MEET the sponsors of this year’s Bovey Tracey Craft Festival.

They gathered at the town’s MAKE SouthWest to celebrate the return of one of Europe’s most prestigious makers’ events, and welcomed Bovey Tracey mayor, Cllr Sheila Brooke to join them.

Next Friday, June 9, the three-day festival will begin in Mill Marsh Park, where more than 200 of the country’s finest makers will be showing their creations and they are all for sale.

One sale will be contemporary jewellery from innovative goldsmiths and silversmiths, furniture for every room in the house, and fine fabrics to wear or adorn your home.

There promises to be plenty of food and drink available to sustain a day’s buying or browsing. As well as being able to purchase items of beauty, visitors can experience craft demonstrations, a showcase of start-up business, adult workshops, children’s activities, film screenings, talks, music and entertainment.

The festival will also showcase makers working to preserve crafts in danger of disappearing.

The Red List of Endangered Crafts comprises some 240 skills in serious risk of dying out. Included are ones such as straw hat making, arrow-smithing and chain making.

A special display section will shine the spotlight on those in decline, but which can still be saved. Rare crafts on demonstration will include specialist makers in wall paper making, willow furniture making, lithography and fairground painting.

Sadly the Repair Shop’s Jay Blades won’t be attending as planned.

The Craft festival has been going for 19 years, and last year’s attracted more than 8,000 visitors.

Show director Sarah James said: ‘In that time we’ve created a retail platform for the finest makers, and a launch pad for new crafts business in our showcase Start-Up .

'Craft Festival also features an education programmes for adults and children with workshops lead by professional makers.

'The fun, action packed children’s programme aims to inspire younger people to get creative, get hands on and try out a new craft skill.’

The festival runs from Friday to Sunday, June 9-11.

► For more information about the makers and to buy advance tickets, visit the craft festival website here.