A major television festival will return to Norfolk for the first time in almost a decade after organisers said they were impressed by changes made to the resort it will be held in.

A major television festival will return to Norfolk for the first time in almost a decade after organisers said they were impressed by changes made to the resort it will be held in.

The likes of Richard Wilson - Victor Meldrew from One Foot in the Grave - and Antonio Fargas - Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch - will be appearing in Hemsby this October.

In the mid 1990s the annual Cult TV Festival was a regular fixture in the autumn calendar for the Yarmouth area, a catalyst for huge number of national and international visitors to the area.

Up until 1997 the weekend-long convention was a regular event in Yarmouth's tourist season, but after attendees expressed dissatisfaction at the quality of the area the event was moved.

Since then it has been all over the country -including Weston-super-Mare, Liverpool, Torquay and Solihull - but the 13th annual event will be back in the Seacroft Holiday Village, Hemsby, for this, and many more years.

Organiser Alex Geairns said: “It was a pleasant surprise to see how much the resort has been regenerated in the years we've been away.

“We were so impressed that the Cult TV production team has even taken the decision to book dates at Seacroft for 2007 - we hope we will be encamped as a regular fixture in Hemsby for years to come.”

The convention, stretching from noon on Friday October 20 to noon on Monday October 23, sees a series of interviews with celebrities, autograph panels, TV production workshops, star cabarets and award ceremonies.

Other former TV stars expected this year include Star Trek's Klingon ambassador John Shuck, David Barry, who played Frankie Abbott in Please Sir, and Dr Who's Davros, Terry Molloy.

Organisers are expecting to boost the guest list to more than two dozen actors before the event, which raises money for international aid charity Medecins Sans Frontieres.

The Seacroft holiday village used to be a Pontins site, but under latest owners New Horizons new chalets, bars and kitchens have been built, and much work has been undertaken to spruce up the site.

“It's like meeting up with an old friend who has had a sensational makeover,” said Mr Geairns.

Bert Collins, chairman of the Yarmouth Tourist Authority, said: “It's terrific to have this event back in the borough. It is a big event and very successful at pulling people in.

“I visit the Seacroft site every week and I've been very impressed at the improvements that have been made there. I hope the organisers are impressed enough to come back year after year.”

t Tickets for the event cost £99 for adults and £49 for children, with accommodation extra. For more information on the weekend see www.cult.tv