PUBS, chapels, museums and community centres opened up across Brynmawr, Nantyglo and Blaina last week in a festival which organisers have called a “huge success”.

It is the second year of the annual BNB Festival, an arts and heritage festival which hopes to bring more people into the three towns’ high streets away from the out-of-town retail parks.

Organised by Brynmawr Business Forum, the festival ran until Sunday, July 19 and put on a range of workshops from flower arranging to First World War research.

Christine Danter, secretary, along with Donna Wallbank, chair of the Festival Committee, are the main organisers and had been planning this year’s event since January.

Ms Danter said: “There is great concern regarding the large out of town retail parks taking business from the town centres and destroying the heart of the communities, particularly in the valleys.

“All we seem to hear is that the area is depressed, deprived with people lacking educational and social skills.

“We felt we had a duty to lift the spirits and the public view of the Upper Ebbw Fach area and show people what was there already and what they could be part of if interested.

“By working in partnership with others we are able to show what is on offer and demonstrate the good work already going on by encouraging people to join new activities and attend workshops and events that they would not normally have the opportunity or perhaps, confidence to do.”

Throughout the three towns, a range of workshops and demonstrations were held including poetry readings from three professional poets, one of whom is Monmouthshire teacher and Costa Book Prize winner Jonathan Edwards.

Also on offer was a visit to art galleries, which have been professionally opened up for the event, as well as artwork exhibitions in local primary schools.

There were also evening performances across the three towns and heritage walks organised across the countryside.

The festival, which opened on Saturday, July 11, closed with a “fun day extravaganza” on Sunday, July 19 at Central Park, Blaina.