ORGANISERS of the popular Bewdley Festival have marked its 30th anniversary year by commissioning a new look logo.

The existing festival logo was designed by local artist Margaret Layton in 1988 and has served the festival well for 29 - but organisers felt that the time was right for a new image to celebrate their 30th year.

Several local designers were invited to submit ideas for a new logo and Becky Newbold, director of communication and community at Bewdley School and Sixth Form Centre hosted the selection panel.

Finally, a new logo for Bewdley Festival 30 and beyond was chosen - designed by Kat Carlyle, who is based at Snuff Mill, in the town, and produces designs for websites, print and digital marketing.

Kat attended the Bewdley School and, coincidentally, was taught by Becky who, as her art teacher, was a huge influence and inspirational in helping Kat choose a career in graphic design.

She went on to gain a degree in creative digital media from the University of Worcester. She has also been a member of the Bewdley Rowing Club for nine years and club captain between 2014 and 2016.

Kat said: "When the opportunity to design the new logo for Bewdley Festival came along, I wanted to be involved.

"I love Bewdley and to be part of anything to do with the town is a great pleasure.

"After extensive research, I put together 11 different designs all varying in one or another."

A spokesman for the festival added: "We hope this new logo designed by someone who is Bewdley through and through will last for another 29 seasons of Bewdley Festival."

This year's Bewdley Festival will run between Friday, October 6, and Sunday, October 15, and last month it was announced poet Roger McGough is set to return to the stage he graced 30 years ago as he opens the festival.

Having performed alongside fellow Liverpool poet Brian Patten at the first ever Bewdley Festival in 1988, Roger McGough returns to the stage on opening night.