Words – moving, funny, whimsical and rhythmic – were celebrated last weekend at Yarnival, in Yarmouth.

This was a bringing together of wordsmiths from all over the Isle of Wight (and originally beyond), presenting their poetry, performing stories, reciting, singing, pondering life now and long ago – and every word used was honed to perfection.

"Yarnival means the telling of yarns, but the word also suggests a word carnival," said organiser and instigator Jean G-Owen, who heads the Naked Figleaf Collective, as she introduced what she promised would be an inaugural annual word fest.

The performers were many and various, as were the types and styles of performances.

Cheryl May, known for her comic playwriting and pantomime productions was delightful with poems about a supermarket tussle between cakes and carrots, as well as fantastic observations on the 2022 elections from the point of view of Larry the Cat.

Steve Taverner's verse was screamingly funny while Graham Brown had a delightful whimsical feel.

We had Ovid beat poetry from Steve Rushington and Lorrain Baggaley, performance poetry from The Triple Crones, lovely intimate chat from Felicity Fair Thompson about hosting royalty in Leicester Square film premiers, and other authors including a tantalising extract from her new book by Erica Morley Hillard.

Somehow two talks by local historian Kevin Shaw fitted right in among the songs and beats, thanks to his witty presentation and superb illustration.

Hearing his rip-roaringly fast talk on the charge of the Light Brigade, one attendee said she wished Mr Shaw had been his children's history teacher.

Of the poets, Emily Gilliatt-Ball looked at life with a quiet subversion: Sandy Kealty's poems and singing voice and performance were spot on; and Jean G-Owen brought lyricism to daily reality.

Monty Dawners' performance brought the new movement of the art of storytelling for adults to the Island.

The evening finished with Cat James' acerbic spoken feature on women being called guys.

Those sad to have missed what was as far from a village performance as could be, can look for the Figgy Gigs which take place each month at CHOYD in Yarmouth.