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Community News
Houghton Conquest pub named one of best in Britain
Known as ‘the pub Oscars’, the Great British Pub Awards celebrate the best pubs in the country with hundreds of venues entering the prestigious competition. Following two rounds of rigorous judging, this year’s shortlist has been announced with The Knife & Cleaver named as one of the finalists for the Best Pubs with Rooms award.
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Set opposite The Church of All Saints in the pretty village of Houghton Conquest, the popular gastropub has nine chic boutique hotel rooms and serves fantastic British food and a selection of wines, cocktails, beers, and real ales.
Contenders across all categories will be visited by judges before winners are announced in a livestream awards ceremony. Editor of The Morning Advertiser, which organises the awards, Ed Bedington said: “The tough judging process is always difficult due to the high standard of the pubs that enter. However, those decisions have now been made, and we have a very strong list of finalists that will be in the running to take the title of each of the categories, with one exceptional winner going on to be crowned the overall Great British Pub of the Year.”
Spooky happenings in Wilstead
Herring Green Activity Farm in Wilstead have announced a programme of spooktacular events throughout October.
Wizards, witches and warlocks are invited to a Harry Potter magical themed weekend on 9-10 October. With an owl flying display, quiz, critter encounters, fancy dress prizes and more there’s lots of wizardry fun for all.
Pumpkin picking takes place at the farm from 16-22 October with lots of family fun including flying displays, tractor trailer rides, barrel rides and a free pumpkin for every paying child to take home and carve.
The spooky activities culminate with Halloween fun at the farm’s Centre of Hocus Pocus from 23-31 October. With so many eerie events there’s bound to be something to bring out the goosebumps!
www.birdsofpreycentre.co.uk
Moot Hall celebrates 70 years
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Elstow’s Moot Hall restoration and opening as a museum of 17th century life and John Bunyan.
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To celebrate, a new village sign has been installed on the green with an illustration of Vanity Fayre commissioned from Bedford artist Alasdair Bright. An adapted version of Alasdair’s ‘Pilgrim’ illustration, which is on the Elstow ‘gate’ in Progress Way, is featured on the other side of the sign.
There is also a new information board for John Bunyan’s birthplace with content designed by Clive Arnold, Curator of Moot Hall. The idea of the board is to reward those pilgrims who make the short walk (only 600 paces) into the field at ‘Bunyan’s End’ with some information of how everything Bunyan achieved started from the lowly cottage that used to stand on the site.
So, this autumn, why not dust off your boots, enjoy a pleasant walk, and pay your respects to Elstow’s world famous author.
October Beer, Cider & Gin Festival
Stewartby Club’s most popular event of the year takes place from 14-16 October, and everyone is welcome! With a fantastic selection of 12 real ales, 8 ciders and 15 gins plus live music, the annual event is set to be brilliant once again. The fun begins with the festival opening night on Thursday 14 October. Soloists Mark Atkins and Jenny Salmon perform on Friday while Saturday evening brings entertainment from Mark Atkins and the V.I.Peas. The festival closes on Sunday with Kate Pedley (Stewarby’s Postlady) performing in the afternoon and you can grab a bargain with all remaining real ales and ciders at £2 pint. For more details go to www.stewartbyclub.com
Halloween Fun at the Forest
Head to The Forest Centre in Marston Moretaine for lots of half term Halloween fun.
Ghoulish garden games and activities take place in the Sensory Garden from 25-28 October with pumpkin bowling and witchy golf. Winnie the Witch also needs help finding her friend before the full moon arrives!
Dust off your best fancy-dress costumes and get ready to dance, scream and play lots of party games to celebrate the spookiest time of year at the Halloween Kids’ Disco on 28 and 29 October.
If you’re looking for something a little quieter, Creepy-Crawly Crafts takes place on 29 October when you can make your own spooky spider for Halloween.
