JOURNALIST, agony aunt and author Virginia Ironside, comedian Jo Caulfield and Terry Waite head the list of special guests for this year's Lymm Festival.

There will be 11 days of events throughout the village between June 18 and 28, starting with the FoodFest and finishing with the popular Historic Transport Day.

Last year the festival attracted 12,000 people and organisers have promised the 2015 line-up will be 'bigger and better'.

On June 20, families are encouraged to get in period dress for an Edwardian garden party on the grounds of Lymm Hall.

Humanitarian campaigner and former Lebanon hostage Terry Waite, who grew up in Lymm, will be giving an inspirational talk at Statham Lodge Hotel on June 22.

Meanwhile, rehearsals are already under way for the Big Sing on June 23.

The amateur choir will be joined at the Statham Lodge Hotel by Beverley Craven who enjoyed top five chart success with 'Promise Me'.

Virginia Ironside will give a talk about her career at Lymm Hotel on June 24 and comedian Jo Caulfield will be bringing her stand-up routine to the hotel on June 26.

There will also be a series of canal cruises and village walks and the gardens at Lane End Cottage in Old Cherry Lane will be open throughout the festival to showcase 'Art In The Garden'.

Tickets are yet to go on sale.