission: tickets: £3 on the door.

Wednesday, August 10, Churchyard Challenge Church Norton. Come along and try your hand at some craft activities. Have a go at making a stained glass panel and then enjoy a quiz about the Chapel and the surrounding churchyard. For children aged five-11, accompanied by a parent/guardian. 2-4pm, St Wilfrid’s Chapel, Church Norton. Admission and light refreshments free.

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Thursday, August 11, Selsey Art Class Exhibition. The third exhibition of work from mature students illustrating diverse styles and abilities. Most paintings will be for sale. Selsey Centre, 10am to 6pm. Admission free.

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