Deborah "Deb" McAndrew and Conrad Nelson were among the thousands of visitors who descended on the villages for the festival, as dozens of performers lined up to celebrate its 50 th anniversary.

They had first visited in 2011 all the way from Halifax, and three years later that visit inspired McAndrew to write 'An August Bank Holiday Lark'.

Taking its title from a line in Philip Larkin's poem 'MCMXIV', the play follows the impact of the First World War on the fictional countryside village of Greenmill.

Originally debuting at the New Vic, Newcastle, before making the journey to Oldham Coliseum, the show won first place for 'Best New Play' at the 2014 UK Theatre Awards.

The team were directed by Conrad himself, who learned Morris dancing especially for the job by embedding himself with the Saddleworth Morris Men.