COME and celebrate Letchworth GC life is the call as the town’s festival gets under way today (Friday).

Letchworth Festival, which will be ‘Celebrating Letchworth Life’, returns with another packed programme as 100 activities take place in the town over the next two weeks, spanning from arts and crafts to music, drama and dance. Leading the way tomorrow evening will be a performance of The Scarecrow, a play for children, starring Letchworth GC resident Ian Ross and his own theatre company, the Unicorn Theatre for Children.

There will be two performances at The Arts Centre in The Arcade, one at 4pm and another at 6.30pm.

On Saturday, the Town Centre Partnership’s Letchworth Streetfest will take over the town with more than 50 acts strutting their stuff - including Titan the Robot.

The middle weekend features an art and craft market and the final weekend includes a Day of Dance on Saturday, June 25, and Proms in the Park the day after. All these events will feature bands and groups from local schools, clubs and organisations.

Social historian and TV personality Ruth Goodman, who has appeared on shows including Victorian Farm and Edwardian Farm, will be returning to the town where she was brought up for a talk at Plinston Hall at 8pm on Sunday.

The former pupil of Westbury and Fearnhill schools will be taking a question and answer session as part of the evening, entitled Making Ends Meet.

The heritage of the Garden City will be explored in events hosted by the Heritage Museum and the Howard Cottage Housing Association, while drama includes Prescription for Murder performed by the Settlement Players and a production of Roald Dahl’s classic The Witches by students from Highfield School.

Throughout the fortnight original poems written by members of North Herts poetry group Poetry ID will be on display in 30 shop windows across the town centre for the public to enjoy.

Classical music fans can hear the Letchworth Chorale and Letchworth Sinfonia, who are both performing their summer concerts during the fortnight.

Sporting events include golf lessons and croquet, while there are some energetic walks planned including a Garden Cities Walk from Welwyn Garden City to Letchworth GC and a Midsummer Night Walk around the Greenway.

“Once again the Letchworth Festival reflects the huge range of activities that take place in our town,” said Ann Pegrum, chairman of the Letchworth Festival Steering Committee.

“The Committee are very grateful for the enthusiasm, skill and talent of the people who are taking part and we are sure that this will be another great festival for the town to enjoy.”

Programmes are being delivered to homes in Letchworth GC or they can be picked up at the Tourist Information Centre in Station Road, David’s Bookshop in Eastcheap or other town centre locations.

Full details are also available on the festival’s dedicated website - www.letchworthfestival.org