A HOST of events were staged during an annual celebration of culture.

This year's Oswestry Heritage Open Days boasted more than 200 attractions in 11 days, which culminated in Jane Hoy and Helen Sandler of Ladies of Llangollen to a packed Hermon Arts Centre audience on Sunday.

Mark Hignett, from Oswestry Town Museum and organiser of Oswestry's ambitious 2018 programme, (over 200 events in total) thanked the ladies of Llangollen for their presentation and asked the audience to show their appreciation for the towns women who had worked so hard to make the whole festival a success.

Groups and organisations held a wide array of events during the event, including excavations at Oswestry Castle, performances at Bailey Head by Shrewsbury Morris and Chloe Elizabeth Dance Company, talks and film screenings at the library and a host of events at the Memorial Hall.

The Tanat Valley Light Railway also welcomed visitors, as did Stonehouse Brewery, Oswestry Racecourse and the Pentre, Bronygarth.

The programme also offered a poetry competition, inspired by 15th century Welsh poet Guto'r Glyn, who wrote about the women of Oswestry.

Winning entrant Joyce Millington received the Oswestry Heritage Open Days Poetry Silver Cup with her poem entitled Three Sisters.

Second place went to A Heroine of the First World War, written by Neil McKeown who was inspired by his Great aunt and her friends.

Third place was awarded to Paul Shuter's entry, We the Hundred and One, which was inspired by the modesty of extraordinary women.

Oswestry Museum ran a project during the festival with 101 nominated women, both historical and current each having a large poster about their diverse lives which were displayed in the memorial hall.

In the art competition, the 2018 Silver Cup went to Leslie D Edwards for his oil canvas painting of Church Street in Oswestry.

Second prize went to Caroline Rogers for her acrylic on canvas painting of Janus Horse, symbolising the racecourse.

In third place was Harriet Hignett with her needle-felted Wilfred Owen and poppy.

First in the children's under 12 age group was Aimee Layton for her detailed model of a Motte and Bailey castle and runner-up was Emily Clarke for her painting entitled Oswald's Tree.

Preparations are already under way for next year's Heritage Open Days.