MUSIC which comforted people enduring the horrors of the Battle of Britain is to open a festival of remembrance.

An Evening of Swing, performed by Wrexham’s Bill Basey Big Band, will be held at Llangollen Pavilion on November 5.

The concert will open the town’s Festival of History and Remembrance and herald a two-week programme of events.

One of the organisers and venue director of Llangollen Pavilion, Vicki Shenton-Morris, said: “As 2010 is the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain it is only appropriate that the festival features the distinctive sounds of that era.

“With improvements to the acoustics at the pavilion, following its extensive refurbishment programme, the musical experience will be second to none.”

The festival will celebrate the heritage of the Dee Valley area and encourage a deeper understanding of local, national and world history.

North Wales’ links with the Battle of Britain include RAF Sealand in Flintshire, where many of ‘the few’ - the men who went on to fly in the battle - trained.

Events during the festival fortnight include a history fair on Saturday, November 6, featuring more than 50 stalls ranging from genealogy to military recreation societies.

Its organiser is military historian Peter Stubbs, from Birch Hill, Llangollen, who said: “The history fair is designed for everyone with a fascination for the past.

“There will be exhibits from virtually every century featuring local and national history, including activities, re-enactors, memorabilia, plus a series of talks and workshops throughout the day.

“Alongside this, I’ll be running a museum of military and home front history which will open every day during the festival at the Pavilion.”

Llangollen Railway is planning two steam train events for November 5 and 6.

The town’s museum is running a children’s photography competition on the theme of railways and remembrance and holding an exhibition on the Patriot Project, a scheme to build a new Patriot class steam engine in Llangollen to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in 2018.

The festival ends with a Service of Remembrance at Llangollen Cenotaph on Sunday, November 14.

For more details go to http://www.deevalleytour.co.uk/history/ or call 01978 860111.