THE entertainment has been booked and the special guests have been confirmed, now all the organisers of Ainsworth Village Day are hoping for is kind weather tomorrow (Sat Aug 11).

The traditional day of celebration has been resurrected after a three-year hiatus and it promises to be an unforgettable occasion.

Ex-England and Bolton Wanderers footballer Tommy Banks will perform the official opening ceremony on Ainsworth Recreation Ground at 11.30am.

There will be a hog roast, coconut shy, quad bikes, dancing, children's fancy dress, a fairground and fortune-teller Madam Savas.

A New Orleans jazz band will provide the musical entertainment and between 1.30pm and 2.15pm there will be a tug-o-war and pie eating contest. The driving force behind the day is villager Mr Les Martin. He moved to Ainsworth two years ago and was impressed by the strong sense of community spirit he found.

"When I heard they had been having Village Days since 1979 but stopped them after 1997 because of a shortage of volunteers, I decided to do something about it," he said.

Thanks to his efforts a "task force" of local volunteers was recruited and the plan then quickly came together.

The Village Day itself will be dedicated to the memory of Mr Carl Shepherd (41) of Plane Tree Farm, Ainsworth. He was one of the volunteers and died earlier this year.

All profits will go to Christ Church Ainsworth School, Ainsworth Scholars Play Group and a fund for local good causes.

Mr Martin said: "We want as many people as possible to support the day because, if it is a success, we will once again make it an annual event."