The team behind this year’s Fireside Festival are hoping to bring a bit of heat to Baldock over the winter months.

It is only the third year of the festival – which uses the Baldock Arts and Heritage Centre as its base – but despite being in its infancy the team managed to draw names of the calibre of Ruby Wax and TMS Special’s Henry Blofeld and Peter Baxter to proceedings.

Both of those shows have sold out, but fear not, there is plenty more to enjoy, with the next most at risk of being snapped up being Indian storyteller Peter Chand’s festival opener at The Chilli Lounge on Tuesday, February 23.

Storytelling is a big theme of the festival – which runs until Saturday, March 5 – and it is certainly not all for the kids.

Variety is the spice of the festival with events on the first weekend including Tim Ralphs playing scrabble with the devil, Ghanian tales from Tuup and the Late Night Rude Show where audiences are warned to be surprised.

Younger audiences will also be entertained around the story mat with Marion Leaper, in an interactive session with the exuberant Nell Phoenix, while Tessa Bide is bringing her puppets in tow for The Tap-dancing Mermaid.

The following weekend sees an anarchist cooking show with George Egg and a one man, one guitar play, while further down the line John Mitchinson of QI fame will be in discussion with David Bramwell on different aspects of Utopia.

Joanna Bowen, who is one of the organisers of the festival, said: “This year’s festival is warming up towards being a really exciting event.

“I have been scouring festivals and London theatres to find a programme which will entertain, inspire and inform.

“You can imagine how much fun we have had selecting these shows and organising the festival – please do come and help us enjoy it.”

The box office at the arts and heritage centre opens on Tuesday and is manned between 10am to 2pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays.

For more information on shows, timings and prices visit www.firesidefestival.org.