The new chairman of this year’s Baldock Festival is looking forward to offering a barrel-load of entertainment to the town.

Rob Scahill, better known as the landlord of the town’s Orange Tree pub, has taken the reins as chairman of the festival which is now in its 33rd edition.

Tickets go on sale at Baldock Community Centre tomorrow at 9am when festival committee members are braced for the rush – past experience tells them that there will be a queue forming well before the centre opens and many of the 40 plus ticketed events will be sold out on that day.

Rob said: “As Baldock is well known for its brewing past, the committee has tried to keep the tradition alive by scattering through the fortnight a number of alcohol-related events.

“It begins with the highly popular beer festival which runs at Brandles School from Friday, April 29, to Sunday, May 1, with more than 60 different beers and a range of continental lagers, ciders and wines will be available – plus, for the collector, another specially designed beer glass.

“Then if you need to walk all that off, there is an historical walk to Weston plus a Walk Through History where people from the past in six different venues will tell you snippets of Baldock’s history over six centuries.

“The festival will end on the weekend of May 14 and May 15 with the historic Baldock Street Fair on the Saturday when the High Street will be filled with stalls, entertainers, fairground rides, food, drink and Morris Dancers,

“There will be music to suit all tastes during the festival from folk, jazz and rock to contemporary and classical plus events which will appeal directly to children.

“We hope you will all come and join them in this festival which brings together a fortnight of events showcasing the best the town can offer.”

Programmes have been delivered to all the houses in Baldock, but if you haven’t yet received one or do not live in the town then they are available from libraries in Baldock, Letchworth and Hitchin, as well as Baldock Community Centre, Letchworth Tourist Information Centre or online at www.baldockfestival.org.