The 93rd West of England Bandsmen’s Festival will open in the traditional way on Saturday, June 17, as the competing bands march through the village of Bugle to the contest field.

As well as bands from Cornwall and Devon and Brassband Excelsior Ferwert from the Netherlands, the Festival is welcoming visiting bands from Hampshire, Dorset and London.

Three Cornish Bands have entered the elite Championship Section, where as friendly rivals they will compete for The Royal Trophy, presented to the Festival in 1913 by the then Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall.

The adjudicator is David Marshall, who hails from Bodmin, where he joined the Bodmin Town Band at an early age. Enlisting in the Army Music Service at the age of 16 he served for 40 years, retiring with the rank of Major as Director of Music of the Coldstream Guards.

He has the challenging task of judging the seven sections, which include the always popular youth and training bands.

The March to the Field at Molinnis Park starts at 10am, with the contest starting at 11am.