NANTWICH residents enjoyed a diverse week of entertainment during the eighth annual Words and Music Festival.

With acts ranging from lesser-known wordsmiths, to pop heavyweights such as The Magic Numbers, the week was brimming with new discoveries and old favourites.

The Crown Hotel’s Ballroom hosted some of the festival’s bigger names throughout the week, with Canadian singer Frazey Ford beguiling her audience with a confessional performance.

Support acts included the hauntingly beautiful The Little Unsaid as well as She Makes War, who took her respectful audience by surprise as she demanded their attention with a megaphone.

The ‘words’ element of the festival was taken care of by several readings and one, quite spectacular, poetry slam.

Poet and festival co-organiser, Helen Kay, said she was ‘delighted’ with the quality of the performers and praised the ‘great atmosphere’.

The winner, 23-year-old student Calum Dwyer, took The Railway Hotel crowd by storm with his performance.

Calum told the Guardian he hoped the audience were ‘entertained’ despite Cheshire only having a fledgling poetry scene.

“I try to be sincere and honest with the audience, it’s all about telling a story and finding a connection with people,” Calum said.

The morning had commenced with readings from winners of the event’s poetry competition, as well as from award-winning poet Kim Moore.

Kim generously offered up everything from humorous tales of her life as a trumpet teacher to poems about the female ‘wolves’ of her working-class family.

For many though, it was the performance from The Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys that was the draw of the week.

Gruff told the epic tale of an 18th century Welsh explorer who sought the rumoured Welsh Indians in America through both the medium of song and PowerPoint presentation.

Those who attended this year’s festival took to social media channels to dub the event a resounding success.

Speaking on Facebook, Susan Humphries said: “Fabulous sets from Barbara Dickson, Thea and Hannah White.

“Thanks to all the team for all the hard work they put in to get such great live music and poetry to Nantwich every year.”

Neil Burton added: “Agreed, best one yet. My goosebumps haven't gone down yet.”