Two long term residents of Haughley, Gill Brett and Dave Evans have decided to mark their 50th wedding anniversary by spending their day celebrating with us in Stowmarket town centre.

They will be Morris dancing. Morris dancing has been a huge part of their life as can be seen from the very special decorated cake.

Nearer the 27th we will have a programme on our website but for now here’s a brief look at what’s happening.

On Friday evening 26th festivities are warming up at The Royal William with a music session hosted by The Scan Tester Fan Club. During Saturday there will be back to back music sessions in the pub.

The official opening of Music Day takes place at 10.15 in the United Reform Church building. Following this there are adult and children performances along with Have a Go Sessions. We are also running a cafe in the building.

A variety of events will be taking place in the Library and Fox Yard. Stowmarket Scout Centre has a day packed with interesting and varied talks and films, including ‘My Fifty Years with Harry Cox’, 250 years of the dulcimer in East Anglia. These events incur a small charge.

There is a full day of entertainment at the British Legion. The Medlars invite you to join in with their melodies on your own instruments or sing along. Dick Miles takes a trip Down Memory Lane with songs from Suffolk and beyond. Georgia Shackleton and Aaren Bennett present music from the album “Harry’s Seagull” and Macdara sings songs from Dublin. An open music session then follows.

From 7.30 onwards the British Legion hosts “Folk Club” with guests Mossy Christian & Megan Wisdom, Matt Quinn and Belinda Kempster & Fran Foote. Contributions welcome from singers and musicians. Tickets £12.50.

In the John Peel Centre’s daytime events you can learn how to work a Jig Doll, or join a stepdancing workshop. The Scan Tester Fan Club give an informal performance together with anecdotes and nuggets of information about their music.

The evening concert in the John Peel Centre features Nancy Kerr, who specialises in song writing, playing the fiddle and singing. She was BBC Radio 2’s 2015 “Folk Singer of the Year”. Macdara Yeates is an Irish folk singer, Georgia Shackleton, works with fiddle, voice, tenor guitar and drones to create crisp arrangements of songs old and new. James Delarre & Saul Rose, two fine musicians promise audiences a joyful evening of exquisitely played traditional folk. The Medlars, a trio from Essex play music originating and rooted in folk tradition. Tickets £25.

There are many free events but also some ticketed day events £5.00 each or £15 to access all events.

If you wish to volunteer on the day please get in touch via www.eatmt.org.uk.