HOURS after announcing that rock giants Metallica are to headline Glastonbury Festival 2014, Michael Eavis was in Bridgwater for a triumphant visit to the town’s Oxfam shop.

The festival founder’s soft spot for the store is well-known, having stepped in to save it when it was threatened with permanent closure two years ago, offering to pay a re-negotiated rent for a full three years.

It is now one of the South West’s best performing Oxfam stores.

The festival’s Bridgwater bond runs deep with carnival clubs describing stewarding the event as “a lifeline” for the huge source of fundraising it provides.

Reflecting on the excitement, Mr Eavis said: “Metallica are a slightly different band to what we normally do and they’re a huge band who always wanted to play.

“They’ve got millions of fans and over 110million albums sold.

“We need to do something different occasionally, so this is a big chance.”

Other artists just named to join Dolly Parton, Elbow, Arcade Fire, Kasabian and co include HAIM, Bombay Bicycle Club and London Sinfonietta.

Michael said: “The whole line-up is a huge spread of talent everywhere you look – The Pixies, Jack White, Dolly Parton and the English National Opera doing a World War One tribute on the Sunday morning.”

Mr Eavis was joined on his visit to Bridgwater by Oxfam’s Mark Goldring, new CEO of the global development and aid charity which has long benefited from its affiliation with the festival.

Mark said: “It’s fantastic to see a shop that has been turned around and the potential of the Bridgwater shop is great.

“Customers have been telling me how great the shop is, how everything is properly priced and how they get a fair deal.

“We’re now taking a significant contribution from this shop whereas three or four years ago it was struggling to make profit.”

Michael said: “The Bridgwater shop has gone up another 10% in sales this year, so they’re doing so well financially.

“It’s a real runner this place, and to think it was going to go down once is crazy.”

The festival is on Wednesday to Saturday, June 25-29, at Worthy Farm – visit www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk