Indulge in the Foodie Festival

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Enjoying food with your family, is always a great combination, add music, great attractions and a festival and that’s a whole new take on fun!

Food and family, always go together, add music, great attractions and a festival and that’s a whole new take on fun!

The Foodies Festival returns, with a whole lot of master and bake off chefs all descending on South Park, Headington over the Bank Holiday weekend, August 25-27.

Included in the star-studded line up of culinary geniuses, is MasterChef 2018 runner-up Nawamin Pinpathomrat and Kenny Tutt, the bank manager who beat him to the MasterChef 2018 title. Both will be cooking their favourite dishes in the Chefs’ Theatre.

Great British Bake Off winner Sophie Faldo, the TV contest runner up, Steven Carter Bailey and Italian chef Giancarlo Caldesi, who presented the BBC2 series, Road to Tuscany, will also cook live.

Local chefs Paul Bell, of the Cherwell Boathouse, Paul Wellburn, The Oxford Kitchen and Chris Bentham, The Black Boy gastropub, will share their signature dishes in the chefs’ theatre.

Street Food Avenue features more than 30 food stalls and a chance to sample and buy from more than 100 artisan producers taking festival-goers on a culinary trip of the globe.

This year the festival will also celebrate live music into the night on the newly-launched stage with performances from much-loved 90s headliners Toploader, power pop group Dodgy and hugely admired band The Hoosiers.

Supported by Musicians Against Homelessness, the live music stage will see talented emerging bands and solo artists perform with tickets raising money for UK-wide homelessness charity Crisis.

As well as lots to see and eat, there are a mouth-watering array of attractions including fun cream-pie throwing, chilli-eating and cheese-stretching contests.

Visitors can try their hand at chocolate-making, cake decorating and brewing health-boosting Kombucha tea.

The Drinks Theatre will welcome expert mixologists and sommeliers to the stage and give wine-buffs a chance to sample varieties from around the world. And, thirst-quenching cocktails will be available at Tequila Shack, Tikki Rum Bar and Gin Station.

Younger foodies can have fun in the Kids Cookery Theatre, craft area and play zone with bouncy castle and face painting. A ferris wheel and carousel will add to the festival atmosphere.

Naturally, you’ll want to be at this ‘gastronomical’ event and the festival organisers have partnered up with Round & About Magazine to offer visitors, two for one tickets.

Simply visit www.foodiesfestival.com and type in the code: FOODIES241 or call 0844 9951111 

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Wheelyboat fundraising appeal

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A Wheelyboat will really help The Wallingford Accessible Boat Club (WABC) members. Can you help them reach their £65,000 target?

WABC Wheelyboat

The Wallingford Accessible Boat Club (WABC) mission is to make “messing about on the river” enjoyable for everyone. It is a voluntary, community organisation where able-bodied and disabled folk are encouraged to participate independently in river-borne experiences, such as picnicking, fishing and boating on the Wallingford stretch of The Thames.

A wheelchair-accessible powerboat, the Coulam Wheelyboat V20, will make access a reality for all members of the WABC. It is a boat that has a drop-down bow facility that allows wheelchair users the ability to simply roll on to the flat bottom of the boat. ”

To get a Wheelyboat,  the WABC need £65,000.  Three major donors have come forward to give this community project a great start to its drive, but they are hoping the public can help them reach their final target.

Andrew Risk, WABC, head of marketing and communications, says: “We have been extremely fortunate in attracting three significant early donations which have given us a real head start to our fundraising appeal.  We are very grateful to the donors for their help at this time –‘early money’ makes such a difference.  Now the hard work is to keep the momentum going.  I appeal to individuals, grant-making organisations and local companies to please help us.  Any financial assistance, small or large, will be much appreciated, as it will improve the quality of life for many local, disabled people.”

Please donate via www.wabc.org.uk or email [email protected]

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Tea for Two?

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As a nation, we drink 165 million cups of tea, a day – many of this number are probably made in the Round & About office.

This week we celebrate Afternoon Tea Week. A celebration of one of the nation’s favourite traditions: tea drinking and cake scoffing. So why not go out and about and find yourself a little teahouse. It’s the best way to celebrate the summer, now the weather has cooled.

Afternoon tea is a sociable ocasion to be enjoyed with friends and family. So remember to smile and make polite conversation (between mouthfuls, of course) and savour this most quintessential of English afternoon traditions.

If you need any distraction, from all the etiquette, we are still taking answers for our guess the number of macarons competition.

Or have fun with the following quiz

[HDquiz quiz = “820”]

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Key Player

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Impressionist Alistair McGowan will show audiences a different side of himself this month. He chats to Peter Anderson ahead of his Maidenhead piano show

Impressionist Alistair McGowan will showcase his love for classical piano music, motivated by his desire to open the genre up to the masses. Audience members can look forward to beautiful music (with the occasional mistake), some interesting stories and a sprinkling of his trademark impressions…

So where does Alistair’s love of classical piano come from? “I grew up with classical music,” he says. “I can remember the Peer Gynt Suite from when I was about five. Then when I was in my teens I heard some piano music on the radio; I asked my mother what it was and she told me Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto. When I said I really liked it, she said she had a record of it and we listened to the whole concerto.

“With this concert, I hope to bring my love of classical piano music to a wider audience by playing about 18 short pieces and in between talking about the pieces and the composers who wrote them. There are many lovely composers for the piano whom not many people have heard of and I’d love to change that.

“One of the pieces I play is by John Field, one of the best Irish composers of classical music. During the show, there may be the occasional laugh, but this is me trying my best to play piano, not emulating Victor Borge or Les Dawson!”

I guess one of the scariest moments for an impressionist must be coming face-to-face with someone you impersonate? I wonder whether Alistair fancies meeting one of the classical composers… “Now there’s a question! I think some of the composers were a little terrifying. I think Tchaikovsky described Rachmaninov as 6 feet 6 inches of Russian gloom. John Field is someone I’ve studied and his music is good for beginners to learn. Then there’s Debussy and Grieg both of whom had a vast knowledge about piano playing.”

Alistair McGowan – Intoduction to Classical Piano is at Norden Farm in Maidenhead on Saturday, 11th August. For more information or to book please visit www.norden.farm/events or call 01628 788 997.

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Mud in your eye

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Reaching your full potential is the name of the game at Abingdon RFC, writes Sam Colmer, the club’s chairman of the mini and youth teams

Abingdon RFU

Abingdon Rugby Club is a community club with a current emphasis of encouraging every player to achieve full potential while enjoying both the sporting and social aspects of the game.

Founded in 1931, Abingdon RUFC boasts a playing membership of 250+ with a full range of Mini and Junior teams to compliment the three senior sides.

Abingdon RFU

Fully qualified coaching is available to those of any age or gender who wish to improve performance or who have simply never played the sport and want to give it a go!

We enjoy our own dedicated facilities of a large modern clubhouse with four pitches and a floodlit training area. For any further information or details of membership opportunities (playing or otherwise), please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The Mini/Juniors Rugby Season at Abingdon RUFC starts on the first Sunday in September, and the Senior sides kick off the second Saturday in September.

Abingdon RFC Minis welcomes players from age 5 years to 16 years. The practical lower age limit is 6 although well co-ordinated rising 5s would not be turned away.

As a club we are proud to champion Rugby’s core values of Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship which we hope inspires  lifelong bonds between the children, adults and a our sport.

Our philosophy within the Minis and juniors section is to put the children at the heart of everything we do and all the decisions that we make, that is why we have taken the Quilter Kids First Pledge for the U7-U13 age grades.

Abingdon RFU
Abingdon RFU

Within the U14 – U18 age grades  our core values are strongly upheld and the ethos is to be competitive and to enjoy winning but not at all costs, as it’s the fun of playing with your mates that we as a club support above all.

We have an amazing group of RFU qualified and very dedicated coaches who help create a safe, fun and inclusive environment for our children to learn and prosper through rugby.

Using rugby union as a vehicle for developing a young  person’s “Personal and Social” skills can have a dramatic impact an all aspects of their life.

We also have a Colts team and 2 Senior sides and it doesn’t matter how old you are if you can run around and pass a ball we will welcome you with open arms.

Senior preseason training starts are currently runing every Tuesday and Thursday. We welcome anyone over the age of 17, to senior preseason training – whether you have never touched a rugby ball in your life or are a seasoned pro, we welcome you to join in.

Abingdon RFU

We also run the RFU O2 touch rugby session on a Sunday throughout the summer and mid

O2 Touch is a fun and friendly non contact game environment for both men and women of all abilities to get involved in touch rugby.  Whether its about honing your fitness or having a great time exercising as a group, this is social fitness at its best.

For more information call 01235 553810 or visit www.abingdonrufc.co.uk

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Children’s story

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Once upon a time…. We all love a good story, and appealing to the further reaches of our imagination, we all love a good children’s story. But which is your favourite tale?

There’s the classic bestsellers: The Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie-the-Pooh, Peter Pan, The Hobbit, Willie Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Significantly, all are fantasies.

So, maybe you prefer the children’s classics that deal  much less in magic, and more in realism? Stories like Little House in the Big Woods, The Call of the Wild, Charlotte’s Web, The Yearling, Little Women, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Or perhaps, a modern caricature story, full of larger than life protagonists such as  Horrible Henry, Gangsta Granny, or Mr Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire.

Or do you enjoy reading empathetic stories to your children, such as War Horse, The Explorer or The Girl In The Letter?

There are plenty of literary events this summer and for our September Round & About magazine we have interviews with authors, David Walliams and Katherine Rundell.

Join the conversation and tell us, in the comments below, which is your favourite children’s book and why?

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Affordable housing

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There’s no denying affordable homes need to be built. But where? Here are two emotive arguments for both green belt building or brownfield sites. Which do you feel is right?

GREEN BELT: A lot of families move to the countryside for all the benefits of living in a beautiful green area. However, when it’s time for the children to leave the nest, can they really afford a property in their home town?

BROWNFIELD: Many industrial or commercial facilities that may have moved or ceased production have left huge footprints of vacant land. Should money be put into these areas to clear them, ready for affordable housing to be built?

Cast your vote…

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Here is last week’s poll results, all about this summer’s hottest subject … the weather.

 

[totalpoll id=”3295″ fragment=”results”]

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Cat Quiz

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It’s International Cat Day on Wednesday, 8th August. This date was created in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and at Round & About magazine, we’re all about celebrating our affectionate friends.

Research shows that watching funny cat videos online can boost a person’s energy and create positive emotions, and, according to experts owning a cat can also be good for your heart. Petting a cat is said to reduce stress levels too.

So, cats have more than earned their extra treats and cuddles this International Cat Day. Go on, show your appreciation to that moggy in your life, or buy that extra pack of cat food at the shops to donate to your local rescue centre as a little thanks to our four legged pals!

In our October edition, it is all about the other animals in our lives. So if you  have a pet business and wish to advertise click here.

In the meantime, test your catty-knowledge with our quiz.

[HDquiz quiz = “802”]

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Woking Wonders

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A glimpse of Woking between the wars is the focus of a current photographic exhibition by Sidney Francis at the Lightbox Gallery

Photographs around Woking: Sidney Francis in the 1920s and 1930s gives us a glimpse of life in Woking and the surrounding towns and villages nearly a century ago.

This fascinating, uplifting collection is testament to the area’s vibrant and diverse community spirit.

Visitors can gaze at locals dressing up celebrating Woking Carnival in 1927; family-owned businesses such as dairies, butchers, printers and confectioners proudly displaying their wares; crowds gathering for Remembrance Day memorials; religious holidays at the Shah Jahan Mosque (Britain’s first purpose-built mosque) and families uniting for modest yet joyful wedding parties, sports teams, Eid celebrations, parades, dancers and musicians.

Sidney Francis was born Sidney Francis Patient in Southwark. By the time of the 1911 census, he was working as a photographer’s assistant in Crawley. By 1916 he was working as a photographer in Godalming. During the First World War, he served in the Royal Air Force.

From 1923 Francis lived at 88 Maybury Road in Woking, where he also ran his photography business. Often describing himself as a “photographic chemist”, Francis’ work included wedding photography, commissions for local businesses, event photography for local newspapers the Woking News & Mail and Surrey Advertiser, and commissions for The Islamic Review.

For details, please visit www.thelightbox.org.uk

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Colourful Capers

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The colourful comic book world of 1930s America lands in Windsor as Le Navet Bete brings Dick Tracy to the stage in their own style, writes Peter Anderson

Will Dick Tracy be able to save the day, get the girl and get to the bottom of who’s causing all the mayhem? Or perhaps the truth is closer than he thinks… With its theatre work rooted in the ridiculous, Le Navet Bete’s Dick Tracy is a physical comedy influenced by the world-famous detective incorporating fooling, original live music, plenty of audience interaction, lightning quick character changes, incredibly authentic accents spattered with mystery, malice and mischief.

I asked Al Dunn, one of the Exeter team, how he got into comedy, and Le Navet Bete? “I loved the slapstick side of comedy,” he says, “and can remember when I was 12 or 13 I really enjoyed watching programmes like Bottom with Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson. Then I met up with the other guys when we were at college. We worked out a show and took it to the Edinburgh Fringe. It went down well and ten years later we are still touring, in our 30s and married, so we don’t do as many foreign trips! But I am pleased to say our Dracula script has been published in Canada, America and Greece as well as other countries.”

So, I wonder, is he looking forward to performing in Windsor, and what can the audience look forward to? “I love the Theatre at Windsor it is really old and beautiful, as to what the audiences can look forward to, well… With Dick Tracy, we aim to recreate the colourful cartoon strips of 1930s America with loads of set pieces and great music. It is so much fun to connect with the audiences; they seem to love to watch something build and build only for it to come crashing down. I guess you could say slick but slapstick.”

This team promise you a show where the villains end up in handcuffs and the audience in stitches.

Dick Tracy is at The Theatre Royal, Windsor, 13th-15th September. To book, please visit www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk.

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