What are you up to this weekend? Here are five things you could be doing instead...
Did you know that this Saturday May 17 is World Information Society Day? The objective of the event is ‘to raise global awareness of societal changes brought about by the Internet and new technologies’.
It might not be the kind of significant cultural and political shift the day was undoubtedly created in honour of, but one very minor societal change this internet article could bring about is altering your plans for this weekend! I can hear the faint patter of applause from across the digital airwaves.
Here are five recommendations from us to make your weekend one to remember...
Fancy a celebration of food and drink?
• Witney Food and Drink Festival, Witney
Saturday May 17 9.30am – 5.00pm
None other than the Prime Minister himself has endorsed this year’s Witney Food and Drink Festival (he is Witney’s MP after all), as has patron of the event Alexander Armstrong, who said: “If you want to eat and drink exceptionally well, the Witney area has some of the finest local producers in the country. Locally brewed ales, cured meats, award-winning pickles and chutneys, pies and possibly the highest density of top-quality gastro-pubs outside London. Oh, and one of the country’s finest smokeries - we have got it all! I am delighted to be a patron of the Witney Festival of Food and Drink - there is much to be proud of.”
This is only the second year of the festival, which will feature 60 stalls selling delicious local food and drink, inspirational cookery demonstrations in the Festival Kitchen and topical talks in the Talks Tent, together with a whole range of creative activities for kids in the Children’s Tent.
For information and tickets, visit: www.witneyfoodfestival.co.uk
Fancy antique hunting?
• The Worcestershire Antiques Fair, Droitwich
Saturday May 17 - Sunday May 18 10.00am - 5.00pm
The grand Chateau Impney Hotel will be hosting The Worcestershire Antiques Fair this weekend. Over eighty dealers from across the country will be offering a range of antique furniture, silver, fine jewellery, porcelain, glass, textiles, fine art, kitchenalia and more, with the emphasis on quality but items to suit all pockets.
Refreshments and lunches will also be served in the Broadway Suite.
You can also take advantage of a special room rate if you decide to stay at the Chateur Impney over night - just ensure you quote the Antiques Fair when booking.
There is parking for up to 1000 cars and disabled access and facilities.
Entrance Fee £3.50, concessions for Coach Parties.
For more details, visit: www.twocsantiquesfairs.co.uk or call 01544 267481
Fancy some Shakespeare in the sunshine?
• Shakespeare in the Garden, Hereford
Sunday May 18 from 2.30pm
This open-air event in Lyde Court is an afternoon of Shakespearean entertainment - with a contemporary twist. Tim Crouch’s interpretations of Shakespeare’s classic plays A Midsummer’s Night Dream and The Tempest re-tell these famous stories from the fresh and sometimes startling perspectives of characters usually consigned to the sidelines, mixing contemporary language with excerpts from the original text.
Audiences can sip cream tea and enjoy cakes and local ice cream on the Lyde Court lawns whilst being soothed by Hereford’s own Castle Street Jazz Quartet during the interval.
Tickets:
Adult £8.00
Under 18 yrs £6.00
Family £25 (2 adults, up to 3 children)
Times: 2.30pm
For more details, visit: www.lydecourt.com/index.html
Fancy a museum tour at night?
• Museums At Night Festival, Warwickshire
Friday May 16 - Sunday May 18
Warwickshire joins numerous counties nationwide participating in the Museums At Night Festival, which seeks to encourage visitors into museums, galleries and heritage sites by throwing their doors open after hours and putting on special evening events. A variety of museums around Warwickshire are joining in.
Compton Verney
The award-winning art gallery in Compton Verney is opening its door after hours to give visitors the chance to see the Moore Rodin exhibition. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the exhibition at Compton Verney which compares the works of Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin, two important figures of modern sculpture. The late-night event takes place on Friday 16 May from 5.30pm to 8.30pm and gives visitors the chance to join a tour with the curator of the exhibition.
Nuneaton
Vintage-lovers should head to Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery which is hosting A Crafty Night Out on Friday 16 May. The event, which runs from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, includes local craft sellers, art and craft demonstrations, refreshments, and a vintage salon. There’s also an optional vintage dress code. Visitors to the free event will get a sneak preview of the Festival of Arts Craft and Needlecraft exhibition which opens at the museum the following day and runs until 8 June.
Warwick
Enjoying late-night events can be tricky with young children so if you still want to involve the whole family head to The Great Warwickshire Show and Tell. The free one-day event takes place in the centre of Warwick on Friday 16 May and kicks off at 2.45pm with an opening ceremony in the market square with bell ringers and Warwick town crier. There are more than 60 attractions involved in the celebrations including performances from local choirs and dance and theatre groups along with bee keepers, geologists and allotment holders who will be on hand to celebrate Warwickshire’s rich heritage.
Museums at Night ties in with the European campaign, La Nuit Des Musées, which takes place on Saturday May 17. In the UK, to allow venues greater. The date is significant as it’s the weekend nearest to 18 May, International Museums Day.
For more information, visit:
www.culture24.org.uk/places-to-go/museums-at-night
Fancy a celebration of river culture?
• The Wye Valley River Festival, Herefordshire
Saturday May 3 - Sunday May 18
This weekend is the finale of the Wye Valley River Festival, a celebration of the Wye river, the land surrounding it and the community that dwells upon it across Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire.
The festival has followed the story of Ratty the Water Vole as he is pursued by predatory Prosecutor Mink and Judge Wild Boar. The narrative, with artistic direction from leading outdoor arts company Desperate Men, will culminate in the Grand Finale in Chepstow on Sunday 18 where there will be pyrotechnics and an illuminated flotilla glowing in the dark of night.
Within the Cotswolds, various events have been taking place as part of the festival, and there’s more to come; on Saturday in Brockweir there will be a full day of theatrical activity, including a village walk lead by the local community in costume of the period. Expect to meet sailors, pick-pockets and ladies of ill repute. There will also be music, entertainment and a flotilla of boats (fancy dress is encouraged).
On Sunday at The Mariana Art Gallery in St. Briavels there will be an exhibition of art with the theme of ‘The River’, featuring work by painter Mariana Robinson and photographer David Broadbent.
Wye Valley AONB Officer Andrew Blake said: “This unique festival will enable people to experience landscape conservation as never before as art dares to pose questions of environmental concern. Walks, talks, debates and an imaginative collaboration of artists, communities and conservation experts will enable everyone to enjoy the spectacular Wye Valley and lend their voice to the conversation about the future of this precious countryside.”
For more details, visit:
www.wyevalleyaonb.org.uk/index.php/wye-valley-river-festival
