COMPILED BY HOWARD BRADBURY

June 2

The Go Green Cheshire Triathlon

It’s a coming of age for this event in Nantwich. Yes this is the 21st anniversary for the Cheshire Triathlon, and over 1,000 competitors are expected to take part, with fitness levels varying from charity fun-runner to finely-honed athlete.

Those fun-runners can opt for the 200m swim, 20km cycle ride and 2.5km jog, while competitors entering the ‘sprint’ category will swim 500m, cycle 20km and run 5km. There is even a relay competition in which one competitor take each leg of the triathlon.

The swim takes place in the Nantwich Outdoor Brine Pool, the cycle ride takes in some surrounding Cheshire countryside and the run is in Barony Park.

www.fun2tri.co.uk

June 5

Medium rare

A man of his perspicacity may already have a premonition about how well this show at Crewe Lyceum theatre will go. There are many mediums and psychics filling theatres up and down the land, but Liverpudlian footballer turned spiritualist medium Acorah is one of the originals, and, through TV’s Most Haunted, the best known.

www.crewelyceum.co.uk

June 16

Lovely gardens

Poor weather meant summer 2012 was a bit of a challenge for the National Gardens Scheme, which opens exceptional gardens to the public for charity. Let’s hope for better in 2013. Among those throwing open the garden gate from 1.30pm to 5.30pm on Sunday June 16 are the Trinders of Orchard Villa, 72 Audley Road, Alsager ST7 2QN. Theirs is a long narrow garden with a meandering path through a succession of planted room reflecting the seasons.

June 18

The Lady Boys of Bangkok

Fellas in frocks...it’s the gift to entertainment that just keeps giving. Expect comedy, high-gloss cabaret, fabulous costumes, immaculate make-up and an awful lot of hen parties in the audience as the Lady Boys of Bangkok bring their Fifty Shades of Pink tour to Crewe Lyceum Theatre.

www.crewelyceum.co.uk

July 13 and 14

Gundogs and game

The third annual Gundog and Game Fair takes place at Court Farm, Betley, with gundog scurries (retrieval tests against the clock), clay pigeon shooting, rifle shooting, flyball and much more. Got a particularly fetching lurcher? There’s gundog photography too; preserve that pooch for posterity.

www.thegundogandgamefair.com

July 19

Guitar prodigy

The latest blues guitar sensation is Alex McKown, from Glossop, who was born in 1996 and first picked up a guitar at the tender age of six, drinking in the influence of Eric Clapton and B B King. He has paid his dues at well-regarded blues festivals and is, as YouTube footage attests, hot to trot.

Catch young Alex and his band at the White Horse, Nantwich, on Friday July 19.

www.alexmckown.com

July 20

Putting Nantwich on the food map

Cornwall has its pasty, Liverpool has scouse, Bakewell has its tart, and even Eccles has a cake. Time that Nantwich had its own signature dish, according to town councillor Stuart Hutton. He has organised a competition to find ‘The Dabber’s Dish’ - a recipe to celebrate the town.

Judging of the entries will be in Town Square on Saturday July 20, and will coincide with an exhibition in Nantwich Museum about the town’s culinary heritage.

July 27

Oyez, oyez!

Hear ye all that there will be a town crier competition in Nantwich this very day. It follows on from last year’s contest in which a dozen criers from all over the UK tested their lung-power on the steps of St Mary’s. The competition coincides with the farmers’ market

July 31

Cracking cheese, Gromit!

Looking ever more like the Oscars of the cheese world, the 116th International Cheese Awards, as part of Nantwich Show at Dorfold Park, draw such foodie luminaries as celebrity chefs James Martin, Matt Tebbutt, presenter of Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped, and Will Holland, of Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu fame.

Cheese from all four corners of the world is expected. Last year saw 3,900 entries from 28 countries.

www.nantwichshow.co.uk

August 9 to 11

Rocking All Over The Wold

Three days of concerts in the heart of the Cheshire countryside are promised with the Junction 16 festival at Betley Court Farm, Betley, Crewe. The indefatigable Status Quo kick off proceedings on the Friday night.

www.junctionsixteen.com

August 10

Austen in the outdoors

A summer evening, a lovely setting and open air theatre with a simmering undercurrent of romance. Does it get any better? Pride and Prejudice is presented by Chapterhouse Theatre Company at Reaseheath Hall, Nantwich.

www.reaseheath.ac.uk

August 17

Handmade fair

Nantwich Civic Hall is the setting for a fair selling high quality handmade items from all over the country but mainly Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire, plus vintage home-ware and clothing.

www.facebook.com/ vintageescapades