VOLUNTEERS are readying their plans for this year’s Malvern Spa Association Well Dressing Festival, which starts next Friday, May 4.

Teams will be vying with each other to produce the most elaborate and artistic decorations at water features, including springs and sprouts around Malvern.

Organiser Lionel Shorstone said: “The theme of this year’s festival is Achievement – the Queen has achieved only the second- ever Diamond Jubilee in British history and we’re also looking forward to our athletes achieving great things in the Olympic Games.

“One hundred years earlier, Robert Scott reached the South Pole, the Titanic set out on her maiden voyage, the emergency code SOS was invented, the Boat Race was re-run despite Cambridge sinking and Ssuffragettes broke windows.”

Following the well-dressing on Friday, the decorations will remain in place until the end of Monday, giving people four days to visit all 40 sites. Guide maps will be available from the Tourist Information Centre, Church Street. More than half the sites can be visited by car but hillwalking will be needed by visitors determined to see them all.

Prizes will be awarded at the Fringe Festival in Priory Park on Saturday afternoon as an MSA minibus tours some of the bestdressed sites (tickets £6 from the TIC).

On Sunday, local churches will be offering prayers of thanks for water and a Donkey Procession will set off to St Ann’s Well, for an InterFaith Water-Blessing.

On Monday, the water at Earl Beauchamp’s Spout will be blessed in a Buddhist ceremony at 11am, and the water at Hayslad by Druids at 3pm.

Another minibus tour will take place on Monday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the festival concludes at the Clock Tower with and Enchanting the Waters ceremony at 5pm.