Croydon's rich and varied history is being celebrated with the third annual Heritage Festival underway.

Opening the festivities on Saturday was Heritage Day, with events taking place throughout the town centre, but also across the borough, with historic buildings of interest opened to the public and The Flower Fairies festival celebrating the life and work of Cicely Mary Barker in Park Hill park.

Throughout this week there will be walking tours of Croydon focussing on its historic personalities as well as places, while the Whitgift Centre is hosting an exhibition dedicated to celebrating the area's past and Croydon libraries will hold talks and workshops.

The week concludes with Future Day, this Saturday, where young people will be given the chance to lay out their vision for the borough at Speaker's Corner in North End while Croydon Partnership will be holding an enterprise event in Centrale shopping centre.

Old Palace School Steel Pans began proceedings on Saturday at 11.30am followed with live dance, music, theatre, and a performance from BRIT School student Jade Evo along North End.

On Monday evening London Russian Ballet School performed at Trinity School, while on Thursday Croydon film director David Lean's Summer Madness, starring Katherine Hepburn will be playing at the David Lean Cinema.

Other events include stories about the famous faces who have walked the hallways of the Old Palace, from archbishops to monarchy and saints, a look at the life of composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and a night celebrating the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

For a full list of events taking place visit croydonheritagefestival.co.uk