The Sticks Magazine September 2019 - What's on in Herts, Beds and Bucks

Issue 72 September

2019

In this edition of The Sticks Interview with Shane Richie Interview with Phil Solem of The Rembrandts Russell Grant’s September Horoscopes Cheese Column Advice from Consensus HR Curwens Legal Column Art Column BBC Radio 2’s Janey Lee Grace - Glamping Big Barn Food Column Wine Column Plus pages of events listings across Herts, Beds & Bucks

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Welcome to the September edition of The Sticks Magazine!

The most talked about magazine in Herts, Beds & Bucks With over 16,000 readers a month

In this issue:

Interview with Shane Richie Interview with Phil Solem of The Rembrandts HR Column from Consensus HR Curwens Column Russell Grant’s September Horoscopes BBC Radio 2’s Janey Lee Grace - Glamping Art Column Cheese Column Big Barn Food Column Wine Column Listings – Herts, Beds & Bucks

Page 4-7 8-11 12 13 16-17 18 19 21-22 23-24 25-26 27-38

Contributors: Terry Sullivan, Sharon Struckman, Toby Archer, Russell Grant, Matthew Pinto – Chilcott, Marilyn Comparetto See you in October!

Editor & Sales: Terry Sullivan Tel: 07756 274444 Email: thesticks9@gmail.com www.the-sticks.co.uk Follow us on twitter @thesticks9 Listen to The Sticks Radio Show at 8pm every Monday exclusively . on SG1 Radio (Repeated on Wednesday at 6pm) www.sg1radio.co.uk

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The Entertainer – Shane Richie interview by Matt Trueman

It is the part that restarted Laurence Olivier’s career.

Corin Redgrave performed it late on in life. Michael Gambon did so on screen.

Three years ago, Kenneth Branagh took it on in the West End. Now, this autumn, it’s Shane Richie’s turn…

If the ex-EastEnders star sticks out amongst such illustrious theatrical company, each of them knighted for their contribution to the stage, there’s a decent argument to say Richie is better suited to this particular part than any of them.

Archie Rice, the snarling protagonist of John Osborne’s classic The Entertainer, is a washed-up music hall star: an old-school comedian and second-rate stand-up still stepping out, well past his prime, to deliver out-of-date gags.

Richie, more than most, knows what that’s like. He cut his teeth on the comedy circuit in the late eighties before finding fame on primetime TV. “None of those guys played the pubs and clubs,” he says, sat in a swish West End theatre bar.

“None of them knew what it’s like to stand there doing stand-up, dodging beer mats and pint glasses with people going, ‘F-off, you’re s***.’” Quick as a flash, he adds: “That was last Tuesday…” Still got it, Shane Richie.

The Entertainer is one of the great post-war plays. Written on the quick in 1957, less than a year after Look Back in Anger launched Osborne’s career at the Royal Court, it is a wildly ambitious state-of-the-nation play.

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Osborne uses a creaking, old-fashioned comedian to parallel Britain’s waning international influence. As Archie Rice steps out onstage, his act seizing up, Anthony Eden’s government is stumbling into the Suez Crisis with the Empire winding down. The comic keeps smiling, but the cracks start to show debts mount, jokes die, family feuds start to fester.

“I’ve always loved the extraordinary ambition of that vision,” beams director Sean O’Connor. “People might think Osborne only wrote kitchen sink plays, but it’s absolutely not that. It’s part music hall, part family drama and part nowhere-land.

It’s a very ambitious, powerful play, but I’ve always felt that something stops the audience getting to it.”

The Entertainer is very much of its time. Opening so soon after Suez, its premiere felt fiercely present tense but, more than 60 years on, it can seem strangely fossilised. As O’Connor acknowledges: “It’s set so specifically in 1956 that you need to know all about Suez and the music hall. It’s become a slightly holy grail set text when, in actual fact, Osborne always said he really wanted to move people.”

Determined to make it accessible again, O’Connor has transposed the play to the early Eighties – 1982, to be precise. The parallels are remarkable. “Britain is again trying to establish its status as an international power,” O’Connor points out.

Margaret Thatcher was on manoeuvres in the Falklands. Britain was changing fast – and beyond recognition. Comedy, too: old-school club comics like Bernard Manning were on the way out, shown up and supplanted by a new wave of alternative comedians.

Re-enter Archie Rice – fallen from fame and deeply bitter about it. “So bitter,” says Richie, “and he brings all that to the stage.” For an actor as clubbable as Richie, that’s not easy. “I’ve done stand-up, I’ve done game shows. The thing you do is, ‘Come on, I know you love me, course you do.’ Now I’ve got to fight against that. I’m going to play a comic who’s fallen from grace and hates – loathes – the people in front of him.”

Richie knows the sort all too well. His dad ran comedy clubs when sexist, racist jokes were “the staple diet of comics” and he supported his share of “summer season acts” starting out. The challenge, Richie reckons is finding the moment the mask drops: When do we see the real Archie, not just the act?

Richie’s intrigued to find out. “I made a decision two years ago: I wanted to play some characters that would give me my fear back. I wanted to stand in the wings and go, ‘Oh my god. I don’t know if I can pull this off.’ Fight or flight.” He’s just finished a West End run of the hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, playing an aging ex-drag queen. “I enjoyed the fear of that,” he says. “I’d missed the butterflies.”

For all it’s challenges, O’Connor believes The Entertainer lives up to its name. His staging will offer a history of post-war popular culture “from Glenn Miller to Kajagoogoo” to chart Britain’s decline after World War Two. “Osborne was a real democrat with theatre. He wanted his plays to be entertaining, so you get the 5

gags, the music and a bit of smut.” At the same time, O’Connor sees “a family drama as vicious as a Strindberg or a Eugene O’Neill” and he’s cast stage veterans Sara Crowe and Pip Donaghy, alongside Diana Vickers, as Archie’s family.

It’s a fascinating moment to take a classic state-of-the-nation play around the nation. O’Connor believes it will resonate: “You don’t have to press very far to see its relevance,” he says, either politically with Brexit or culturally in the wake of right-on comedy. Richie’s excited: “It’s like it’s no longer going to be the best kept secret. Everyone will get to see John Osborne’s masterpiece.”

Ten years ago, when director Sean O’ Connor said to Shane Richie, “What you must do before you die is play Archie Rice in The Entertainer”, Richie wasn’t so sure.

As far as he was concerned, it was a role that was indelibly associated with that theatrical giant, Sir Laurence Olivier.

A decade later Shane has taken on the challenge of what he considers the role of a lifetime; one he was born to play.

Archie Rice is a washed-up song and dance man. It is 1982 and comedy tastes have changed for ever. Gone are the sexist, racist jokes that are at the core of Archie’s act as a new breed of alternative comedians make their names in Soho’s the Comedy Store.

Archie’s soldier son is off to The Falklands and his daughter is campaigning against the very same war. Archie’s professional and personal lives are about to implode with devastating consequences.

Appearing alongside Shane as Archie’s neglected wife, Phoebe is Sara Crowe (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom) and Diana Vickers (X Factor finalist, Josh) as his idealistic daughter, Jean.

Director Sean O’Connor, who has changed the setting of Osborne’s play for the very first time from 1957 to 1982, said: “I fell in love with Diana’s feisty but vulnerable LV in The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice when I saw it in the West End and am very excited about what she’ll bring to the role of Jean in The Entertainer, a young woman whose political conscience has been awakened by the Falklands war and who struggles in her combative relationship with her feckless father, Archie.”

“And I’ve long been an admirer of Sara’s extraordinary work and am thrilled that she is taking on one of Osborne’s greatest female roles as Phoebe, the hapless, hopeless wife of the washed-up showman, Archie Rice.”

Diana Vickers first came to the public eye as a semi-finalist in The X Factor in 2008. Her previous theatre work includes I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical, Myth, Son of A Preacher Man, Big, The Rocky Horror Show, The Duck House, Hatched and Dispatched and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice in the West End. Her film credits include: Awaiting, To Dream and The Perfect Wave and television appearances include: Josh, Top Coppers and Give out Girls.

Aberdeen born and Olivier Award-winning Sara Crowe most recently appeared as Ruth in the first UK Tour of Calendar Girls, the Musical, and was seen on screen in 6

the 2019 Comic Relief reboot of Four Weddings & A Funeral – One Red Nose Day and a Wedding. This Christmas she can be seen on BBC4 in the ghost story ‘Martins Close’ written and directed by Mark Gatiss.

Shane Richie has balanced a hugely successful forty-year career between theatre, film & TV; and he has been a regular fixture on prime time television hosting such shows as Lucky Numbers (ITV), The Shane Richie Experience (ITV), Win, Lose or Draw (ITV), Don’t Forget the Lyrics! (SKY1), Reflex (BBC) and Win Your Wish List (BBC) to name but a few. Shane is well known for playing Alfie Moon in EastEnders and is currently performing in the West End in Everyone’s Talking about Jamie.

The Entertainer is a co-production between Curve, Anthology Theatre, and Simon Friend Entertainment.

Tickets are on sale now at Milton Keynes Theatre Mon 2 – Sat 7 Sep 0844 871 7652 www.ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes

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Interview with Phil Solem of The Rembrandts

The Rembrandts — the pop-rock duo of multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Phil Solem and Danny Wilde — co-wrote the effervescent theme song, “I’ll Be There for You” in the mid 90’s for the hit TV series and global phenomena “Friends”. There are probably very few people on the planet who can’t sing the chorus, a pleasant ear worm that harks back to happy times of the long running series and multiple reruns! However, for Solem and Wilde, that song is just one small chapter in a friendship and creative relationship spanning four decades, two bands, four studio albums, two greatest hits records, and a catalogue brimming with smart, wellwritten pop gems.

Terry Sullivan recently caught up with Phil ahead of the release of the new album “Via Satellite” Terry: “I’ll Be There for You” from The Rembrandts is an iconic song, do you ever get fed up with listening to it?

Phil: Well, when it turns into an ear worm it can be a bit.

Terry: You have a new album out called “Via Satellite”, it is your first studio album for 18 years Phil: This is unfortunately true.

Terry: So why now and what has happened in the 18 years?

Phil: I guess when I am turning it over and trying to figure it out it turns out partially it was just because we didn’t feel that we found the right label to present

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it and then on the other hand I don’t think the world was really ready for it, because they were too busy dancing and too busy rapping and everything else, it seems like our approach to music is back in fashion of some kind, more artist are putting out songs with melodies in them.

Terry: Lets go back a little bit, how did you and Danny get together?

Phil: Initially?

Terry: Yes, initially back in the day Phil: We met at a party of what turned out to be a mutual girlfriend, neither one of us knew the other was seeing her and I had just seen his band, The Quick or the band he was in rather and I was blown away, I just thought I have got to be working with these guys someday, its right up my alley. We ended up meeting that evening at this party and we stood in front of a record collection and we were thumbing through there, picking out who our favourite artists where, we were both on the same planet, it was a quirky thing. Then we would see each other about for the next couple of years then eventually The Quick dissolved and they asked me. The two members Danny and Ian were trying to get something else together and they asked me to join them and I was honoured to do that, we have kind of been together ever since.

Terry: Whose idea was it to call yourselves The Rembrandts?

Phil: It came from a lightbulb, this is a true story, I actually I had a band prior to the current version of The Rembrandts in Minneapolis where I was living and it was really my solo thing so I needed a name for the guys so it could be Phil Solem and something. We went though a few names and every time I came up with name for the band the other members would balk at my ideas and I remember taking off upstairs to use the loo and when I came back down I walked into this lightbulb and exactly when my head was below it that’s when The Rembrandts came into my mind like a lightning bolt and I said right up what about The Rembrandts and everyone said yeah that’s great.

Terry: And the rest is history. When you where growing up in Minneapolis who were your influences and musical heroes, who were you listening to there?

Phil: I was born in a place called Talous in the north, Talous did not really have a huge scene but I started out playing sort of country music, I was really a super Glen Campbell freak, I just wanted to be Glen Campbell, I already loved The Beatles, was an Elvis fan when I was little but I did not play instruments back then 9

and I started playing. I was about 11 years old and the Glen Campbell “Good Time” hour came on television and had the coolest artists that I could imagine, and Glen would sit in with them, I worshipped him.

Terry: The song writing process between you and Danny, how does that work, is it sometimes you write the words and he writes the music, how does the organic process work?

Phil: There are so many different approaches, usually one of us will have an idea and we will just about finish it and then we will share it, as in this is what I have got so far and the other one will either come up with some other lyrics or a musical twist or say lets do this or how about a bridge. It works in every possible way. There have been times when I have a musical thing and Danny has filed in some lyrics and vice versa so there is no rule, it comes from every angle.

Terry: We heard what most people know as your big hit “I’ll Be There for You” which everybody knows it’s the Rembrandts but how do you think your musical style has evolved since that song?

Phil: How has it evolved? Maybe it has devolved back to where it keeps evolving, I am kind of an experimental guy so I am taking some real chances and nobody will hear those song unless I put them out in some other form, I feel I have to reach far and then I just collapse back into this comfort zone. We have sort of a golden rule about what makes a Rembrandts song and I find myself trying to break that rule all the time and Danny does not, he is the Rembrandt cop.

Terry: Danny keeps you in check then. You have performed across the world and done thousands of shows, do you still get nervous before a gig or is it lets go out there and do it?

Phil: Well, because of the fact that we have not done a lot over the last few years other than the two of us and the occasional show where we maybe featured in a show where we do a couple of songs, sometimes it is a bit nerve wracking but I think we used to have this giant confidence that we could do what ever and it is going to take a few missteps before we achieve that same level but we are ready to bring it on now because now we have something that we are proud to go and show off.

Terry: Yes, a great new album, is there a song that you listen to and you think I wish I had written that song or I wish I had recorded that song?

Phil: I wish I had written “Wichita Lineman”

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Terry: That’s a great song. If you were not playing with the Rembrandts or being a musician, what do you think you would have done with your life?

Phil: Well I guess it has got to be forced to be a plumber or a ditchdigger or something, I decided that music was a better way to get chicks.

Terry: I probably would not doubt that. Away from the music business what do you do to relax when you are not performing, recording and creating music, is there something you like to do?

Phil: The idea of pure relaxation is fantastic, sometimes I can just sit there and let my mind wander but you know it always ends up going back to music because this wandering mind leads right into writing another song so it is kind of a 24/7 thing.

Terry: I guess it is time for us to say goodbye Phil: We have to say goodbye? Why is it always goodbye?

Terry: How about au revoir then?

Phil: Au revoir works, it sounds a little less permanent!

New Album now out “Via Satellite” www.therembrandts.net

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HR Column Dyslexia: It affects more than 10% of people, but relatively few workplaces have policies in place to deal with dyslexia, the BBC says. A new report from NGO Dyslexia and Literacy International suggests most countries are failing workers with the condition. Some candidates with dyslexia are hurt by recruitment processes that discourage them from applying, while others say they have experienced discrimination during interview or selection processes, according to another report.

"Dyslexia tends to be what I class as a hidden disability which goes unrecognised by companies for extremely long periods. Employers always need to ensure that they do not make assumptions about a person’s capabilities and reasons for them not performing well and fully investigate prior to making incorrect opinions. An excellent report is attached that goes into HR and the areas employers need to make reasonable adjustments in." comments Matthew - MD, Consensus HR. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

GDPR - International hotel group Marriott is facing a £99m fine.

Hackers stole the records of 339 million guests. The Information Commissioner’s Office, Britain’s data privacy authority, issued a notice of its intention to fine the group for infringements of the General Data Protection Ruling (GDPR) for the 2014 hack on the Starwood hotels group — two years before it was acquired by US-based Marriott. It comes just days after British Airways said it intended to contest a record £183m fine over a 2018 data breach.

“Wow! The GDPR is starting to bite and it is so important that companies manage their information correctly. We recently dealt with a sex / race case and an employee making a Subject Access Request and employers need to remember that ALL personal data held on an individual must be provided which includes emails and the GDPR followed or face the possible financial and reputation repercussions.” Matthew - MD - Consensus HR If you need HR advice contact: Consensus HR www.consensushr.com 01438 310062

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YOUR LOCAL SOLICITORS Domestic Abuse – Do proposed new laws go far enough to finally solve the problem?

General perception is usually that a sleepy village is much safer than a big city – but a recent report by the National Rural Crime Network suggests this is not necessarily true.

The report concluded that domestic abuse can be a much more long-lasting and serious problem within rural communities when compared to urban areas. Whilst there are instances where the victim is a man, the vast majority of victims are still women. In the countryside it seems there is often still an old-fashioned view that the man of the house is in charge and can rule his household (including his wife or partner) as he wishes.

The statistics highlighted the following specific concerns: • the abuse within a rural setting can last around 25% longer than in a town or city setting, as loyal family and friends help keep it under the radar and unreported • victims in a village community are half as likely to report their suffering • the isolation of a rural life can be used as a weapon by the perpetrator – making it easier for them to maintain control over their victim • perpetrators appear to already recognise the benefit to them of isolating their victim and often move to a more rural area to avoid detection There is no easy solution but leaving action to the discretion of the local police force is simply not working. For a victim to take matters into their own hand and seek private court orders to protect them requires them to have access to the correct information and advice, and the ability to actually attend court with the appropriate paperwork duly completed. There are free helplines and local charities who can assist, but the Government has recognised this is not enough. After carrying out extensive work the draft Domestic Abuse Bill was finally put before Parliament for the first time in July. It proposes, amongst other measures: • • • • •

a dedicated domestic abuse commissioner a duty on local councils to offer secure homes for victims of domestic violence the first statutory definition of “domestic abuse”, which would include financial control the introduction of Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to provide further options for protecting victims and restricting the actions of perpetrators prohibiting the cross-examination in court of a victim by their perpetrator (who can act in person specifically to be able to do this)

There is still a long road to getting enforceable legislation, but at least we are taking a step in the right direction.

If you need more advice claire.weeks@curwens.co.uk

on

domestic

abuse

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any

related

topics

Curwens have offices in Royston, Hoddesdon and Enfield. www.curwens.co.uk

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please

contact

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Russell Grant's Monthly Horoscopes September

ARIES (March21st-April20th) CANCER (June22nd-July23rd) An embarrassing secret will come to light on or around the 14th, due to a troubling Full Moon. A jealous colleague will shed light on a deception, putting you in an awkward position. Instead of getting defensive, admit your mistake. Ask forgiveness. Change your behaviour. People will forgive you when they realise you have genuinely turned over a new leaf. Until then, everyone will treat you with healthy scepticism. If you feel like you're in a toxic work environment, it may be time to look for another position. A romance shows sign of strain around the end of September. The New Moon on the 28th makes it difficult to balance your professional and private lives.

It may be time to create a lifestyle that leaves more time for personal relationships. Pouring all your energy into work is no longer paying off like it once did. Be willing to change your priorities.

A legal matter will be decided on or around the 14th, due to a tense Full Moon. You'll be disappointed by the results. Instead of dwelling on this setback, make an exciting plan for the future. Doing something adventurous and exciting will give you something special to look forward to. People who have been trying to create problems for you will be crushed by your upbeat outlook. Instead of falling victim to their schemes, you'll let them roll of your back. The New Moon on the 28th could cause concern on the family front.

Relatives may not approve of choice of romantic partner.

It's important to defend your amour, even at the risk of being shunned by a judgmental elder. Cultivating the personal life you've always desired will be empowering.

You're tired of being pushed around by condescending people; use the final days of September to assert your independence.

TAURUS (April21st-May21st) LEO (July24th-August23rd) It will be difficult to reconcile your friends with a romantic partner on the 14th. That's when a tense Full Moon will create a stir in your social circle.

Lately, the people you've known for years have been upset by your absence at various parties and gatherings.

They think a love affair has been commanding all your attention, and perhaps they are right. You are facing the prospect of losing your friends or ending your romance. If your amour is pressuring you to turn into someone you are not, think carefully about staying in this relationship.

You may be better off returning to the fold. On the 28th, the New Moon attracts a job offer that is not worth your time. You have too many family responsibilities to accept a position involving constant travel. Hold out for a better opportunity, even if it means taking temporary stints in the meantime.

Arguments over an insurance refund, legal settlement or inheritance could erupt on the 14th, due to a contentious Full Moon. It will be necessary to hire a lawyer to represent your interests. Don't respond to taunting messages from the other side. Keep a record of all the messages you receive. By refusing to get drawn into this drama, you will prevail financially. Be prepared for certain relationships to fall apart at the seams. You're about to learn how money can cause people to behave in hurtful ways. The New Moon on the 28th invites you to acquire a valuable skill. Improving your technical knowledge and know-how with a demanding teacher will not be easy. It will be impossible to rest on your laurels with this instructor. Resist the urge to throw in the towel. By studying hard and doing the work that is demanded of you, you will emerge victorious.

GEMINI (May22nd-June21st) Your relatives will be jealous of your career success in mid-September. The Full Moon on the 14th finds you being celebrated by your work peers.

Although you're thrilled to be recognised in such a public manner, your family is less excited. They're resentful of how much time you spend on your job. Unless you shift focus, you'll drive a permanent wedge between you and your kin. There's nothing wrong with being ambitious, but you should try to be more attentive to those you love. A creative project will be more trouble than it is worth on the 28th, due to a tense New Moon. Someone who promises you royalty payments will go back on their word. Don't give your work away for free. If you don't get paid a good salary upon signing this deal, walk away. You have better things to do with your time and ability.

VIRGO (August24th-September23rd) A close relationship will show signs of strain in mid-September. The Full Moon on the 14th will fill you with a sense of urgency. Try as you might, you won't be able to force people down a path they do not want to travel. Instead of putting more pressure on them, make a strategic retreat. After coming together and discussing your hopes, dreams and fears, a temporary separation may be in order. Sometimes the best way to repair a troubled romance is to get some distance from it. The New Moon on the 28th will attract a moneymaking opportunity. Before accepting a job offer, realise that all that glisters is not gold. What sounds like a lucrative opportunity will be more trouble than it is worth. Ask for the terms to be put in writing before signing on the dotted line. Watch your back and protect your interests.

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LIBRA (September24th-October23rd)

distance between you and a manipulative relative will be necessary. You're tired of being tricked into making loans, writing references and going to bat for someone who doesn't deserve it. The sooner you tune out this pest, the happier you'll be. You'll have much more time for the relationships and activities you enjoy. An interesting career opportunity will be made on or around the 28th, courtesy of the New Moon. Don't be quick to accept a job offer that involves tremendous responsibility for very little compensation. Although you've always wanted to work for a prestigious company, it shouldn't involve working for a pittance. Be ready to walk away from negotiations if you aren't treated with the respect you deserve. Something better will arrive when you want it most.

If you keep pushing yourself too hard, you'll suffer health problems in midSeptember. The Full Moon on the 14th invites you to take an extended break. Going on vacation will make you nervous at first. You'll worry about job security after sleeping late and enjoying room service. Instead of giving in to your greatest fears, envision the outcome you want.

When you practice the art of positive thinking, you'll attract the opportunities you desire. Resist the temptation to alter your appearance on the 28th. That's when the New Moon will cloud your thinking. What seems like a great idea at the end of the September will be serious cause for regret. This is not a good time to change your hairstyle, revamp your wardrobe or even opt for a whole new career. Temporary changes will give you a chance to experiment with various images and ideas until you hit upon the right combination.

SCORPIO November22nd)

AQUARIUS (January21st-February19th) The Full Moon on the 14th puts stress on your bank account. Fees may be deducted from your paycheque, leaving you with very little to show for your hard work. No matter how much you complain, you will not be able to recover the money you rightfully deserve.

Treat this setback as a learning opportunity. Before signing a contract, show the document to a legal professional. They'll help protect your interests. On the 28th, the anxious New Moon will make you feel like fish out of water. It will be necessary to take a crash course in a specialised subject. At times, you'll wonder if you can do a good job with so little training. Be patient and keep asking questions. A demanding teacher may seem like a terrible person at first. As your relationship evolves, you'll realise your instructor has your best interests at heart. Work hard to satisfy this taskmaster; the results will ultimately benefit you.

(October24th-

Friends will conspire against you on the 14th, when the Full Moon invites you to enjoy private pleasures. It's time to set healthier boundaries between you and your loved ones. Coming to other people's rescue is becoming exhausting. You need to devote more energy to the activities you love. Shopping at antique markets, communing with nature and nightclubbing could be calling your name. Don't be defensive about how you kick back and relax. People who truly accept you will not judge your choices. The New Moon on the 28th warns against repeating secrets. You'll make a powerful enemy after revealing privileged information. If someone is probing you for answers, block their calls and ignore their emails. You're under no obligation to shed light on this situation. The truth will be revealed in the right time. Maintain your vow of silence; you'll be rewarded for your discretion.

SAGITTARIUS December21st)

PISCES (February20th-March20th) You're tired of being pushed around by a romantic or business partner. The Full Moon on the 14th demands you confront this bully. You've always been accommodating in relationships.

There should be a limit to your generosity. The next time you are commanded to do something unpleasant, put your foot down. If this alliance falls apart at the seams, so be it. You'll be free to pursue more rewarding relationships. There's a strong possibility that you'll enjoy your independence so much that you'll wait a long time before getting involved with someone else again. The New Moon on the 28th puts a crimp in your finances.

Instead of splashing out on luxuries, use your hardearned cash to pay off debts. It will take time to fulfil all your obligations, but when you do, your confidence will soar. It will be much easier to accept challenges after you achieve economic freedom.

(November23rd-

On the 14th, the Full Moon will shift your focus to family matters. It will be necessary to take time off work to cope with a real estate deal or domestic dispute. If your employer pressures you to put in long hours, you may decide to find another job. Don't leave your position until you secure another one. It's much easier to find work when you're already employed.

Starting a home-based business is a distinct possibility.

Working from home will allow you to be more present for a loved one who needs help. As September draws to a close, you'll be meeting lots of people. The New Moon on the 28th could find you rubbing elbows with prominent executives at a party. Be wary about striking deals at such gatherings. If someone wants to hire you, they should schedule a formal interview in a professional setting.

CAPRICORN January20th)

www.russellgrant.com Call Russell Grant's Psychics & Mediums now on 0906 539 1526 (ÂŁ1.50p per min + phone access charge, 18+) or pay by Credit/Debit card on 0207 111 6162 Calls to 0906 cost ÂŁ1.50p per minute plus your phone providers access charge;18+ only. All calls are recorded for your protection & safety. This Entertainment service is regulated by PhonePayPlus and is provided by Russell Grant Astrology Ltd. Customer Services 0808 206 4514

(December22nd-

Surprising news will arrive in midSeptember. The Full Moon on the 14th will shed light on a deception.

Your outlook will change considerably after you learn the truth. Putting some

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Glamping It’s been a fantastic summer for a staycation but when you want to ‘retreat’ yet stay in your own county I think of nothing better than to go glamping … in Hertfordshire!

Yes, it’s now possible and not only that there is open air yoga on offer too. Home Farm Glamping is London’s nearest glamping site, located in farmland in Elstree. There are bell tents and yurts and forget cooking your beans around the campfire, they offer gourmet supper clubs too.

This luxury glamping site offers mid-week and weekend relaxation breaks for city workers, friends, and families, as well as hosting corporate retreats, and hen weekends. Home Farm works its magic for those who want to enjoy the great outdoors and essential downtime. I wish my kids were still young because it’s brilliant to switch off the phones for a while, Home Farm is a place that enables people to ‘disconnect in order to reconnect’ Forget exhausting trips to the airport, get out into nature without the carbon footprint! www.homefarmglamping.com We announce the winners of the Janey Loves Platinum Awards in September. We have some great judges including Zoe Ball and Jo Wood and we aim to recognise the best in natural organic and eco products and services. To celebrate there will be a non-toxic beauty and wellbeing pop up shop at Hello Love studio and café from 9 – 15th September, if you can get to Holborn, London please pop in – there will definitely be some Herts based brands on offer.

www.hellolove.org

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Art Column During August ART @ MG – Mardleybury Gallery were delighted to announce the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prize winners of our yearly art competition “The Stone Prize Award” as follows: 1st Prize Stephanie Else: https://www.mardleyburygallery.co.uk/stephanie-else 2nd Prize Julia Ramsay: https://www.mardleyburygallery.co.uk/julia-ramsay 3rd Prize Charlie Stafford: https://www.mardleyburygallery.co.uk/charlie-stafford 1st and 2nd Prize Winners, will be exhibiting their work in the gallery from September 2019 with Stephanie Else bringing her fused glass wall hangings and Julia Ramsay her impressionistic landscapes.

Along with these latest amazing additions to the gallery, new artworks by our current exhibitors light up the gallery with their variety of colours and styles.

During September Shuli Han Dulley, a Chinese artist currently exhibiting in the gallery, is offering two different types of watercolour workshops. Please see further details here: https://www.mardleyburygallery.co.uk/workshopschedule So if you are looking for an afternoon out where you can meet your friends, absorb some art and eat cake, we can tick all of those boxes due to the fabulous vintage tearoom right next door to the gallery where you can enjoy the mouth-watering cakes made by Sarah the owner - booking a table in the tearooms is recommended to save disappointment.

To find our location, opening times and more please visit: www.mardleyburygallery.co.uk We will look forward to meeting you!

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How to Create the Ultimate Grazing Board Whether it be a mid-week treat or dining al fresco at the weekend with friends, a cheese grazing board is the way to go. This is where we come in to help you create the ultimate cheese grazing board.

Step 1: Pick the perfect board All your grazing goodness needs somewhere to go (for however long it lasts!). You can either go for a traditional wooden board or opt for a heavier slate style. The bigger the better so you can fit more yumminess on.

Step 2: Find the perfect wine One of our top picks is a Sol y Sombra which is the ideal fruity, summery white. If you're a fan of Rose, our Rosapasso is the perfect choice.

Step 3: Cheese Choosing a soft cheese is the best place to start. We recommend a fresh goat cheese like Rosary Log, which has a lovely soft and crumbly texture. A tangy Baron Bigod is another great choice. Leave this out to warm and the result is a gorgeous, gooey Brie style. Harder cheeses are next on the list. A sweet and nutty cheddar style, like an Old Winchester is the best addition. With crumbly texture and tangy flavour, what’s not to love! An alternative cheddar style is another great addition.

Something like a Ogleshield, which has a bouncy and melt in the mouth texture, as well as a beautiful lingering aftertaste. Finally, blue cheese will finish off the board in the best way. A delicious creamy Beauvale Blue works well with all the other cheeses but is just as good on its own.

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Step 4: Accompaniments As well as wine, your grazing board wouldn’t be complete without a selection of chutneys and biscuits. A fruity compote works best with the soft cheeses. Our Tart Cherry and Almond compote has the perfect texture and sweetness to work with the creamy Rosary Log and Baron Bigod. A crunchy crispbread or sweet wheat finger will finish off this combination nicely and give that added texture. A more savoury pickled chutney would work well with the cheddar styles. Think Red Onion Marmalade or Beer Fruit Chutney. A water biscuit is the best base to this combination. Finally, the blue cheeses only need a biscuit to stand out. A sweet orange flavoured torta creates an amazing combination, especially when paired with the Beauvale. Doesn’t that all sound yum!

Step 5: Extras Finally adding some extras will take your grazing board to the next level. Think fresh bread, crunchy cheese straws, olives and meats. These additions add more texture, colours and tastes to the ultimate summer grazing board. Keep it light and mix it up and include elements like warm French stick, Parma ham, green olives and cheddar gorge cheese straws.

Put all these elements together and you have got your ultimate grazing board.

Enjoy!

The Cheese Plate Team www.thecheeseplate.co.uk

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Corn Sweet corn is now ready for us! Track down some brilliant British grown corn from your local farm shop using our local food map, because it can be found everywhere this time of year. One thing about corn is that it doesn’t just have to be served on a cob with butter and pepper. It’s a hugely versatile and delicious food that you can have with almost anything! They’re delicious barbecued with paprika, or you can dry it and turn it into some of your very own posh popcorn on the cob.

Not only delicious, it’s also great for you and these 11 facts will probably leave you surprised.

1. Corn is a cereal crop that is part of the grass family.

2. An ear or cob of corn is actually a part of the flower and an individual kernel is a seed.

3. On average an ear of corn has 800 kernels in 16 rows.

4. Corn will always have an even number of rows on each cob.

5. A bushel is a unit of measure for volumes of dry commodities such as shelled corn kernels. 1 Bushel of corn is equal to 8 gallons.

6. With the exception of Antarctica, corn is produced on every continent in the world.

7. There are over 3,500 tracked different uses for corn products.

8. As well as being eaten by the cob, corn is also processed and used as a major component in many food items like cereals, peanut butter, potato chips, soups, marshmallows, ice cream, baby food, cooking oil, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, and chewing gum.

9. Juices and soft drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain corn sweeteners. A bushel of corn can sweeten 400 cans of soft drink.

10. Corn and its by products are also found in many non-food items such as fireworks, rust preventatives, glue, paint, dyes, laundry detergent, soap, aspirin, antibiotics, paint, shoe polish, ink, cosmetics, the manufacturing of photographic film, and in the production of plastics.

11. Thousands of acres of corn are grown in this country to feed bio-digesters that produce electricity.

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When you’re out shopping for your sweetcorn please remember that it’s hugely important to get really fresh corn on the cob with leaves, rather than de-skinned, 4 day old, plastic packed, supermarket offerings – better for the taste buds and it leaves that single-use plastic as a thing of the past.

According to our friends at ‘Organic Facts’, corn’s health benefits include reducing the risk of digestive issues such as constipation. It provides necessary minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper, and helps alleviate anaemia with its B12 and folic acid content. It also helps with the beauty aspect, not that any of our readers need any help of course. But corn is found in many cosmetic products and can aid in alleviating rashes or irritations of the skin.

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Apples and Pears!

It’s that time of year where we start thinking about this year’s harvest. While it’s a great excuse to teach the little ones about it when they go back to school in September, it also means a bonanza in our local food shops. While there are hundreds of varieties of apples and pears grown worldwide, our plastic riddled supermarkets only stock 12 varieties. There’s even been some recent news that shows that some apples may be a year old by the time we eat them!

Each variety has its purpose; from eating straight from the tree, like a delicious russet with its strange rough skin to a tart Bramley perfect for chutney or apple crumble. Some varieties even improve if stored naturally for 3 months.

Needless to say, it wouldn’t be a food week at Big Barn without a good list of facts, so here goes: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Apples are a member of the rose family.

Apples contain no fat, sodium or cholesterol and are a good source of fibre.

Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.

Apples originated on the border of Kazakhstan and China.

Before tobacco was introduced in Europe, pear leaves were smoked.

There are over 3000 varieties of pears grown around the world.

There is mention in the Domesday Book of old pear trees as boundary markers.

Pears were used as a natural remedy against nausea in ancient Greece.

Pear wood is used to make furniture, musical instruments, and wood carvings. It is also used to make wooden kitchen utensils because it doesn’t impart any colour or odour to the food and because it is tough enough to withstand repeated trips through the dishwasher without splintering or warping.

Architect’s rulers are made from pear wood because it doesn’t warp.

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Decanting Wine Is it really worth decanting wine?

For me it’s a big yes, well for reds anyway - it will only open out the wine, making it smoother and expressive. So, what is decanting and how long should I leave it until I drink the wine? Decanting is when you pour a bottle of wine into another vessel, ideally a decanter but a blender, pitcher, or an old glass vase will do. Yes, I said blender - this works, but not if the wine has sediment as we would want to remove this from the decanter. With young full wines you’re going to need to leave the wine sometime in the decanter as these wines are tight and powerful - about 2-3 hours will give them enough time to balance out. With older wines 15-20 years old, the wine has become delicate in the bottle, stripped back of all the tannic attack and dark berry expression due to the aging processes so will need far less time to open out about 1-1.5 hrs should do the trick if it’s a lighter grape like pinot noir; with a very old wine 20+ years, 30 minutes will be all that is needed.

So how do you decant? First you will need to leave the bottle lying down (some say standing up) for a long time so all the sediment and a cloud type substance is all in the same place. I use a candle underneath the bottle a foot away so I can see into the bottle better, but you could use an iPad or torch on your phone. You would open the bottle being careful not to move the bottle much and once opened pour slowly into the vessel keeping an eye on the sediment and that cloudy structure as soon as that gets close to the neck of the bottle stop pouring. You will have to taste the wine to make sure it’s not faulty then leave on the side for the desired amount of time. For me I find the best decanters are the ones with the largest base, and if there is a stopper on the decanter keep this off the vessel, you may put this on once the wine is ready to drink. Double decanting is when you wash out the wine bottle of sediment and pour the once ready to drink decanted wine back into the bottle so you can re cork the wine if not finished.

Decant for 2 hours CHATEAU DU COUVENT POMEROL 2015 £25.50 Intense, greedy, slightly spicy. The structure is generous on red fruit and a mastered tannic structure that leaves a beautiful aroma of fruit and spices. The finish is fresh and supple with delicate tannins that leaves a very nice final impression.

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Decant for 1-1.5 hrs VILLA CASETTA BARBARESCO 2005 £23.50 Extremely refined red. Sleek and very well-crafted.

Fascinating aromas of walnut plums and crushed berries. Full-bodied with velvety tannins and a long caressing finish. This is built for ageing and is wonderfully harmonious. A glorious wine.

CAVAVIN The Wine Shop 22 Maidenhead Street, Hertford, SG14 1DR Tel: 01992 558 311 Email: sales@cavavin.co.uk

www.cavavin.co.uk

www.the-sticks.co.uk The No1 what’s on and lifestyle magazine in Herts, Beds and Bucks Over 16,000 readers every month read about what’s on, where to go and what to do Subscribe free at www.the-sticks.co.uk Promote your event, show, restaurant or business in our digital magazine or on our website Call 07756 274444

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Herts Listings

from baggy to grunge to britpop and back.

Hitchin Town Hall, Brand Street, Hitchin

Lego Club - Sat 7, Sat 14, Sat 21, Sat 28 Sep Join us at Oxhey Library and let your imagination run wild! Use our Lego to build what you never though could be possible. Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane? No, its your own creation! Come and show us your wildest builds come true!! Oxhey Library, Bridlington Road, South Oxhey

Hitchin FoodFest - Sat 7 and Sun 8 Sep The Hitchin FoodFest is one of the most popular in the foodie calendar. As well as our local eateries promoting their gastronomic delights, there will be the best in street food, local producers and the ever-popular Taster Tent. Market Place and High Street The Beach Boys® Tribute Show - Sat 7 Sep Spread the word - they’re back in town!

Beach Boyz Tribute Band is back in town with its brand new 2019 show The Beach Boys® Tribute Show! See the boys up close as featured on BBC TV, BBC Radio Wales and BBC and independent local radio stations across the UK! Radlett Centre, Radlett

Rye Meadlings: Parent and Toddler Group Mon 2, Mon 16 Sep Rye Meadlings is a group for parents and toddlers held on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month. Being in nature is proven to lower stress in adults and children, so what better way to relax with your little one than at our beautiful nature reserve, where you will meet other parents. RSPB Rye Meads, Rye Road, Hoddesdon

Radlett Art Society Exhibition - Sat 7 to Tue 10 Sep Radlett Art Society presents their Summer Exhibition in an exciting new Venue this year. Preview with drinks and nibbles, Noon till 1 pm. Free to Exhibitors, £5 to guests. A wide range of local artists work in all media for sale. Battlers Green Barn, Common Lane, Radlett

Perennials and Scented Flowers - Wed 4 Sep An illustrated talk given by Tom Cole who is Head of Faculty for Land & Environment at Writtle College, and Tom also co-presents a Gardening Phone-in on BBC Radio Essex. 8pm at Small Hall, Elm Court Youth and Community Centre, Mutton Lane, Potters Bar

Evening Songs: Choral Music for the End of the Day - Sat 7 Sep Charpentier’s ‘Messe de Minuit’ and pieces by Handel, Rheinberger, Palestrina, Wesley and others. Berkhamsted Choral Society and Chorleywood Choral Society, conducted by Iestyn Evans. St Peter’s Church, Church Lane, Berkhamsted

National Trust Watford and District Association - Thu 5 Sep Speaker: Sarah Keeling. Subject: Transforming St Albans Town Hall. St Albans Town Hall has undergone five years of restoration and on the 8th June 2018 became the St Albans Museum and Gallery. Sarah will tell how it was done. Stanborough Centre, 609 St Albans Road, Garston, Watford

Give Bees a Chance Family Fun Day - Sat 7 Sep Hemel Food Garden will be buzzing with life on Saturday 7th September. Join Sunnyside Rural Trust, the Mayor of Dacorum & friends from the bee-loving community to celebrate bees at our ‘Give Bees a Chance Family Fun Day’. Sunnyside Rural Trust, Hemel Food Garden, Two Waters Road, Hemel Hempstead

Robbie Williams Tribute Night - Fri 6 Sep In association with Hot Pepper Entertainments, Aubrey Park Hotel are proud to present ‘Robbie Williams a Tribute Night’. Robbie gives a performance unique to him and unlike anything any other tribute has done before. If you are a fan of Robbie we guarantee that you’ll soon be a fan of this Tribute Act too.

Aubrey Park Hotel, Hemel Hempstead Road, Redbourn

Lyric City Music Event - Sat 7 Sep Soul Boys & Girls, an Old School Hip Hop Crew, Breakers Lockers & Poppers, Socially Concious Neo Soul lovers, Honeyed 90’s RnB Fans, the Collaboratives of New Jack Swing, Soulful and Classic House Heads, UK Garage Influencers, Funk & Boogie dancers and the Freshest Independent Souls. Knebworth Barns & Garden

Common People 90s Indie Night - Sat 7 Sep Following the success of Common People in St. Albans and Hertford, we’re bringing the night to the Hitchin Town Hall on Saturday 7th September. The night is going to be jam packed with tracks that rammed Indie nights across the 90s, covering the genre’s history

St Albans Country Market - Sun 8 Sep Local food cooperative. Selling cakes, biscuits, scones, savouries, jams & preserves as well as

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handmade or homegrown items. All produce is homemade fresh, and all cooks hold level 2 hygiene and food safety certificates. All cooks’ kitchens are registered with St Albans City Council. St Albans, St Peters Street, near Marks & Spencer

The EJD Studio, Gravelly Barn, Gravelly Lane, Braughing Lunchtime Talks with Tricia Thompson Thu 12 Sep Bring Me Sunshine: The Lives and Work of Morecambe And Wise. The key to great comic delivery is timing, and Morecambe and Wise were absolute masters of their craft. They have been described as the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced.

Benslow Music Trust, Benslow Lane, Hitchin

Singers at the Barn - Sun 8 Sep After a summer break, Singers at the Barn will be back on Sunday 8th September at the Barn Theatre, Handside Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL8 6ST. We will have up to 17 singing acts, a brilliant pianist and huge amount of songs to entertain you. Give us a try. Door and Bar opens at 7. Barn Theatre Club Room, Handside Lane, Welwyn Garden City

Bat Nights - Fri 13 Sep Join us in Highfield Park where our resident bat expert will give a short introductory talk about bats followed by the opportunity to track bats in the park using bat detectors. The event will be limited to 20 places so booking is essential. Meet at Highfield Park Visitor Centre, Hill End Lane, St Albans

Keep fit, have fun, Dance Scottish! - Tue 10 Sep Looking for something new and exciting to try after the summer? Then Dance Scottish is for you. Dancers from all over the world are now actively involved in this great activity. Evidence from leading universities has shown that Scottish country dancing is a great way to keep fit both physically and mentally. Hollybush School, Fordwich Rise, Hertford

Talk by first female bomb disposal expert Lucy Lewis - Fri 13 Sep ‘The First Female Bomb Disposal Expert’ - a talk by Lucy Lewis at 7pm. £10pp, £5 for children under 10, Ploughmans, bar and raffle ring. Hazel 01763 848349 to reserve your ticket. Reed Village Hall, Blacksmith’s Lane, Reed, nr Royston

Ashridge Estate - Gentle Stroll - Golden Valley - Tue 10 Sep Join our knowledgeable volunteers for a gentle stroll through ‘Capability’ Brown’s Golden Valley.

Ashridge’s Golden Valley is among ‘Capability’ Brown’s greatest landscapes.

Lined with stunning trees, it sweeps alongside Ashridge House in a graceful curve.

Ashridge Estate, Moneybury Hill, Berkhamsted

Watford Memory Walk - Sat 14 Sep Join us for Memory Walk 2019! Every 3 minutes someone in the UK develops dementia. But you can change this. Walk for a world without dementia at Memory Walk this autumn. A sponsored walk for all ages and abilities to unite together and raise money to defeat dementia. Cassiobury Park, Off Cassiobury Park Avenue, Watford

Ashridge Golf Day - Wed 11 Sep Join us for a fantastic 18 holes on this prestigious course followed by a delicious three-course meal and live auction. Ashridge Golf Club

Magic Voices Choir - Sat 14 Sep We are delighted to invite you to a musical charity concert by the Magic Voices Choir in support of the A-T Society. Magic Voices is a Harpenden based choir run by West End Musical Director, Andy Rumble and Choir Director Chris Byrne. St Nicholas Church, Harpenden

“Birds Beyond the Boughs” - Simon Ginnaw - Wed 11 Sep Illustrated talk organised by Watford Local RSPB Group. Join Simon as he reveals the secret lives and fascinating ecology behind our familiar woodland and garden birds. Stanborough Centre, 609, St Albans Rd, Watford

Dino Day At Riverside Shopping Centre Sat 14 Sep Join us to meet the dinosaurs and have your face painted for free! The Dinosaurs will be appearing at intervals between 11am and 4pm. Riverside Shopping Centre, Riverside, Hemel Hempstead

Art at Gravelly Barn - Awesome Autumn Art - Thu 12 to Sun 15 Sep A lively collection of new, local artists, showcasing painting, printing, jewellery, textiles, ceramics and glass artwork. Raising money for Breast Cancer now, The Stroke Association and The Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. Home made Cakes, tea and coffee available every day.

Tin Church Fete - Sat 14 Sep Tin Church Fete. Refreshments and Cream tea, homemade and handmade produce, raffle, tombola, books, plants, games stalls and

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Hertford Castle Heritage Day - Sun 15 Sep The Castle lawn will host a Viking encampment, Viking battles, falconry displays, archery workshops and much more.

Hertford Castle will also be open to the public for visitors to explore the basement, dungeons, Robing Room and Downshire Suite.

The Castle, Hertford

much more. The Church of the Ascension, Church Hill, Bedmond, Abbots Langley Gin and Prosecco Festival - Sat 14 Sep St Albans based All in One Marketing is proud to be the sponsor of the upcoming Gin and Prosecco Festival. This exciting event will have plenty of gin and prosecco suppliers on hand to tell you about their drinks and give out tastings. The Alban Arena, St. Albans

Gardens For Wildlife - Wed 18 Sep An illustrated talk given by Tim Hill who is a member of Hertfordshire Wildlife Trust. 8pm at Small Hall, Elm Court Youth and Community Centre, Mutton Lane, Potters Bar

Fynnius Fogg in Concert - Sat 14 Sep Come and enjoy and dance in the aisles to the music of Fynnius Fogg. The bar will be open for a great night out. All Saints Church, Shillington

Free Estate Protection Seminar - “Live for today; Plan for tomorrow” - Thu 19 Sep Confused by inheritance tax rules? Thinking about your family’s future and the best way to protect your assets? Register for HRJ Foreman Laws Solicitors free legal seminar and get answers to your questions. Focolare Centre for Unity, 69 Parkway, Welwyn Garden City

Hertford Heritage Weekend - Sat 14 and Sun 15 Sep In conjunction with the Heritage Open Days, many historical buildings will open to the public throughout the weekend, visit www.heritageopendays.org for a full listing of open days. Visitors can also enjoy historical walks in the town centre including the free self-guided Hertford Heritage Trail.

Flare Path by Terence Rattigan - Fri 20, Sat 21, Fri 27, Sat 28 Sep CADS (Corvus Amateur Drama Society) presents, as part of the 2019 Royston Arts Festival, a classic wartime drama - Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path, first performed in 1942. It’s a story, of love and loyalty, courage and fear, and was based in part on Rattigan’s own experiences in the RAF. King James Academy (formerly Meridian School), Garden Walk, Royston

Autumn Horticultural Show - Sat 14 Sep This is a Show of flowers, fruits, vegetables, cakes and preserves grown by members of the Society. There will also be refreshments and some plants for sale. Elm Court Youth & Community Centre, Small Hall, 363 Mutton Lane, Potters Bar Ware Antique & Collectors Fair - Sun 15 Sep 30+ tables offering antiques and collectables Doors open at 10am to 4pm £1 entry (50p concessions) Free Car Parking, Food and drink available. Age Concern Hall, Priory Street, Ware

Oxfam Walk for Water 2019 - Sat 21 Sep Join Oxfam supporters for their annual Walk for Water - formerly the Herts Hike. Now celebrating its 25th year, the Walk is run entirely by volunteers and attracts some 200 people. Scout Hut, Heartwood Forest, Sandridgebury Lane, Sandridge

Heritage Open Day with Murphy Radio and TV at Mill Green Museum - Sun 15 Sep Join us for Heritage Open Day as we celebrate our 40th birthday at Mill Green Museum. See a fantastic display of vintage Murphy TVs and Radios, talk to demonstrators, and sample our Mill Green scones! Mill Green Mill & Museum, Bush Hall Lane, Mill Green, Hatfield

Cheeki Monkeys Children’s & Baby Market Sat 21 Sep Fun Day Out for whole family! Pre-loved, crafts, entertainment and business stalls - Goody bags to be handed to first 50 families, including offers & samples - Plenty of free onsite and on-street parking Fantastic ground floor venue – buggy & pushchair friendly. Westfield Academy, Tolpits Lane, Watford

The Hitchin Priory Wedding Fair - Sun 15 Sep Why not visit this tranquil, period wedding venue, steeped in history and surrounded by parkland. The Wedding Fair which features over 35 leading exhibitors for the local area is open between 11.00am and 3.30pm. There are two fashion shows at 12.30pm and 2pm. Hitchin Priory, Tilehouse Street, Hitchin

Abbots Autumn Fest - Sat 21 Sep A fun filled day for all of the community.

Celebrating local food and food producers, crafts and promoting sustainability and a healthy lifestyle. Live Music from Tom Craven, Lizzy Hardingham, Weeping Willow

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enjoy the music and have a delicious cheese platter included into the price. Bar and refreshments available. All money raised to The Samaritans and The Stevenage Haven, a charity helping homeless people in Stevenage. The EJD Studio, Gravelly Barn, Gravelly Lane, Braughing

and Cian Darra. A licensed bar and hot food, alongside tables and chairs to entice you to stay awhile. School Mead, Abbots Langley Artists and Makers Fair - Sat 21 Sep A must for all design devotees who care about how and where things are made, Sally Evans’ Artists and Makers Fair will be coming to Chorleywood for the second time.

Chorleywood War Memorial Hall, Common Road, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth

Wedding Dress Ball - Sat 28 Sep Desperate for the chance to wear your wedding dress again? Or do you cringe at the thought of that dated style? Got a favourite bridesmaid’s dress? Or just love the idea of dressing up in wedding glam? Shendish Manor, London Road, Hemel Hempstead

The Hospice of St Francis Open Afternoon Sun 22 Sep Bring your friends and family to The Hospice of St Francis Open Afternoon.

2.00 – 5.00pm. Spring Garden Lane, Off Shootersway, Berkhamsted

SHOWBUS international - Sun 29 Sep The world’s Biggest Vintage and Modern Bus & Coach Display featuring a special display for 50 years of the National Bus Company, the Hertfordshire Hub showcasing Hertfordshire’s bus operators and other displays too. Join us this to see hundreds of colourful buses on show. Hertfordshire County Showground, Dunstable Road, Redbourn, St Albans near Whipsnade Zoo. Bus services from St Albans and to the Zoo

Shillington’s Famous Flying Teddies - Sun 22 Sep Give your Teddies the thrill of their lives on the Zip wire or on a Parachute from the top of the church tower. (The rest of the family will enjoy it too!) Refreshments available in the church. All Saints Church, Shillington Strictly Come Hospice - Sun 22 Sep Strictly Come Hospice is a fundraising event for Peace Hospice Care in Watford. Over the course of seven weeks you and your partner will learn how to dance the Jive, Tango or Waltz and then compete against your fellow dancers for the coveted Strictly Come Hospice trophy.

Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford

Charity Fair - Sun 29 Sep Come along and enjoy a Charity Fair with all proceeds going to Rennie Grove Hospice Care. There will be a wide range of stalls, refreshments, tombola and lots more! Wadley Hut, 56 Watford Road, St Albans

Beds Listings Barnet Classic Car Show - Sun 22 Sep This year will see the sixth Barnet Classic Car Show and the site chosen is the top floor of the NCP car Park in The Spires Shopping Centre. We are very pleased to have been able to bring the Show to the centre of High Barnet and the top floor makes a pleasant venue with views over Barnet. Top Floor, Spires NCP Car Park, Stapylton Road, Barnet.

Interactive Science Exhibition - til Sun 8 Sep A fully interactive, innovative, fun, educational and entertaining exhibition, suitable for adults, students, children and families of any age. combines both knowledge and fun challenges with interactive machines to experience and play with science. Stockwood Discovery Centre, Stockwood Park, London Road, Luton

The Big Model Show 2019 - Sat 28 and Sun 29 Sep St Albans Model Engineering Society the BIG MODEL SHOW 2019 Free miniature train rides; Model locomotives in steam, Model boats; Free ‘Have-a-go’ radio controlled model boats; Meccano displays; RNLI and visiting club stands; Helicopter, Model Aircraft and Drone flying display, Model Railway layouts. Townsend Church of England School, High Oakes, St Albans.

Tempsford Museum and Archives - Sun 1 Sep Tempsford in Business and Industry, an exhibition showing the business and enterprise in Tempsford Village over the years. On show will be Photographs, Papers and Ephemera associated with the past and present businesses of Tempsford Village.

Stuart Memorial Hall, Church Street, Tempsford

Music at Gravelly Barn - The Andy Brush Quintet and Ashton Jones - Sat 28 Sep Soulful jazz and funky grooves, come and

Summer Sundays: Shambles Big Band - Sun 1 Sep Enjoy a musical summer afternoon out

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Show, Something for Everyone! Local Produce and Exhibits, Educational Exhibits, Classic Cars, Vintage Vehicles, Donkeys, Children’s Entertainers, Crafts, Plants, Tombola, Raffle, and much more. A Marquee with wonderful Home-Made Cakes, Teas and Coffee. The Dalton Village Hall, Kimbolton Road, Upper Dean

at Wardown House, Museum and Gallery, as the sounds of Shambles Big Band, will fill the air this Sunday afternoon. We’ll bring the music, you bring the sunshine! Great fun for all of the family. Wardown House, Museum and Gallery Vintage Airshow - Sun 1 Sep New for 2019, our vintage airshow celebrates the best in lovely old aircraft, artisan crafts, and steam punk/vintage outfits. This event features a vintage village, extraordinary air show, and a full display of all our Clayton & Shuttleworth exhibits. Shuttleworth

Craft and Print Weekend - Sat 7 and Sun 8 Sep A room full of original works of art and craft created by local artists. Including ceramics, textiles, jewellery, wall hangings and print work. Come and chat with the artists and be inspired and treat yourself, or someone else, to a unique piece of handcrafted artwork. Stotfold Mill & Nature Reserve, Mill Lane, Stotfold

Meet Rubble from PAW Patrol - Sun 1 Sep Children will be able to meet Rubble from hit preschool series Paw Patrol, as seen on Nick Jr. at intervals on Sunday 1st September.

Woburn Safari Park, Woburn Park

The Tempsford Show - Sat 7 Sep This year’s show will have a variety of stalls and show classes. Stalls will include- Tombola, Plants, Paintings, Raffle, Cakes and Biscuits, Books, Vintage Tractors, Vintage Cars, Splat the Rat and much more. Stuart Memorial Hall, Church Street, Tempsford

Tales for Tots - Tue 3 Sep Luton Culture presents the chance for some of our youngest museum visitors to enter the museum before we open to public and step into a world of fantasy and imagination. Join our friendly museum staff for a special, cosy storytelling session in the museum’s library. Wardown House Museum and Gallery, Luton

Workshop: Autumn Propagation - Sat 7 Sep This workshop on propagation includes tips and demonstrations on taking and growing cuttings, collecting seed and dividing perennial plants. Suitable for beginners, it includes how to select cutting material, mix growing media and aftercare, and is a practical hands-on workshop. The Swiss Garden, Old Warden

Utter! Lutonia - Thu 5 Sep UTTER! Spoken Word supported and co-produced by Luton Culture present Our regular spoken-word event hosted by Lee Nelson. An eclectic and ever-changing line-up of Spoken Word (and sometimes musical) talent from Luton, London and further afield. Luton Library Theatre, Luton Central Library, St George’s Square, Luton

Music in the Museum: Jazz - Jen Kearney Sun 8 Sep Luton Culture and Focus on Jazz present Every second Sunday of the month, Music in the Museum: Jazz presents the very best of jazz in a music performance taking place in the stunning Drawing Room, surrounded by the museum’s unique art collection and with spectacular views overlooking Wardown Park. Wardown House, Museum and Gallery, Luton

Trails & Tales - Walk & Campfire - Fri 6 and Sat 7 Sep As part of Bedfordshire Walking Festival we are running two Trails & Tales Walks, one that is family friendly and one for adults only. Friday 6th September from 6.45 – 8.45pm: our adults only walk will set off from The Eco Lodges at 6.45pm and head through the dusk to see what twilight creatures we can spot. Clophill Eco Lodges, Old Church Path, Clophill

Warden Abbey Vineyard Open Day and Wine Sale - Sun 8 Sep Our big day of the year, and main fund-raiser! Come and find out the story of the medieval vineyard and abbey, and how volunteers care for the vines all year round at this community project. Warden Abbey Vineyard, off Bedford Road, Old Warden

Factory Reset - Fri 6 and Sat 7 Sep The Hat Factory Arts Centre is opening soon, and we have fantastic line up of events planned for you to celebrate the opening. Take a look: Friday 6 September 2019 Factory Reset Time: 8. The Hat Factory, 65-67 Bute Street, Luton

Dunstable Heritage Textile Project - Mon 9 Sep to Thu 7 Nov Luton Culture present A showcase of textile pieces inspired by the heritage of Dunstable, completed by a group

The Dean Flower and Country Show - Sat 7 Sep Come and enjoy a Truly Traditional

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Bat Night- Sat 14 Sep Our popular night walk, led by Bob Cornes and the Bedfordshire Bat Group searching with detectors and specialist equipment for the amazing bats that live and feed on the reserve. We’ll also be listening out for tawny owls, muntjac deer and foxes along the way. Please bring a torch. The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy

of local textile artists. The Exhibition will be on display in The Drawing Room. Wardown House, Museum and Gallery, Luton Entertaining Angels - Mon 9 to Sat 14 Sep A sharp-edged comedy full of pathos and wit by Richard Everett Grace is everything you expect a vicar’s wife to be: loyal, organised, a pillar of the community and very wellbehaved, but after the death of her husband, Bardolph, things start to change. Sharnbrook Mill Theatre, Mill Road, Sharnbrook

Biggleswade Antique & Vintage Fair - Sun 15 Sep Imagine your favourite vintage shop and antiques market rolled into one. With a plethora of eye-catching gems at every turn, no matter what you’re looking for, somebody at the Antiques & Vintage Fair will be selling it. The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road, Biggleswade

Roswell + support - Fri 13 Sep For those of you lucky enough to have seen contemporary folk/americana duo Roswell performing at Forest Folk and Roots before (supporting Paul McClure in the bar) - you’ll know how well they went down. We promised we’d get ‘em back for a headline show and here they are!!

The College Arms, College Road, Cranfield

Hey Diddle Diddle - Sun 15 Sep Goblin Theatre present a hilarious adventure filled with live music and puppetry. When the full moon shines bright there’s magic in the air, and all the animals come out to play. Luton Library Theatre, Luton Central Library, St George’s Square, Luton

Old Palace Lodge Wedding Fair - Sat 14 Sep Simply a wonderful Wedding Fair. The Dunstable Wedding Fair at the Old Palace Lodge and Priory church is quite simple a Wedding Fair quite like no other and certainly one not to be missed! Church Street, Dunstable

Heritage Open Days: Up On The Roofs - Sun 15 Sep As part of the National Heritage Open Days, Luton Culture has organised a behind the scenes tour of Wardown House’s roofs.

Take a close up look at the chimneys of Wardown House and the historic graffiti on the roof, with our Heritage Collections Curator. Wardown House, Museum and Gallery, Luton

The Greensand Ridge Path Challenge - Sat 14 and Sun 15 Sep A 40-mile 2 day Challenge across the Greensand Country part of Bedfordshire. You have the option of joining the led walk or to walk, run, jog at your own pace. Day one 19 miles. day two 21 miles.

Starting at 07-45 each day from Ampthill Park.

Meet the Gardener - Thu 19 Sep Meet the Head Gardener at Stockwood Discovery Centre for a short walk around our gardens where Gary will talk about the activities in the garden for the month, this will be followed by tea in our café where there will be the opportunity to ask gardening related questions. Stockwood Discovery Centre, London Road, Luton

Roald Dahl Day - Sat 14 and Sun 15 Sep Join us at one of our Luton libraries for the party of the year with a marvellous fun-filled weekend of free crafts and activities for children to celebrate Roald Dahl’s birthday!

Come dressed as your favourite Dahl character and have your picture taken using our selfie frame. Luton Central Library, St George’s Square, Luton

Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice Starlight Hike Fri 20 Sep Join us for a fantastic night under the stars on our magical new route at Shuttleworth, remembering loved ones and fundraising for St John’s Hospice. This is a night not to be missed! Encourage your friends and family to join you! Shuttleworth, Old Warden

Riseley Village Hall - Sat 14 Sep This is a typical and traditional Village Show, attracting over 500 entries in a wide variety of categories including fruit (Fruit and Veg, Flowers and Flower arranging, Home produce, Baking, Arts and Crafts, and Photography) these categories are for adults and children.

Riseley Village Hall and Playing Field Gold Street, Riseley

The Comedy Bar - Fri 20 Sep Join resident MC Jake Pickford for an evening of stand-up comedy from the nation’s up and coming talent. The Hat Factory, 65-67 Bute Street, Luton

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Father Figurine - Fri 20 Sep Body Politic presents A depressed stoic father. An independent anxious son. Can they heal their relationship after a traumatic family ordeal?

Originally performed as part of Resolution at The Place in January 2018, this September Father Figurine celebrates the company’s first National Tour. The Hat Factory, 65-67 Bute Street, Luton

the village hall and local good causes. The theme this year is celebrating International day of Peace. The Gala starts with a float procession through Greenfield, Flitton and Wardhedges from 12:15pm. Flitton & Greenfield Village Hall and Recreation Ground Greenfield Road, Flitton Heritage Open Days: A Closer Look at Straw - Sat 21 Sep Luton Culture presents An opportunity to see our superb straw work collection. This comprises straw marquetry, plaited items like baskets and dolls. Due to the fragile nature of the material these are rarely on show. Wardown House, Museum and Gallery, Luton

Craft & Gift Fair - Fri 20 to Sun 22 Sep Harpers Craft & Gift Fair Popular annual 3day craft fair.10.00 - 3.00pm. Free Admission. Large raffle all donations to local Macmillan Cancer Support. Harpers Half Moon Lane, Pepperstock Inspector Drake and the Time Machine - Fri 20, Sat 21, Fri 27, Sat 28 Sep The professor’s dead body is found floating in the study, his daughter has vanished, and everything points to the mysterious Time Machine. Can the intrepid Inspector Drake, ably hampered by Sergeant Plod, solve the crime of the century? Tads Theatre Conger Lane, Toddington

An evening of Soul with Imaani Saleem (Incognito) - Fri 27 Sep Focus on Jazz kick off a series of “Searching for our jazzy Souls” sessions at the Bear Club Luton with an evening of soulful music featuring the incredible Vocalist Imaani Saleem and a support set from James Aaron. The Bear Club, Mill Yard, 24a Guildford Street, Luton Fun ‘Learn Golf in a Day’ Experience! - Sat 28 Sep Learn how to play golf or improve your game on this fun ’Golf in a Day’ experience! No equipment necessary and no silly dress code!! Colmworth Golf Club, New Road, Colmworth, Bedford

Flower Festival - Fri 20 - Sun 22 Sep St Mary’s Church, Eaton Bray, will be filled with the sight and perfume of a fantastic Flower Festival. St Mary’s Church, Eaton Bray Bedford Psychic Switch - Fri 20 Sep Experience 4 different Psychics, Mediums in 1 amazing psychic night. Book a ticket for yourself or come with friends, family etc for a great social psychic evening. Everyone is guaranteed a message. Bar open, over 18’s only. Bedford Centre Hotel, Bedford

P.B’s Antiques & Collectables Fair - Sat 28 Sep P.B’s Antiques & Collectables Fair in association with St Paul’s Church Bedford is a fund raising Church event. Admission for Adults is £1 Children free entry. St Pauls Church, St Pauls Square Bedford

My House at Houghton Regis Hullabaloo - Sat 21 Sep Apocalyptic Circus Presents: My House: Shows at 11am, 1pm & 3pm. Running Time: 35 Minutes. Bedford Square Shopping Centre, Tithe Farm Road, Houghton Regis

The Scarecrow’s Wedding - Sat 28 and Sun 29 Sep The team behind Stick Man present the best wedding ever, the best wedding yet… Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay are excellent scarecrows. Their wedding plans are all coming together until Harry leaves Betty’s side and the devilishly smooth Reginald Rake tries to take Harry’s place.

Luton Library Theatre, Luton Central Library, St George’s Square, Luton

UK Unsigned: Comedy: Luton Semi Finals Sat 21 Sep The Hat Factory, 65-67 Bute Street, Luton Crabby - Sat 21 Sep An award-winning multisensory musical theatre tale of grumpy feelings and what to do about them. Crabby went a-walking along the seashore. Crabby went a-walking, let’s see what Crabby saw.

Stopsley Library, Hitchin Road, Luton

Heresy - Sat 28 Sep Luton Culture presents...

Heresy Our brand-new Goth/Alternative club night with live bands performing in the Hat Factory Basement Bar. Line-up tbc Age Guidance: Strictly 18+. The Hat Factory, 6567 Bute Street, Luton

Flitton & Greenfield Gala Day 2019 - Sat 21 Sep Flitton & Greenfield Gala is an annual event to raise funds for the maintenance of

Emily Rising - Sat 28 Sep Little Angel Theatre and Goblin Theatre present A unique and

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heart-warming story brought to life with stunning puppetry that will take you soaring into the sky. “That’s beautiful. Sparks in the air. Like glitter hanging in the sky”. The Hat Factory, 65-67 Bute Street, Luton

most productive time of the year for gathering the harvest in. Booking Essential.

Phone: 0344 2491895. Not suitable for children. Dogs on leads welcome. Hughenden, High Wycombe

Music in the Museum: Classical - Sun 29 Sep Sinfonia Verdi presents A Classical music performance taking place in Wardown House, Museum and Gallery’s stunning Drawing Room - surrounded by the museum’s unique art collection and with spectacular views overlooking Wardown Park. Wardown House, Museum and Gallery, Luton

Claire Hastings and Jenn Butterworth in Concert - Wed 4 Sep In the Beechey Room (rear entrance) Glasgow based folksinger, songwriter, ukulele player and guitarist Claire Hastings has made a name for herself on the folk scene since winning BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year in 2015. York House Centre, London Road, Stony Stratford

Bucks Listings

Hughenden - Woodcarving Workshop - Thu 5 Sep Learn about the different types of trees and woods and their uses for carving with our expert volunteer wood turners.

You’ll then work from a block of lime tree wood and turn it into a comfort bird under their expert guidance. Booking Essential.

Phone: 03442491895. Not suitable for children. Hughenden, High Wycombe

Stowe - Stowe sprint autumn trailthlon Sun 1 Sep Whether you have just started triathlon or are a more seasoned competitor, this event has been designed for you. The swim will be 2 laps of the 11-acre lake equalling 750m. Waves will be organised by ability according to the swim times submitted by yourselves. Stowe, New Inn Farm, Buckingham

Waddesdon Manor - Spotlight on Clocks Thu 5 Sep Join us at the Treasury to explore two masterpieces of early European clockmaking. Metzger and Drentwett’s highly complex but beautifully executed astronomical clocks tell us about luxury, scientific knowledge and social status in the 16th and 17th centuries. Booking Essential.

Phone: 01296 820414. Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Stowe Family explorers: Autumn adventures - Sun 1 Sep to Tue 29 Oct As summer green makes way for the spectacular reds, oranges and yellows of autumn, head out into the gardens at Stowe for leaf crunching, tree climbing and conker hunting.

Stowe, New Inn Farm, Buckingham

Pace ‘Fine Wine and Cheese in the Cellars at Waddesdon Manor’- Thu 5 Sep Pace invite wine enthusiasts to a private wine tasting in the impressive cellars of Waddesdon Manor, showcasing eight wines from Rothschild estates across the world.

Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, Aylesbury

The Bull at Gerrards Cross Wedding Fair Sun 1 Sep With several large function rooms, an excellent location and a fabulous selection of Local Wedding Suppliers and Services The Bull is the perfect place to come if you’re in the midst of planning your Wedding wherever that maybe. The Bull, Oxford Road, Gerrards Cross

Missenden Abbey Outdoor Cinema - Fri 6 Sep Join us for our outdoor movie night for an evening of food, film and fun. On Friday 6th September travel back in time to an era of rock and roll where the show must definitely go on and this summer, we are very excited to showcase the world-famous masterpiece ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ on the big screen. Missenden Abbey London Road

Stowe - Toddler Tuesday: Badger and the Great Journey - Tue 3 Sep Drop in to our toddler fun activities and meet other families in the local community. Enjoy a relaxed catch up in the cafe with your friends in the local community, whilst the little ones play with our wooden toys and books. Listen to this month’s story - Badger and the Great Journey. Stowe, New Inn Farm, Buckingham

Quiz Night at the Museum - Fri 6 Sep With a new quiz master from Milton Keynes join us for a fun evening of questions and light refreshments. Teams of four but these could possibly be made up on the night.

Hughenden - Ranger Walk: Wild Food - Wed 4 Sep Our expert rangers will guide you on a two hour walk through the Hughenden countryside to discover nature’s edibles. The

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Buckingham Buckingham

Old

Gaol,

Market

tick off your list over the autumn. Booking Not Needed. This event is made for children!

Dogs on leads welcome. Boarstall Duck Decoy, Boarstall, near Bicester.

Hill,

Meet the Artist: Live Demonstration with Mouth Painter Keith Jansz - Fri 6 Sep To mark International Mouth and Foot Painting Artists Day and to raise awareness of this unique art form, Dobbies Garden Centre Milton Keynes has commissioned an event, 2.30pm with mouth painter Keith Jansz.

Dobbies Milton Keynes, Belvedere Lane, Watling Street, Milton Keynes

200ft Abseil - Sun 8 Sep This is a brand new event for Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

Could you take on a 200ft abseil down the outside of the Bucks County Council Offices?

Bucks County Council Offices, Aylesbury Memories and Miles: Milton Keynes - Sun 8 Sep Sign up for this one-mile walk to remember in celebration of loved ones with dementia and memory loss. An all-inclusive event suitable for all ages and abilities, complete with fun activities around the course, this is one you won’t want to miss!

MacIntyre Coffee Shop, Great Holm, Milton Keynes

MK Handmade & Vintage Autumn Weekend Extravaganza - Sat 7 and Sun 8 Sep The huge Middleton Hall in front of John Lewis at Centre: MK is transformed into a huge treasure trove of 130+ indoor pop-up shops, all hosting hand-picked exhibitors. Every item is a one-off and no retail items are permitted, making it the perfect addition to the fabulous high-end shopping atThe Centre:MK Central Milton Keynes

Tudor Fayre - Sun 8 Sep The Tudor Fayre is a historical feast for all your senses. The story of the Terrible Tudors will be brought to life in the Museum gardens by the talented crew of the Unbound Theatre, we are hoping that you’ll have a giggle and learn a few things along the way too. Bucks County Museum, Church Street, Aylesbury

Pretty Muddy 10k - Sat 7 Sep Race for Life’s Pretty Muddy is our brilliant 10k muddy obstacle course. Scramble over the A-frame, crawl through the mud pit, have fun with your friends and raise valuable funds for Cancer Research’s life-saving research. Willen Lake, Brickhill Street, Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes

Stowe - Bat walks - Wed 11, Sat 14 Sep Come along to Stowe for a walk with the rangers and discover the bats that call the temples and trees at Stowe their home.

Discover Daubenton bats as they skim over the lakes to catch insects and the pipistrelles flitting between the trees. This will be an evening of discovery to remember. Stowe, New Inn Farm, Buckingham

5th Birthday Celebration - Sat 7 Sep Our community centre is 5 years old, so we will be having a birthday party to remember!

Music, entertainment, a real-life dinosaur to keep the kids occupied, food & very reasonably priced drinks! An event for the whole community to come and celebrate with us. Wrights Meadow Centre, Wrights Meadow Road, High Wycombe

Waddesdon Manor - Open Air Cinema with Luna Cinema - Fri 13 to Sun 15 Sep The Luna Cinema returns to Waddesdon Manor this year with three great films on big screen set against the backdrop of the House on the North Lawns. Friday 13 September - A Star is Born. Saturday 14 September - Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. Sunday 15 September Bohemian Rhapsody. Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Happy’s Circus - Sat 7 Sep Roll up! Roll up! Happy’s Circus is coming back to Long Crendon, Long Crendon School fields, Chilton Road, Long Crendon, Aylesbury Chalfont St Giles Show 2019 - Sat 7 Sep The Chalfont St Giles Show is one of the oldest and most popular shows of its type in the county. Dating back to the 18th century the show today retains its roots. Stone and Silsden Meadow, Chalfont St Giles.

Waddesdon Manor - Behind the Scenes Tour - Fri 13 Sep Learn about life at Waddesdon, how it was used in the 19th century and how it was run. Explore rooms where the servants lived and worked and find out how we use these areas of the house today. Booking Essential. Phone: 01296 820414. Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Boarstall Duck Decoy - Family make and take: Wild art - Sat 7 Sep to Sun 3 Nov Collect natural materials and make some wild art around the woodland. You’ll be able to achieve one of the ‘50 things’ challenges to

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WW1 Living History - Sat 14 and Sun 15 Sep WW1 Living History Event Join Chiltern Open Air Museum for a special WW1 living history event. See costumed re-enactors in the encampment. Watch sword and bayonet exercises and gas drills. Learn about the women’s auxiliary army core and find out what life would have been like. Chiltern Open Air Museum, Newland Park, Gorelands Lane, Chalfont St Giles

with living history re-enactments, military and civilian displays, food, music, and dancing from the era. Hughenden, High Wycombe Waddesdon Manor - Exhibition tour: Brought to Life, Eliot Hodgkin Rediscovered - Sat 14 Sep Join Exhibition Curator Adrian Eeles for a tour of the exhibition Brought to Life: Eliot Hodgkin Rediscovered. Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Stowe - Ranger walk - Sat 14 Sep Join the rangers on a vigorous walk through the parkland as they’ll talk you through the conservation, wildlife surveying and restoration work that goes into caring for this special place. Rangers Isabel and Ian will take you on a guided walk through the parkland at Stowe, New Inn Farm, Buckingham

Heritage Open Day - Sat 14 Sep There is free entry to the museum on this day to celebrate Heritage Open Days. We will also have a Country Crafts Demonstration event taking place which includes the Chiltern Spinners, quilting, pyrography and more. Refreshments will be available to purchase on the terrace in the old exercise yard. Buckingham Old Gaol, Market Hill, Buckingham

Stony Music Hall 5 - Sat 14 Sep Fifth return of Stony’s very own paean to the days of music hall and variety theatre. Delighted to say, we have the very welcome return of the fabulous “Bubbles” and her magical accordion, leading you through those Edwardian classics and war songs. York House Centre, London Road, Stony Stratford

Waddesdon Manor Rothschildshire: Building like a Rothschild talk - Thu 19 Sep Buckinghamshire in the late 19th century was littered with Rothschild houses, building a family network of art, architecture and political influence. Explore an introduction to the art of country house building like a Rothschild. Booking Essential. Phone: 01296 820414. Assistance Dogs only are welcome.

Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Waddesdon Manor - Artisan Food Market Sat 14 Sep Start your weekend with delicious, locally grown food and produce.

Offering the very best in quality, fresh, seasonal produce all locally sourced. Our Artisan Market aims to support local, smallscale, independent food producers.

Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Waddesdon Manor - Contemporary art & architecture tour - Fri 20 Sep Join us for a tour of Flint House and Windmill Hill Archive.

This is your chance to see exquisite interiors and artworks of two pieces of contemporary architecture on the Waddesdon estate, Windmill Hill Archive and Flint House.

Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Buckinghamshire Genealogical Society - Sat 14 Sep Dunkirk:The little ships. Paul Barnett will tell the story of the many and varied vessels from sail boats, river launches and even fire boats that sailed to rescue the British army as well as many French service men from the beaches of France during 1940, to enable the fight to continue another day.

Southcourt Community Centre, Prebendal Avenue, Aylesbury.

Waddesdon Manor - Winemaker Dinner with Gusbourne Estate - Sat 21 Sep 2019 marks the release of our exclusive Waddesdon Sparkling Wine produced by Gusbourne. Join us in the Wine Cellars for a glass of this wonderful sparkling wine followed by a fivecourse dinner showcasing five wines from the Gusbourne estate in Kent. Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

Waterside Festival - Sat 14 Sep After successfully making a splash for its debut event, the much-loved Waterside Festival will be returning for 2019. Waterside Canal Basin, Aylesbury

Laughing Chili Comedy Club - Sat 21 Sep Comedy returns to Marlow, for a night of fun & laughs. Steve Best has worked all round the world, and will have you laughing in the aisles with his silly humour. An award-winning, razor-sharp stand-up with an enviable talent

Hughenden - 1940s Weekend - Sat 14 and Sun 15 Sep Return to the 1940s at Hughenden at the living history weekend capturing all the nostalgia of war-time Britain

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Milton Keynes Memory Walk - Sun 22 Sep Join us for Memory Walk 2019! Every 3 minutes someone in the UK develops dementia. But you can change this. Walk for a world without dementia at Memory Walk this autumn. A sponsored walk for all ages and abilities to unite together and raise money to defeat dementia. Willen Lake, Off V10 Brickhill Street, Milton Keynes

for improv, MC for the show, Ben Van der Velde spreads joy & nonsense. Liston Hall, Chapel Street, Marlow Waddesdon Manor - Gardening with Tropical Plants Walk - Sat 21 Sep Free guided walk for garden enthusiasts to accompany a member of Waddesdon’s gardens team on an hour and a half walk, learning about gardening with tropical plants. Ideal for adults with a keen interest in gardens.

Booking Essential. Phone: 01296 820414.

Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, near Aylesbury

The Compleat Angler, Marlow Wedding Fair - Sun 22 Sep The Macdonald Compleat Angler is a Perfect Venue for a Wedding Fair with its large function rooms and idyllic location. You’ll find a great selection of Local Wedding Suppliers & Services making it perfect whether you’re thinking of the Hotel for your wedding or looking elsewhere. The Compleat Angler, Marlow Bridge, Marlow

Chamber Music Concert - Piatti Quartet Sat 21 Sep Nathaniel Anderson-Frank, Michael Trainor - violins, Tetsuumi Nagata viola, Jessie-Ann Richardson - cello Debussy: String Quartet Turnage: Winter’s Edge (Piatti commission, premiered May 2019) Beethoven: String Quartet No.8 Op.59. Amersham Free Church, Woodside Rd, Amersham

Alan Johnson - In My Life - Sun 22 Sep Alan Johnson is one of the most popular politicians of recent times and now a best-selling author, his memoirs selling half a million copies to date. Stantonbury Theatre, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes

Come & Sing - Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony - Sat 21 Sep Join Wooburn Singers and musical director Tom Hammond-Davies to spend a whole day on this magnificent choral work. We will be joined by soloists for a runthrough performance at 5pm (family & friends welcome). These days are always popular, so sign up early to avoid disappointment. Dr Challoner’s High School for Girls, Cokes Lane, Little Chalfont, Amersham

Missenden Abbey Wedding Fair - Sun 22 Sep Are wedding bells in your future? The Missenden Abbey Wedding Fair is just what you need to begin organising, or putting together the finishing touches, on your special day. Missenden Abbey, London Road, Missenden Stowe - Heritage Open Day - Sun 22 Sep With free entry to the gardens and House today, it’s a rare chance to see inside and explore the breadth of some of Stowe’s most iconic temples. Stowe, New Inn Farm, Buckingham

Turn End Talk: Canterbury Cathedral, gardens and grounds through time - Sat 21 Sep Come and meet Philip Oostenbrink, Head Gardener at Canterbury Cathedral.

Philip will show archive material of the gardens and grounds of Canterbury Cathedral (Mother Church of the Church of England), beginning with 12th Century and Medieval plans, Victorian photographs and ending up with 20th century images. Turn End, Townside, Haddenham, Aylesbury

Dr Faustus - Tue 24 Sep Splendid Productions present a new creative adaptation of an alltime classic. The brilliant scholar Dr Faustus uses his fabulous intellect to summon the actual devil to grant his every wish! But the devil has a price: it will cost Faustus his soul.

Stantonbury Theatre, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes

Stowe - Unlocking history - Gothic Temple open day - Sat 21 and Sun 22 Sep A rare chance to see inside the Gothic Temple, usually a holiday cottage for the Landmark Trust. With scenic views from the top floor, take a look inside Gothic Temple which was modelled on medieval buildings. Booking Not Needed. Child friendly event. Assistance Dogs only are welcome. Stowe, New Inn Farm, Buckingham

The Hound Of The Baskervilles - Thu 26 Sep Follow Sherlock Holmes and his incomparable sidekick Dr. Jane Watson on their journey from the streets of London to the Devonshire Moors as they attempt to solve the mystery of… The Hound of the Baskervilles!

Stantonbury Theatre, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes

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Harvest Event - Sat 28 and Sun 29 Sep Discover the fascinating traditions of our farming history. This popular annual harvest event provides a unique opportunity to explore the sights, sounds and smells of harvest past, with the Museum’s restored 1947 threshing machine working hard to process the year’s wheat crop – as long as the rain holds off! Chiltern Open Air Museum Newland Park Gorelands Lane Chalfont St Giles

Chartridge Lodge Wedding Fair - Sat 28 Sep Did you know nestled in the Chiltern Hills is a lovely tranquil wedding venue? Brides why not visit the Chartridge Lodge Wedding Fair, bring the whole family and relax in this stunning period wedding venue nr Chesham or perhaps take a stroll around the wonderful and tranquil grounds.

Taplow House Hotel Wedding Fair - Sun 29 Sep All the needs of your special day under one roof. Cars, Cakes, Menswear, Bridalwear, Photographers, Entertainment, Jewellery, Hair & Make Up, Stationery and much much more... Venue show rounds available on request. Berry Hill, Taplow, Nr Maidenhead

Bourne End Illuminated Boat Parade - Sat 28 Sep The illuminated boat parade is a funpacked family event featuring a spectacular parade of illuminated and decorated boats cruising along the River Thames from the Spade Oak reach to The Bounty Pub in Bourne End. If you don’t have a ship to sail, then no problem. The Bounty Pub, Bourne End

I Fagiolini: Leonardo Shaping the Invisible Sun 29 Sep Art through the prism of music…

Working with Leonardo expert Professor Martin Kemp, I Fagiolini and their director Robert Hollingworth have created a programme that reflects some of Leonardo’s most famous images through carefully chosen pieces, 500 years after the ‘universal man’ died. Sir William Borlase Theatre, Sir William Borlase Grammar School, West Street, Marlow

Reptiles! - Sat 28 Sep Tony Hewitt, (previously visited with his owls) will this time be bringing his reptiles, Jeepers Creepers, a hands-on fun day is expected with snakes, etc.! Refreshments will be available on the terrace to purchase.

Buckingham Old Gaol, Market Hill, Buckingham

-----------------------------------------------------Buckingham Garden Centre’s Apple and Honey Show Weekend - Sat 28 and Sun 29 Sep Join us as we celebrate everything great and good about the Apple. We’ll have top fruit expert Gerry Edwards providing his identification skills, plus The Mid-Shire Orchard Group who will be demonstrating apple juice making and providing plenty of practical advice for all community orchard gardeners. Buckingham Garden Centre, Tingewick Road, Buckingham

Listings

Murder in Wendover - Sat 28 Sep Can you solve the crime – an evening of murder mystery performed by Quaintwood Players in aid of Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity.

On Saturday 28th September, join us at Wendover Memorial Hall for dinner and to hone your detective skills. Wendover Memorial Hall, Wharf Road, Wendover

To get your listings included in the October Issue of The Sticks Email the details, putting ‘Listings’ in the subject line, to

MKBiergarten’s Oktoberfest - Sat 28 Sep Biergarten and York House are collaborating to celebrate the most famous of all German beer festivals. York House Centre will play host to a traditional German Oktoberfest bar, Bavarian food and oompah style music. York House Centre, London Road, Stony Stratford

thesticks9@gmail.com Deadline: Friday 21st September

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