Friday, August 3, is the first day of Sidmouth Folk Week. Here are a few ideas for getting your festival experience underway:

Absolute Beginners Dance Workshop, 4.30pm, St Teresa’s Church Hall. If you think you’ve got two left feet and will have to sit out all the dances all week, this workshop will teach the basic steps you need to join in .

There are plenty of welcome dances later in the day including a ceilidh at the Blackmore Gardens Marquee and a folk dance at the Methodist Church Hall, both starting at 7.30pm

Friday is (compared to the rest of Folk Week) a relatively quiet day for events, so this is a good time to check out the Craft Village in Peacock Lawn and the stalls along the seafront.

Why not also do the rounds of the food and drink outlets to see what’s on offer? There are all sorts of different foods available at the various festival venues, as well as at the many bars, restaurants and cafes around the town.

In the evening, the main act in the Ham Marquee at 8pm is the folk patnership of legendary fiddle layer Peter Knight (ex-Steeleye Span) and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers (ex-Bellowhead).

At the Cellar Bar at Kennaway House, the acclaimed accoustic guitarist Paul Downes, a long-time friend and colleague of Show of Hands, celebrates his birthday with other performers and friends.