TELEVISION historian Simon Sharma may be more accurate but a history of Britain being presented by an amateur cast seems certain to be more fun.

The Richmond Amateur Operatic Society performs 1066 And All That in the town's Friary Gardens on Friday and Saturday evening.

"The play is best described as a musical comedy of English history," said director, Warnock Kerr.

"It is a family show with plenty of lively songs and humorous playlets based on the bits of history we all know and love."

There is no charge for admission with the audience invited to bring a picnic if they wish. Performances starting at 8pm on Friday and 7.30pm on Saturday.

The show launches the second weekend of the Richmond Festival which is also challenging shoppers to spot 60 cut-out sheep in windows around the town centre, with the entire "flock" up for auction for charity in the Market Place at 6pm on Sunday.

An It's a Knock-Out tournament is also being held on The Batts on the banks of the River Swale at 2pm on both Saturday and Sunday. The town hall has been commissioned as a temporary cinema for Saturday showings of Monsters Inc at 4pm and Pearl Harbour at 7pm.

Richmond Live presents a performance by The Company, at the Richmondshire Cricket Club at 8pm on Saturday, while the Richmond Millenniumaires Jazz Carnival is being held at Richmond School from 10am on Sunday.

Theatre Set Up's production of Shakespeare's As You Like at Richmond Castle on Sunday evening closes the programme.