WOODFORD is hot on the heels of Wanstead in promising its better community festival ever, despite fears it might not happen.

The Woodford Festival will take over 35 venues across South Woodford and Woodford Green with 70 different events between October 1 and October 9.

Now in its seventh year, the festival aims to showcase the best talent in Woodford and bring the community together in a celebration of arts and culture.

But after co-ordinator Paul Holifield was forced to drop out for health reasons over the summer, there were major concerns the event would not go ahead.

Luckily, long-standing festival volunteer Geoff Seeff stepped in to save the day.

The 69-year-old, of Parkland Road, Woodford Green, said: “It’s been a bit of a struggle to get here.

“I started out as vice chairman and treasurer but after Paul had to drop out, I basically took over as co-ordinator and have been doing a bit of everything.

“It’s been very difficult, but we’re almost there now, and it’s going to be a fantastic festival.”

Mr Seeff and his colleagues put on the first Woodford Festival in 2008 after securing funding from the Arts Council and Redbridge Council.

He added: “We first talked about a festival in Woodford in the 1980s, but nothing came of it.

“My main reason for getting involved was my band, the Woodford Wheezards.

“I wanted somewhere for us to play and we’ve been doing every festival since.”

This year’s highlights include a beer festival, musicathon and film archive of Woodford throughout the ages, as well as an open day at Woodford Fire Station.

Mr Seeff added that he thinks Woodford has the potential to outdo the Wanstead Festival.

He said: “The Woodford Festival is a different type of event.

“Wanstead is blessed by having a park where it can hold all its events together one day – but we don’t have that in Woodford.

“We have more events across a longer period of time and in that sense I think we have more to offer and can appeal to more people.

“We had 10,000 visitors last time, so we’re hoping for the same again.”

For more information, see the website.