THE peal of church bells ushered in the Welwyn Festival proper on Saturday morning as crowds flocked to the village’s annual street market.

As the bells of St Mary’s tolled, Welwyn residents and visitors from further afield strolled down Codicote Road and took in more than 70 stalls offering a range of products.

Books, candles, local honey, sausages, cakes and plants – you name it, they were all up for grabs.

A number of local charities and community organisations also set up shop in the village between 9am and 12.30pm, to give people a chance to find out more about their work.

On a cool spring day, with the sound of a hurdy-gurdy rising into the still air, market-goers were happy to chat to the Welwyn Hatfield Times about why they had decided to visit.

Mel Halsey, of Norman Road, said the market was an opportunity to “put some money back into Welwyn” and “see friends that we don’t often see”.

Carole Phillips, who lives in Glebe Road, said: “I come every year.

“It is a good atmosphere.”

Verity Soued visited the market with her daughter Rania.

She said: “My parents live in Welwyn and I was brought up here so we come every year.

“It’s nice because we meet lots of people that we haven’t seen for ages.”

And with a look up at the heavens, she added: “It isn’t raining so that is a bonus!”

In other festival events, residents were given the chance to undertake a history tour of Welwyn, see Morris Men perform at the White Horse and observe badgers in their natural habitat in Tewin.