WATCHET is preparing to celebrate summer with a week-long bonanza of events and entertainment.

The town’s annual ‘Summertime’ festival gets underway on August 9 with the swashbuckling Pirates of Piran, who will be on the west end of the Esplanade from 11am onwards.

The first day of the festival will also include a dog show, with classes ranging from ‘best bitch’ to ‘waggiest tail’, while the evening entertainment will feature a choice between Martyn Babb and Friends singing sea shanties in the Boat Museum or an evening of music in Pebbles bar.

Martyn’s performance at 7.30pm will be the last at the museum before building starts on an extension this winter.

‘The International Busking Day’ will provide hours of music the following day, starting on the Esplanade at 10am and moving to a marquee at the back of The Star pub around 6pm.

And on Tuesday (August 11), the theme will be arts and crafts, with activities for adults and children on the Esplanade and a musical backdrop provided by the Acorn Shanty Group.

Evening entertainment will include a quiz at the Bell Inn.

This year’s festival will also feature two walks – the West Somerset Mineral Line Association is leading a trek up the old Mineral Line to Washford at 11am from Watchet Library on Tuesday and the following day town crier David Milton will be telling tales of old Watchet, also leaving from the library, at 2.30pm.

Tales will also be flowing from ‘Storywalks’ artist Chris Jolley on Wednesday – at 10 am in the library and then at 11am for older children on the Esplanade.

Wednesday will also feature more music with an open mic session at the Bell Inn from 8pm or alternatively an organ recital by the Rev John Guttridge in St Decuman’s Church at 7.30pm.

Charity stalls will be set up on the Esplanade on Thursday, followed by an evening of music in both Pebbles bar and the Bell Inn.

A new feature of the festival will be a fancy dress competition on Friday, with youngsters aged from four to seven and eight to 11 having the chance to show their creativity with a pirate theme from 10am.

The contest will be followed by an afternoon of fun staged by Watchet Town Council - from noon to 5pm – and an evening barbecue and musical entertainment.

Weather and tide permitting, the day’s activities will be rounded off with a ‘Candle Lantern Float’ from the West Pier.

Saturday will also be packed with entertainment with a display of vintage vehicles in the morning, music in the afternoon, an evening hog roast, more music and a firework finale.

In addition to the daily events, the Watchet Summertime art exhibition will run all week from 10am to 5pm.

More details are available at http://www.watchetsummertime.btck.co.uk.