THE annual festival to celebrate Herefordshire's poet and spiritual writer, Thomas Traherne from June 2-4, will include talks, art, music and an outing.

At Credenhill on Saturday the poet Hilary Davies will talk on Traherne's understanding of the cosmos; Marianne Dorman, who has written on Lancelot Andrewes, will talk on the plight of faithful Anglicans during the Commonwealth; and Jane Partner, whose new book Poetry and Vision has just been published, will talk about reading and seeing in Traherne's writings.

In addition, Ledbury artist Andrea McLean will be displaying and talking about some of her recent paintings inspired by Traherne.

On Saturday evening lighter, musical entertainment will be provided by Richard Glasspoole and friends.

On Sunday morning (11am) the Very Revd Nick Bury, former Dean of Gloucester, will be the preacher at Credenhill, and after lunch and the AGM, there will be choral evensong at Hereford Cathedral.

On Monday there is a visit to Almeley Wootton where Kit Byatt will talk about the Quakers and Pennsylvania at the seventeenth-century Quaker Meeting House, and then at Almeley parish church David Whitehead will talk about Sir John Oldcastle, perhaps the model for Shakespeare's Falstaff.

For details of the whole festival and application forms please telephone Hilary Rosankiewicz on 01432 761588, or go to thomastraherneassociation.org.