WIRRAL’S Festival of Firsts continues later this weekend with arts-related events in Oxton Village.

Taking place from Friday to Sunday, it follows a successful opening weekend in Hoylake when visitors enjoyed three days of music, poetry, art and drama.

The Oxton leg of the festival will be held at Christ Church in Bessborough Road.

It opens on Friday with a folk night featuring Anthony Clarke, starting at 7pm. On Saturday there will be a summer art market from 12pm to 4pm with 21 local artists, including painters and sculptors, exhibiting and selling their wares with art activities for children. In the church itself there will be two organ concerts at 2pm and 3pm.

On Sunday at 1.30pm there will be a poetry and song showcase, ‘From Darkness to Light’, plus a showing of short films from Edge Hill University graduates. Throughout the weekend village shops will become galleries, exhibiting art work including photography and painting.

Williamson gallery in Slatey Road will be the setting for a concert at 3pm on Sunday. Oxton-based musician Dean Johnson’s musical play Bullets and Daffodils, which celebrates the life and poems of Wilfred Owen, will be staged at 7.30pm.

‘De-junk Re-junk’ - an exhibition at Birkenhead Pavilion where 30 artists exhibit art work made from recycled junk – opens on Monday.

Looking forward to the Oxton festival weekend, organiser Allan Goode told the Globe: “There’s a real air of excitement about what’s going to happen.

"Local shops have really bought into the idea of displaying art work."

The brainchild of Birkenhead-born writer and musician John Gorman, the Festival of Firsts was intended to be two weekends at two locations.

But its appeal has spread across the borough.

Allan Goode said: “I went over to Hoylake during the weekend and could see that the festival was a success. There were people of all ages enjoying themselves.

"There have always been expressions of interest from other parts of the borough.”

All events at Christchurch are free except the Folk Night with refreshments on sale. A collection will be made for Claire House.

Looking back on the Hoylake Festival of Firsts, promoter Sam Brookes said: “It was fantastic, an amazing success and the town was a hive of activity.

“It has certainly exceeded the expectations we had when we started out. At the time we thought it would be better to have a small success than a huge flop. It was a huge success.

“I think Oxton may have a different atmosphere than Hoylake this weekend. In Hoylake, the festival was wine bars and music. In Oxton, it will be centered around the church and craft.”