WIRRAL'S eagerly-anticipated Farm Feast festival takes place this weekend.

The event - at Claremont Farm in Clattebridge on Sunday, 25 and Monday, May 26 - promises an exciting mix of family fun, mouth-watering cookery demonstrations and music.

Daytime entertainment includes family-friendly activities suitable for all ages, from mouth-watering cookery demonstrations.

The food and farming tents, one of the most popular areas of the festival, will have live animals on show such as calves, pigs and sheep.

The chef’s demo stage will feature demonstrations from Great British Bake off finalist Brendan Lynch, Oxton-based curry guru Nisha Katona and TV's gastronomic chef Stefan Gates.

New Order legend Peter Hook headlines the Livestock music showcase on Sunday evening.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Claremont Farm's Andrew Pimbley said: "The expectation and excitement is really building now that all the final preparations have come together.

"We have a fantastic culinary and music line-up and everyone involved has done an amazing job to guarantee Farm Feast and Livestock offers the very best food, drink, entertainment and music that the whole family will enjoy.

"I am certain it will be our best festival yet and I can’t wait to welcome the public to Claremont."

Manchester-born Peter Hook is former member of post-punk band Joy Division and co-founder of New Order.

He will be joined by his current band The Light and supported by Liverpool band Stealing Sheep when he headlines the Livestock on Sunday, from 7-11pm.

Looking ahead to taking part, Peter Hook told the Globe this week: "In the New Order and Joy Divison days, Wirral was one of those areas I quite ignored.

"Living in Manchester, we had a love/hate relationship with Liverpool and Merseyside.

"A friend of mine, an air steward, moved to Wirral and I've been there a few times.

"My wife's from Rhyl, so I'd only ever seen Wirral from Wales. I'm now a Wirral convert." 

The bass guitarist, DJ, nightclub owner, record company mogul and author confessed to being a Wirral convert: "We do an honest and heartfelt interpretation of New Order and Joy Division.

"There's not much more you can do, really. We've got a lot of stuff, some of which we haven't done in years."

Peter left New Order in 2007 and the band broke up soon after. But when the band reformed in 2011, Hook was not part of their line-up.

He condemned the reunion and is in currently in a legal battle with his former bandmates to court to settle the dispute.

He has also finished work on his third book about the band, whose many hits included the England World Cup song, World In Motion, in 1990.

The video included appearances by actor Keith Allen and Liverpool footballing legend and former Tranmere Rovers' manager John Barnes.

Peter told the Globe: "The legal battle with New Order is still raging, but doing the book has shown me just how much positive stuff was achieved by the band."

Acts taking part in the Livestock showcase on Sunday, May 25 are:

  • Beaten Tracks DJs
  • Emilio Pinchi
  • Charley Blue
  • David Hirst
  • The South Band
  • Attic Band
  • Mikey Kenney
  • Mike Badger & the Shady Trio and Rob Vincent

The Sunday line-up also features:

  • The Rangoon Sons
  • Roxanne Jones
  • The Levons
  • Springtime Anchorage
  • City Walls
  • Rob Vincent
  • Ottersgear and Reva

On Monday, May 26, Main Stage audiences will be entertained by Wirral Ukulele Orchestra, Dominic Dunn, The Ragamuffins, Silent Sleep, Mono LPs, Natalie McCool and Sugarmen.

The Courtyard Stage will play host to The Hazel Empire, Sparkwood & 21, Cousin Jac, Paul Straws, Silent Sleep, The Mono LPs and Beaten Tracks DJs.