Reading Family Aid’s Toys and Teens Appeal is back to put smiles on people’s faces in time for Christmas 2024!
Reading Family Aid is a local charity supporting disadvantaged children and their families. Each Christmas, the Toys and Teens Appeal helps guarantee that children who would otherwise not receive a single present have something to open on Christmas morning.
The Reading area seems so prosperous that many people might find it hard to imagine there are desperately deprived families here, but the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit families hard in so many ways and your support makes a real difference to every family.
Last year, more than 2,500 children received a gift at Christmas, thanks to the generosity of wonderful donors and supporters, but the charity needs your help again this year and there are two ways you can do this:
1. Donate toys at one of the donation points (or they will collect) 2. Donate money to the appeal, to go towards additional toys
If you are buying a new gift please try to limit the cost to a maximum of around £30 per item. Secondhand items must really be ‘as good as new’ so they must be clean, complete, working – good enough that the receiving family can’t really tell they are not new. Sorry, no soft toys, audio cassettes, computer games, DVDs or CDs, baby equipment or clothes.
Nothing electrical or rechargeable unless it is brand new still in its sealed packaging – if it has a plug on the end and is not new, the team are not insured to donate it.
Please make sure that all the pieces of a set are bagged up together and all the pieces of a jigsaw are together in the original box.
Originating at The Watermill Theatre last year, director Paul Hart’s The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale promises to be the theatre smash of next year
The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will embark on a new journey as this timeless tale unfolds in this critically acclaimed and breathtaking theatrical production, playing Theatre Royal Plymouth from 4-11 October 2025. This is an exclusive UK presentation of this award-winning production, following its seasons in Chicago, Auckland and Australia, with tickets on sale from Tuesday 22nd October at Theatre Royal Plymouth
Originating at The Watermill Theatre in 2023, and told from the Hobbits’ perspective, director Paul Hart’s production is a unique theatrical interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy. Hart and the original creative team evolved the acclaimed production to play larger venues. The enhanced production played a highly successful season during the summer of 2024 at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and will play upcoming seasons in Auckland, New Zealand and this November, then Sydney, Australia from January 2025, with additional Asia Pacific dates to follow.
With a UK cast, the show will return to British audiences at Theatre Royal Plymouth before embarking on a European tour presented by People Entertainment Group, with details to be announced soon. The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale is performed live by a 32-strong ensemble of actors and actor-musicians.
The production features a score by international composers A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire), Finnish folk band Värttinä, and Tony Award winner Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical), with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna (Maddie, La Cava) and Matthew Warchus (Groundhog Day).
As the Hobbits celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday in the Shire, he gifts his nephew Frodo his most precious belonging – a gold ring. This fateful moment launches Frodo on a legendary and perilous quest across Middle-earth to the darkest realms of Mordor to vanquish evil with his loyal Fellowship.
As producer Kevin Wallace said, “Paul’s wonderful production, invites us all to become Hobbits in the company of Hobbits, celebrating Bilbo Baggins’ birthday as this incredible journey begins.”
The original 2023 production, which sold out its 12-week run at The Watermill Theatre, won a WhatsOnStage Award for ‘Best Regional Production’, and scooped eight Broadway World Awards, garnered 4- and 5-star reviews, with critics praising its innovative use of projections, puppetry, and live music. The production has been described as ‘exhilarating’ and ‘rewarding’ for both long-time fans of The Lord of the Rings and newcomers to the story. The following year, having evolved to include an ensemble of 30, The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale had its U.S. premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, where it was described as ‘a must see’ and ‘a visual marvel’.
The show will make its New Zealand premiere at The Civic Theatre in Auckland, running from 5 November to 1 December 2024, and will then, with an Australian cast, head to Australia for a limited season at the State Theatre in Sydney from January 7, 2025, with further dates to be announced soon.
Kevin Wallace continues, “This production began its journey at The Watermill, realised by an exceptional creative team led by Paul Hart and, in collaboration with our colleagues at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, they went on to thrill US audiences with the US Premiere at The Yard Theatre in Chicago. Together with Middle-earth Enterprises and GWB Entertainment, we are thrilled to bring it back to the UK, where it will play exclusively at Theatre Royal Plymouth before heading to Europe. It’s been an incredible experience seeing performers from each production make these roles their own, and we look forward to this new chapter, once again with a British company.”
Fredrica Drotos, Steward Brand & Licensing at Middle-earth Enterprises adds that “bringing this production to audiences across the globe has been a privilege and a delight, and now, A Musical Tale embarks on another adventure, touching home in the UK briefly before setting off again with an immensely talented cast and crew, poised to infuse each and every performance across the continent, with a palpable purity of spirit.”
James Mackenzie-Blackman, CEO of Theatre Royal Plymouth said, “We are incredibly proud to be hosting The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale as the exclusive UK venue in 2025. This production has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, and we are excited to bring it to Plymouth. It’s a truly unique theatrical experience, combining music, storytelling, and a multi-skilled ensemble of performers. We can’t wait to share this production with our audiences before it embarks on its European tour.”
Director Paul Hart says, “To tell this most epic and beloved story onstage, we had to start small and think big. Very much like a Hobbit! What began as an intimate production at The Watermill has grown into something larger than we ever imagined, traveling across continents and captivating audiences with its music and storytelling. It’s been an exhilarating journey, and I am thrilled to bring the show back to the UK before we embark on the European tour. Each night, we create this world anew, and I hope audiences leave feeling a little more like the Hobbits we all have within us—hopeful, wide-eyed, and daring to do the impossible.”
For more information on all worldwide productions, visit www.lotrmusical.com.
You’re all invited to find out more about this friendly group, between 11am & 4pm on Saturday, 2nd November
Now in its fourth exciting year, the WLHG’s annual open day offers visitors a valuable opportunity to engage with the remarkable heritage of Windsor and surrounding towns and villages.
This free event is open to everyone and will take place on Saturday 2nd November at Windsor Baptist Church, Victoria Street, SL4 1EH. Please tell family, friends, colleagues and any individuals who would enjoy learning more about the local area.
Maps, photographs, letters, videos and other artefacts provide fascinating cultural snapshots of these communities, some of which began as early as Saxon and Norman times.
++ Hot off the press ++!!
The latest edition (No. 38) of Windlesora, WLHG’s regular publication, is now available – still only £5! – and will be on sale along with past Windelsora editions, local reference books and other publications and materials. Please feel free to take along your own memorabilia too – the group would be delighted to hear your stories and learn about any research!
Oxfordshire couple Richard and Sian Liwicki, aged 65 and 62 years, have just completed a month-long cycling trip along the longest river in France to raise funds for local charity Wild Oxfordshire
In spite of awful weather they pedalled more than 1,150km along the Loire, climbed a total of 11,200m, carrying all their belongings in paniers.
The couple planned the trip and organised all the logistics themselves. Richard says: “We had cycled the Rhine before so we knew what we needed to pack, and how to organise and navigate all the stages in this long trip. We trained for weeks. What we had not planned for was the wettest September in France in 25 years. We cycled through two icy storms and faced strong headwinds in the mountains. We regularly got wet so getting dry for the next day was an added challenge. However, we knew we could not stop and the French locals were incredibly helpful and kind. Motorists are used to a vibrant cycling culture in France.”
Sian who has been a supporter of Wild Oxfordshire for many years adds: “We wanted to really spend time getting to know this beautiful part of France and travel sustainability. We used public transport to get to the start and for our return journey. We wanted to raise funds for nature in Oxfordshire because we knew it would spur us on during this challenging trip. We were even more determined when we heard that Butterfly Emergency in September.
“Cycling is our way of experiencing and celebrating nature up close. We wrote a wildlife and travel blog along the way, and it was inevitable that we would make comparisons between our county along the Thames, and the Loire countryside.
“Our friends and family have been very encouraging and we are over half way to hitting our target of £7,000. We have just got to get around to telling everyone that we made it!”
Camilla Burrow, Cheif Executive Wild Oxfordshire, says: “As a long-term supporter of Wild Oxfordshire, we’re so delighted and grateful for Sian and Richard’s fundraising efforts. The funds will contribute towards our work enabling more people to take action for nature across Oxfordshire. Our sincere thanks to all those already contributing to nature’s recovery, and we look forward to working with even more people in the future.”
Inspired by his grandma, Isaac Hay has set himself the challenge of trying his hand at 100 sports to raise money for Rennie Grove Peace
Movement coach Isaac is taking his love for exercise up a notch and has kicked off a challenge to try out 100 different sports in a year. He is using the challenge to raise money for charitable causes, including local hospice charity, Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care.
“I’m supporting Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care as one of my three chosen charities,” he says. “The organisation is close to my heart as its nurses cared for my grandma before she passed. My whole family has supported the charity since then, so I’m really please to be able to use this challenge to raise funds to support vital hospice care in the local area.”
Isaac’s challenge will run until September 2025 and will see him turn his hand to team sports like baseball, lacrosse and rugby. He will also attempt individual activities like boxing, ballet, pole vault and an ultra-marathon. While he’s tried some of the sporting activities before, many are completely new to him. To end his monumental challenge, he is taking part in an Iron Man event on 22nd September 2025.
The inspiration for the challenge came from his work as a movement coach where he noticed that a big barrier to people getting involved in new sports or physical activity is a lack of confidence or fear of the unknown. He hopes to show that trying new sports is fun and not scary.
Isaac says: “When thinking of a fundraising challenge I could have chosen one sport and trained really hard in it to do the biggest, hardest, most extreme version of it that I could. But that didn’t feel so accessible. I want people to see my challenge and think ‘I could do that’ without having a sports background or needing to train for years. I want people to see this and think ‘maybe I could give a new sport a go’. On top of the fundraising, that would be the best outcome for me!”
On Monday, 28th October, bake-off winner & restauranteur Candice Brown will join head chef Scott Smith for a special dinner that celebrates the very best of British Pub cuisine.
The Oarsman, Marlow’s beloved bistro-pub, has been cooking up something special for the next instalment of its Great British Pub Series.
Candice Brown, co-owner of The Green Man in Eversholt and Winner of The Great British Bake Off 2016, will join The Oarsman’s head chef Scott Smith for a special dinner that celebrates the very best of British pub cuisine on 28th October.
Candice will bring her unique flair and passion for traditional British food to The Oarsman for one night only. The evening’s menu (£60pp) will feature six expertly created courses that showcase the culinary talents of both Candice and Scott, and that highlight exactly why we’re a nation of pub food lovers.
The six-course feast will include:
• Beetroot and feta, Nigella seed soda bread with whipped roasted garlic butter • * Scallop, XO sauce • * Ham hock and chorizo Scotch egg, Scotch bonnet jam • Cod, Cullen Skink • Beef shin ale pie with suet pastry, cheesy leek mash • Sticky toffee pudding, skillet pan cookie
For wine enthusiasts, each course can be expertly paired with a handpicked selection of wines, curated by The Oarsman’s owner and resident oenophile, Nigel Sutcliffe.
Born in north London, Candice grew up in the pubs her parents ran, an upbringing that she immortalised in her gingerbread showstopper on GBBO. Since her triumphant win, Candice has pursued a variety of exciting ventures, and in 2018, along with her brother Ben, she embarked on an exciting new chapter, taking over The Green Mann in Eversholt. Following a full refurbishment, the pub reopened in February 2019 to widespread acclaim and continues to be a hub of culinary innovation and community spirit.
“We are delighted to welcome Candice Brown to The Oarsman for what promises to be an unforgettable evening,” said Scott Smith, Head Chef at The Oarsman. “Candice’s creativity and love for British pub classics perfectly align with our own philosophy, and I’m looking forward to getting in the kitchen with her to create something really special for our guests.”
Join The Oarsman for a night of exceptional food, great company, and the best of British pub culture! Tickets can be purchased here.
The Oarsman, 46 Spittal Street, Marlow, The Oarsman
Book your tickets to see Willie Dowling perform The Simpleton in Bracknell and Milton Keynes
Witnessing Willie Dowling perform live is far more than just watching a sequence of great songs played well.
His self-deprecating and acerbic wit that precedes each song is as funny as many of the comedy greats that he has worked with.
A musical director and session musician of high regard, Willie has toured extensively and recorded with artists as diverse as Midge Ure, Shane MacGowan, Sinead O’Connor, Dr Hook, The Wildhearts, Hot Chocolate, Andy Taylor and the Quireboys among others. Willie has fronted, written and produced albums for his previous bands, had Top 40 hit singles, appeared on Top of The Pops and TFI Friday and performed on the major festival stages in the UK and worldwide. He was the founder member of influential rockers The Grip, mid1990s ‘quick-flash and gone’ Honeycrack, followed by SugarPlumFairies, Jackdaw4 and The Dowling Poole. Willie Dowling is also a renowned composer for film and television in a wide variety of styles and genres. He wrote songs and underscore for the return of the legendary satirical puppet show Spitting Image, and over the years has worked on many other TV shows and films for such luminaries as Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Stephen Fry, Rik Mayall, Lenny Henry, Alexander Armstrong, Ben Miller, Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, and many more.
Willing Dowling has written a musical that performed in London’s West End. As a key participant in the Tony Hawks best seller One Hit Wonderland, Willie produced and recorded with such nobility as Sir Time Rice & the late Sir Norman Wisdom. The result of this strange cocktail was a chart hit in Albania!
Recently he composed acritically acclaimed album of classical music inspired by memories of his upbringing in the North East of England – Reflections on Northumbria. Living in a converted mill in rural France now, Willie and his wife live the Good Life of near agricultural self-sufficiency.
You can see Willie Dowling perform The Simpleton on tour as special guest to Cats In Space on 2nd October in Southampton, as South Hill Park Arts Centre & Wilde Theatre on 16th October and at The Stables in Milton Keynes on 11th December.
Phyllis Tuckwell needs your help at its shops to bolster its vital services for those in need
Phyllis Tuckwell’s vibrant retail team is in need of more volunteers, so if you’re looking for an interesting, fun and meaningful way to spend a few hours a week, this could be just the thing for you!
You can volunteer in any of Phyllis Tuckwell’s shops, but its College Town shop near Camberley is particularly in need of more volunteers at the moment, so if you were able to help out there, your support would be very much appreciated.
The hospice care charity has 17 shops across West Surrey and North-East Hampshire, which sell the quality second-hand items which its supporters so generously donate. The money that these shops raise helps to fund the vitally important supportive and end of life care that it provides for local patients and families who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer or motor neurone disease.
As a retail volunteer, you will serve and chat with customers, use the till, take and sort through new donations, and price stock ready to be sold. You’ll meet new people every day and be part of a friendly and welcoming team, where your skills will be valued and utilised, and you’ll really feel that you’re making a difference to the local community.
“Our volunteers are so important to us, and bring so much to our team,” said Julia Morpeth, voluntary services manager at Phyllis Tuckwell. “They offer such a wealth of knowledge and experience to our organisation, and we are pleased to provide them with ongoing support and training to enable them to learn and develop within their role.”
Every day, Phyllis Tuckwell supports over 250 patients, relatives and carers, through medical and nursing care, therapies, counselling, social work advice and practical support, but as the Government/NHS only cover 25% of its costs, it has to raise over £25,000 every single day to offer all of its services, which are given free of charge to its patients and their families. Its shops are really important in helping it raise this money, and you could be part of that fundraising!
If you’re interested in finding out more, please contact its Voluntary Services team on 012252 729400 or email [email protected].
A new state-of-the-art hospice is being built on the existing site in Farnham, which will enable care for more people who need support. During the project, specialist services will be offered from alternative locations including The In-Patient Unit which will be temporarily relocated to a care home in Camberley.
Amersham Concert Club’s highlights at Amersham Free Church include Ensemble Renard on 26th October & the Meraki Duo on 30th November, Jenny Faulkner tells us…
Ensemble Renard invite music-lovers to hear music that’s both familiar and foreign to them at their concerts, and this is no exception!
On Saturday, 26th October, they’ll bring you A Breeze Through the 20th Century, including the festive music of Valerie Coleman’s Umoja to the hazy rhapsody of Samuel Barber’s Summer Music and Amy Beach’s Pastorale. Ensemble Renard who are supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, will also perform György Ligeti’s Six Bagatelles. All the music is for wind instruments (flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, french horn) and the music, some of the finest written in the 20th century for these instruments is often ethereal and hauntingly beautiful.
Our November concert is entitled Songs of Longing: Nature, People and Place. The Meraki Duo (flute and guitar) have put together a very thoughtful programme of music that may not be familiar to many people but is filled with ‘songs’ from all corners of the world that share common human themes of nostalgia, melancholy or ephemerality in connection to nature, people and places.
Laine Vladimirov tells how her own struggles led to her vampire romantasy Sweet Water, out on 29th October.
Laine Vladimirov’s real-life origin story begins in Boston, Massachuetts. Her family moved to Bucks when she was eight and she started writing her debut Sweet Water as a short story, when she was 14 and a pupil at Dr Challoner’s High School… “It was summer, and I was just writing for fun because I’ve always been a creative, daydreamy person,” she says. “I found writing a way to delve deeper into that. I started properly writing and developing the haphazard scenes into a book when I was 16, after my GCSEs had been cancelled due to Covid. I used the book to explore, understand and cope with my own struggles. When I was 17, I struggled with severe mental illness for five months which was never diagnosed but was most likely psychosis. While I couldn’t write until after I’d recovered, I ended up incorporating my experience into the book, relating subtlety to the protagonist Chiara’s experiences while kidnapped, and the theme of reality not being what it seems.”
In Sweet Water, published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, Chiara’s already challenging life is further knocked by becoming a vampire, a creature she wasn’t aware existed. She travels to Paris and meets her soulmate. The novel impressed publishers, artfully showcasing inspiring modern female characters.
“My favourite stories have always been about vampires or witches, with a dramatic plot and romance,” adds Laine. “I’ve always loved all kinds of dystopian or fantasy books, especially if they had a romance in them. A big influence was the Matched series by Ally Condie; my male protagonist is based on Ky from this. Another series I loved was Caraval by Stefanie Garber; I learned a lot about how to pace scenes and incorporate depth through reading her books.
“I’d say writing Sweet Water has been cathartic. Surrounding Chiara with people who supported her when she needed it somehow also had a healing effect on me as the writer, which I hope will be felt by the reader as well.”
To take care of her mental health, Laine, loves bathing in local nature. “I like woods the best and went on a slow walk anytime I wanted some calm. There is also a field nearby with a single tree that overhangs the river Misbourne where I’d sit on the tree to read or write.
“Right now, I’m focused on my psychology degree and career in mental health, but I have a whole journal filled with poems,” says Laine of what’s next on her horizon. “I’ve had the privilege of travelling to several third-world countries and have seen poverty first-hand. If I had one wish it would be for a more equal distribution of resources, so there wouldn’t be such drastic extremes between rich and poor.”
Sweet Water, ISBN 978-1-80378-241-6; pre-order a copy with Waterstones & Amazon.
