Famous five take centre stage at Much Wenlock Festival

Five acting friends – including Gabrielle Drake and John Challis – entertained more than 100 people during a poetry and music event at the Much Wenlock Festival.

There was virtually a full house for the performance at the Edge Arts Centre last night.

And Mr Challis, known for the character Boycie in Only Fools and Horses, was joined by Gabrielle Drake, Christopher Good, Colin Prockter and Janet Wantling for Secrets and Inspirations.

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The group kept the audience enthralled with performances drawn from writers of all eras who were either local themselves or who drew inspiration from Shropshire, including A.E. Houseman, Mary Webb and Charles Dickens.

A piano gently playing in the background for some of the performance added to the atmosphere.

Pippa Walker, festival chairman, said: "The festival has been wonderful. The weather meant we had to have the play in the church for three nights but the Shropshire Drama Group was hugely professional."

She said: "Everybody was hugely enthusiastic and to have had a thoroughly enjoyable evening."

Mr Challis, who lives on the Shropshire border, said: "Jan has been terrific getting it all together. We have been taking stuff out and putting it back. I think we got the mixture right."

And Miss Drake, who lives in Much Wenlock, said she had been talking to the festival chairman about the event and suggested Secrets and Inspirations.

Also held was the fringe festival, which was run by Tom Foxall, and Saturday there was a blue plaque trail around Much Wenlock and guess the location photograph leaflet.

Yesterday there was also a wheelbarrow race in the church green organised by Kate and Peter Griffiths.

Mr Griffiths, said entries were down because of the weather but four people took part, including himself with a wheelbarrow decorated as a tortoise.

The other entries were Mrs Christine Grieve, of Much Wenlock, in her 80s, with a Union Jack barrow; the winner John O'Dowd, of Much Wenlock, whose theme was penguin; and six-year-old Rebecca Dixon, also of Much Wenlock, whose wheelbarrow was turned into a fire engine.