WITH spring in the air and the weather warming up, preparations are under way for a variety of events over the May Day holiday weekend.

The 2016 Malvern Well Dressing Festival will see over 40 springs, spouts and troughs elaborately decorated for the weekend.

Each year, the Well Dressing festival chooses a theme, and this year’s theme Friendship - L’Amitié celebrates the recent twinning of Malvern with spa town Bagnères-de-Bigorre in the French Pyrenees.

Spokesman Lionel Shorstone said: "This is a fantastic theme and we are expecting to see all manner of creative interpretations. It is a real opportunity for all well dressing teams including the schools, colleges, Brownies, Girl Guides and adult entries to rejoice in the Malvern spring water, perhaps with a touch of French panache.”

The festival, run by Malvern Spa Association, has been running continually since 2000, and last year 44 sites, ranging from humble natural springs to elaborate water spouts, were included in the colourful display.

The twinning theme is entirely appropriate, as the weekend also sees the signing of the twinning agreement with Bagnères as part of Malvern Town Council's wellness event in Rose Bank Gardens on the Saturday.

The wellness event is a showcase for Malvern’s gyms, fitness instructors, holistic and complementary therapists and health food businesses.

The event is part of Great Malvern Water Festival, being staged jointly by the town council and Malvern Hills District Council, which will be hosting the first of its summer outdoor cinema events, as well as a series of water-themed games in Priory Park.

And the always-popular May day donkey procession returns, starting outside the Abbey Hotel with a blessing of the donkeys and family pets, followed by a procession up to St Ann's Well for a blessing of the waters ceremony Over in Upton, the annual folk festival returns for a weekend of the best traditional music. This year's event will feature the usual range of great performers - regulars, old favourites and new guests. There will be sessions in the pubs, dancing in the streets and good company and fellowship throughout the town.

This year the guest list includes Keith Donnelly, Ian Bruce, the Wilsons, Harvey Andrews and Les Barker, as well as a colourful array of morris and clog dancers.

And it's also hot stuff in Eastnor Castle, with the return of the Chilli Festival, including live music, bars, hot food, the children’s cookery school, a chilli eating competition and cookery demonstrations.