ALTHOUGH prices are kept to the minimum for festival events, you can have a wonderful time for no charge at all thanks to the free festival fringe.

Nine events at various venues around the town are part of the fringe and entry is free to all of them.

The first one features Tim Moorey at the Literary Institute in Northgate Street on June 7 when he will discuss The Joys of English. His previous talks on The Secrets of a Crossword Setter and The Amazing Doctor Johnson proved extremely popular.

Acoustic guitarist and singer/songwriter Brooks Williams is in the Cellar Bar at the Bear Hotel on June 8. There is a treat on Fringe Day, June 15, when there are no fewer than four fringe events following on from each other.

Julie Summers talks about the Women’s Institute during the Second World War in Jam Busters at the Bear Hotel ballroom at 3pm, while the Dave Betts Quintet will play at Pizza Express in the Market Place at 7.30pm.

Then singer/songwriter Alex Lowe is at the Lamb Inn before local boy made good Nick Harper sings and plays at the Southgate Inn.

On Friday, June 21, Cumbrian folk duo Hadrian’s Union have had to make way for award-winning folk fusion band the Roving Crows, who will be on stage in the Cellar Bar, where The Absentees will be playing the following evening. Blues singer Kyla Brox winds up the fringe in the beer garden at the Hare and Hounds on Sunday, June 23, at 1pm.