Veteran Labour left-winger Tony Benn will be the guest of honour at Wigan's 3rd Annual ‘Diggers' Festival on Saturday 7th September. The 88 year old former Labour Cabinet Minister will be attending the Festival to receive the Festival organisers' equivalent of an Oscar in the shape of a brass spade bearing the name of Gerrard Winstanley, the Wigan born radical who in 1649, just a month after the execution of Charles I, led a group of poor propertyless men and women, who quickly became known as 'The Diggers' as a result of their activities, in digging up and cultivating the commons at St. George's Hill near Weybridge in Surrey. It was there that they planted parsnips, carrots and beans as an alternative to begging or starving to death and famously declared "…the Earth was made a common treasury for all, irrespective of person".

Tony Benn was chosen for the award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Winstanley's and the Diggers' historic cause, who were a group of radicals he has written about at length and who he has said were the World's "the first true Socialists".

The award ceremony will take place in The Wiend area at around 12.00 noon following a symbolic digging re-enactment in which former Hollyoaks actor John Graham Davies will play the role of Wiganer Gerrard Winstanley. The historic digging re-enactment will be accompanied by the singing, led by The Liverpool Socialist Singers, of Leon Rosselson's "A World Turned Upside Down, made famous by Billy Bragg, and "The Diggers' Song", which dates back the 1649, and is said to have been written by Gerrard Winstanley himself. Around 2000 people attended last year's festival. 

Amongst the other guests at this year's festival will be Dr. John Gurney, author of "Gerrard Winstanley: A Diggers' Life & Legacy" who will be giving a talk on the great Wiganer and his movement at 3.00pm in Gallimore's Restaurant; Derek Winstanley who officially opened the first Diggers' Festival in 2010 and is flying all the way from Illinois to be present and give a talk on "The influence of Wigan and Wiganers on the ideas of Gerrard Winstanley"; actress Maxine Peake, and Green Party leader Natalie Bennett.  The jam packed FREE all day event which will occupy the entire Wiend area in the centre of the town, and have it's own Beer Tent, and over 50 food, book and other stalls, will include live music, poetry, a puppet show, a film showing, town centre parade and an arts project tent. Top of the bill are Wigan's premier band "Merry Hell". 

The "Durham Scratch Choir" will kick off the live entertainment on the main stage at around 12.20pm with the premiere of a suite of choral works of Gerrard Winstanley's writings set to music, followed later by top Westhoughton band "Our Fold". On show at the Festival will be the wonderful Diggers' Jigsaw produced by Year 5 & 6 pupils at Britannia Bridge Primary School in Lower Ince.  

More Details HERE.