Fishermen and chefs are not the only ones who have been kept busy preparing for Falmouth Oyster Festival this week.

On Monday a group of eager school children from King Charles busied themselves with the making of a multi-coloured octopus under the patient eye of their teacher, Michelle Thompson.

The children will walk into town carrying the octopus on Friday, when they will display their work as part of the School’s Town Oyster Parade from The Moor to the Maritime Museum, between 3.15pm and 4pm.

The theme for this year’s parade is the Olympics. Molly from year six said: “We made the octopus out of willow branches. We had to wet the branches and then bend them.”

The youngsters were helped in their task by crafts and fine art students from University College Falmouth. Falmouth Oyster Festival will be officially opened at 11.30am tomorrow, Thursday, on Events Square and run until Sunday.

It will include various cooking demonstrations from top chefs in the area, an oyster shucking competition on Saturday afternoon and working boats’ racing in the inner harbour on Sunday.

V’s “Fisherman’s Apprentice” Monty Halls is guest of honour this year and will be at the festival on Saturday, between 7pm and 8pm.