FROM John Simpson to Faye Weldon and from Ska music to Shakespeare, the Devizes Arts Festival is just days away.

It runs from May 31 to June 16 with an eclectic mix of cultural icons, live music, literature, poetry and events to attract the whole family.

Coventry Ska band Barbdwire with Trevor Evans and Lloyd Mcgrath will be at at the Corn Exchange on June 1.

If you are a teenager of the the 1970s then you'll recall the The Real Thing who will be at the Corn Exchange 8pm Saturday, June 8.

And then there's the blend of Congolese and Cuban music as Grupo Lokito create a modern-day cocktail of two of the great world musics on Saturday, June 15, for a really different experience.

In contrast bikers, explorers and feminists will be interested in the appearance of Elspeth Beard on June 8, at the Bear Hotel. The First British Woman To Motorcycle Around The World in an age before satnav and mobile phones.

Devizes is the star of the show on Sunday, June 2, when there are guided walks of the town's historic sites while fans of BBC's Gardener's Question Time will want to hear what Bob Flowerdew has to say on June 15, in the town hall.

Families will be interested in an appearance of Clive Mantle on Saturday, June 1, when he entertain youngsters with illustrated readings from his time-travelling, Himalayan adventure and talking about his writing and his own travels in Nepal.

In contrast there is the Moscow Drug Club on Friday, June 7 at the Corn Exchange with their mix of 1930’s Berlin Cabaret, Hot Club de France, Nuevo Tango and Gypsy Campfire music. John Simpson and Faye Weldon need little introduction as do Morecombe and Wise. No the duo won't appear from the grave but there is a production of An Evening Of Eric And Ern on Friday, June 14, at Devizes Corn Exchange, the West-End hit show.

More at www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk