I have ford festiva that I am taking the engine out of, but I cannot get the axle undone on the wheel side, is there a special way to undo them?

On the wheel side?

A big persuader (Hammer). The strut and spindle must be held in place firmly. The axle will tend to want to push back into the spindle once loose. It's usually best to disengage the axle before any other suspension components are loosened.

Oh, and be sure to protect the threads, if you intend to reinstall the axle nut.