BEST known as Jim Royle - the nation's favourite couch potato, Ricky Tomlinson tops the bill at a massive festival of words next month.

Ricky appears at the Words by the Water Cumbrian Literature Festival staged at Keswick's Theatre by the Lake, running from Tuesday, March 9, until Sunday, March 14, promoting his Ricky My Arse autobiography. BBC broadcast journalist Rageh Ommar talks about his book Revolution Day, based on events during the Iraq War; Tony Benn reflects on almost 50 years in politics; and BBC presenter Joan Bakewell shares her experiences recorded in her The Centre of the Bed book.

President of Words by the Water Melvyn Bragg graces the festival with his presence on Sunday, March 14, with other high-profile writers, poets and journalists such as Martin Bell, Kate Adie, Jacob Polley and Simon Armitage on this year's festival bill. Words also includes a special day at Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre on Sunday, March 7, featuring several names linked to the literary world including Frances Spalding, Simon Baron-Cohen, Barbara Trapido, Blake Morrison and former Labour MP Roy Hattersley. For full details of the programme contact Theatre by the Lake on 017687-74411 or for the Brewery event 01539-725133.

ONE of the UK's finest orchestras graces Kendal's Westmorland Hall tomorrow night (7.30pm). Illustrious Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda picks up the baton for the BBC Philharmonic in a programme of music by Respighi, Elgar and Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto 2 in G.

Soloist is Swedish pianist Peter Jablonski, who has performed on the concert platform with many famous orchestras, including the London, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia philharmonics and French National, under equally well-known conductors. His recording of Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody won an Edison Award, and his acclaimed work with Anne Sofie von Otter performing music by Chaminade won a Gramophone Award. The Lakeland Sinfonia Concert Society event is a sell-out but there is a reserved list. Contact Tim and Pam Keegan on 01539-722533 for details.

Following on in the Heron theatre programme is Secretive Syria on Friday, February 13 (7.30pm) - a screen presentation by Stephen Greenwood covering the period from the Souks of Aleppo to the aftermath of the Crusaders.

Concluding February's events at the Beetham theatre is the excellent NTC theatre company staging the dramatic and enthralling play set in the north east of the 1930s, The Stars Look Down, by A.J. Cronin, and Stewart Howson's sailing holiday comedy Quay Moments. Tickets are available at the Heron box office between 10am-1pm Tuesdays and Fridays or on 015395-64283.