A cordial invitation to Regency Week

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Immerse yourself in the world of Jane Austen with dances, walks, talks, workshops and more from June 21st to 30th.

Alton Jane Austen Regency Week has been extended to a 10th day by popular demand to allow people to collect costumes ordered for the Summer Ball for the following day or attend a workshop to produce decorative accessories to wear with them.

There will also be a Welcome Reception in the evening to collect tickets, meet the organisers and hear from our Patron and Guest of Honour, Caroline Knight, Jane Austen’s five times great niece, who grew up at Chawton House.

Most of the first weekend will follow the regular pattern; Regency Day on Saturday with the Regency Market in the Town Centre, followed by a Dance Workshop in the afternoon and Summer Ball in the evening.

The Festivities move to Chawton on Sunday morning with a visit to Jane Austen’s house, a walk round the village and a parade to Chawton House for a picnic lunch with Caroline Knight. Tea at the Allen Gallery is followed by Regency Choral Evensong with the renowned St Lawrence Church Choir.

Monday starts with a talk about Embroidered Paper and continues with an afternoon at Wyards Farm, the home of Jane’s favourite niece and regularly visited by her, before ending with a Midsummer evening at Chawton House.

Tuesday it’s on to Gilbert White’s House at Selborne for a sewing workshop and House and Garden tours. In the evening the Allen Gallery will show the 1940 film version of Pride and Prejudice starring Laurence Olivier.

Wednesday brings a bonnet workshop while the more energetic can opt for a guided walk around Alton. Take part in a parasol decorating workshop and enjoy a talk about Mr Darcy from Jessica Bull and Louise Morrish covering Jessica’s new book.

The Lunchtime Regency Organ Concert at St Lawrence Church will wake everyone up after a quiet morning in the library exploring their Jane Austen book collection, followed by a discussion of Northanger Abbey at the Friends’ Meeting House before an evening circular walk around Chawton.

Friday will be spent in Chawton with two hours at Chawton House during the day and Jane Austen’s house will be open during the evening until 8pm.

The morning is divided between Chawton and Alton on Saturday starting with a tour of Jane Austen’s house followed by guided walk of Chawton. At the same time there will be children’s Regency inspired crafts at Alton Library. The increasingly popular Country Dance will be held at the Assembly Rooms in the evening.

The 10th and last day, Sunday 30th, features a guided walk of Alton in the morning and a Book Fair at the Community Centre during the day. The week closes with the popular Regency Supper at Jane Austen’s house in the evening.

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Weird science with The Alchemist

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Studio Theatre Club presents The Alchemist by Ben Johnson at the Unicorn Theatre, June 19th-22nd

London, 1948. The war has ended and London is slowly trying to return to normal. Rationing is still in full swing and rebuilding after the Blitz has yet to start in earnest. There is a sense of hope in the city but life is hard for many.

In such situations there will always be those looking for a way to get ahead… and also those willing to exploit them.

Three enterprising women have set up a thriving business in an empty house, offering to predict the future, guarantee success in life and love, and, for the most favoured clients, create the legendary philosopher’s stone. Unfortunately for the trio, there are those who are not convinced by their schemes and are determined to see them brought to justice. Can they stay one step ahead of the law, or will it all end in disaster?

Find out when Studio Theatre Club perform Ben Johnson’s comedy this month. The friendly adult drama club based in Oxford stage a variety of plays throughout the year and there are always chances to get involved either on stage or behind the scenes.

After The Alchemist, the next production will be Terry Pratchett’s Witches Abroad in November. If you’re interested in being part of that a casting read is planned for July 11th. Drop them a line at Email Contact Form (studiotheatreclub.com) to find out more and be kept in the loop.

Tickets £12 from WeGotTickets | Simple, honest ticketing | Studio Theatre Club or The Bookstore. Cash only please.

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Wherefore art thou, Romeo?

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You’ll find him and Juliet in Guildford Castle Gardens and seven other town locations

This summer one of greatest of all love stories will explode onto the streets of Guildford.

For three weeks, June 21st to July 13th, Guildford Shakespeare Company is closing the High Street every evening to bring to life the passion and excitement of Shakespeare’s impulsive star-crossed lovers, Romeo & Juliet. In a society fuelled by greed and entitlement, can their fragile vision of a better world survive their families’ ruthless feud?

Featuring, amongst others, the iconic Guildhall balcony, historic Abbot’s Hospital and stylish Tunsgate Quarter you will follow the action as the story unfolds, ending in the stunning Castle Gardens. You will walk roughly 1,500m from Holy Trinity Church down the High Street to Tunsgate Quarter, and back again. Scenes will unfold as you move with the action. Stewards will be on hand. The second half of the performance will be static in the Castle Gardens, around the Bandstand.

GSC’s professional cast will also be joined by a community ensemble of adults and young people. The Youth Ensemble will form the street of gangs of Montagues and Capulets and come from three local schools and GSC’s own GSC Saturdays. The Adult Ensemble of community actors are the guest at Capulets’ masked ball.

Join GSC for a truly unique telling of Shakespeare’s heart breaking tale, as they continue their 18th birthday celebrations this year.

Romeo & Juliet also has two static performances on June 29th and July 13th. Book tickets at Tickets – Guildford Shakespeare Company.

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Golden year for Ewhurst Players

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Simon Fraser takes us on a 50-year journey with the Ewhurst Players from Home is the Hunted to The Nine Tailors

For those of you who subscribe to the Ewhurst Players’ newsletter, you’ll know the Ewhurst Players are 50 years old this year. For those who don’t know us, here’s our story…

Mike Fanya and Barrie Heathcote met in 1973 when they were involved in a Liberal Party fundraising concert. In conversation, they discovered a mutual interest in starting the Ewhurst Players up again. The Players up again. The Players had sadly disbanded in about 1969.

The village shop let them put a note in the newspapers inviting anyone interested to attend a meeting in the Ewhurst Cricket Pavilion on a cold, foggy November night. Seventeen people turned up, with a further 10 expressing an interest. By the end of the evening, the Ewhurst Players were resurrected, with Mike as chairman, Barrie as secretary, Jerry Day as Treasurer, and Victoria Helstrip and Tish Nelson as committee members. In the bank account was the princely sum of £40 inherited from the previous group – about £500 in today’s money!

The first production in May 1974 comprised two one-act plays, Home is the Hunted and The Happy Journey. The plays proved to be a great success and the Surrey Advertiser reported: “It was good to see such an enthusiastic group back in business.” The group then moved on, performing The Happiest Days of Your Life and, in early 1975, their first pantomime, Mother Goose.

The Players have never been a group to shy away from a challenge. Over the next 25 years, they tackled J.B. Priestley (When We Are Married), Tom Stoppard (The Real Inspector Hound), Robert Bolt (A Man for All Seasons), Alan Ayckbourn (Confusions and others), George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion) and Arthur Miller (The Crucible), plus, of course, multiple pantomimes and anthologies.

Of course, nothing stands still in this world, so it’s reassuring to note that many of the names to be found in the simple A4-folded-to-A5 programmes of those first productions can still be found in the rather more sophisticated programmes of our most recent productions, including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast which played to eight sell-out crowds in February.

As for the rest of this celebratory year, the Players held a one-night-only 50th birthday party at the Village Hall in May, and, in late October, host a world premiere as they bring Dorothy L. Sayers’ classic murder mystery The Nine Tailors to the stage. Auditions will be on 20th and 23rd June in Ewhurst Village Hall and all the details can be found at ewhurstplayers.com

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Join Woking Symphony Orchestra

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Woking Symphony Orchestra is looking for string players & there’s a new concert to enjoy

Woking Symphony Orchestra is recruiting! They want to hear from you if you play viola or cello as they have space for a few more in their ranks.

If you or someone you know is looking to join an orchestra, they’d love to hear from you whether you’re a seasoned pro or an apprehensive performer, all are welcome.

Their next event is the Summer Concert on Saturday, 22nd June at Welcome Church, Woking when the repertoire will include Strauss Horn Concerto No.2 and Mahler Symphony No.5. The concert will feature Joel Ashford on French Horn and conductor Roy Stratford and will also feature a pre-concert talk at 6.45pm before the main event at 7.30pm. Book at Woking Symphony Orchestra.

The Woking Symphony Orchestra is one of Surrey’s leading orchestras. For over a century it has offered music lovers in Woking and beyond the opportunity to enjoy live performances of great orchestral music right on the doorstep. They have more than 60 members who meet weekly to play a rewarding and varied repertoire that combines classical favourites with the works of lesser-known composers and 20th century pieces.

There are no formal auditions so just come along and try out a rehearsal, always good humoured and rewarding, on Tuesday evenings during term time at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Coldharbour Road, Pyrford, GU22 8SP. They run from 7.30-9.45pm with a break for tea or coffee.

Get in touch at wso2011@hotmail.co.uk!

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Thames Valley Police survey

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Thames Valley Police in Woodley & Twyford want your help with a survey

The Wokingham North Neighbourhood Policing Team have created surveys to obtain your thoughts and opinions of Neighbourhood Policing in your community and how we can help you.

The answers will be shared among our Neighbourhood Policing teams, so we know what the public would like/need from us. All answers given will remain confidential and no personal information, if supplied, will be shared.

Please scan for the Woodley survey.

Alternatively, you can type the below link into your internet browser to access the survey: Woodley Neighbourhood Survey (office.com)

Please scan for the Twyford survey (covering Wargrave, Hurst, Charvil, Cockpole Green, Crazies Hill, Hare Hatch & Aston, Knowl Hill, Remenham, Sonning and Twyford).

Alternatively, you can type the below link into your internet browser to access the survey: Twyford Survey (office.com)

Please contact us if you have information relating to crime, suspicious vehicles or activity in your neighbourhood. Call 101 or in an emergency 999 or report online at Thames Valley Police. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously for free 0800 555 111.

Contact your local neighbourhood policing team via: WokinghamNHPT@thamesvalley.police.uk – please note this address cannot be used to report crimes or for any urgent matters. Follow us on social media to find out what your local policing teams are up to – Facebook: TVP Bracknell & Wokingham and Twitter: TVP Wokingham.

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Jazz with the Duke

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The Cotton Club comes to church with Froxfield Choir’s latest concert

Froxfield Choir’s summer concert is set to be an exciting departure from the norm, as we foray into the world of jazz, with Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert.

Ellington called this ‘the most important thing I have ever done’. He said many times that he was not trying to compose a Mass. The critic Gary Giddins has characterised the work as Ellington bringing the Cotton Club revue to the church.

We will also be performing George Shearing’s beautiful settings of Shakespeare’s Songs and Sonnets and singing alongside the brilliant Brass Breakout Jazz Orchestra – have a look at their website here.

Hear us on Saturday, 15th June, 7.30pm at Holy Trinity, Privett. Tickets: £18 (£12 students) available from One Tree Books, Petersfield or Ticketsource.

We continue to encourage singers to join our amateur choir. We rehearse on Thursday evenings at Froxfield Village Hall between 7.45-9.30pm and newcomers are welcome to come along any week for a taster session. Please contact Lesley Howe at lkhowe58@gmail.com for more details.

A small choir of around 30-40 singers, we sing an eclectic mix of choral music from composers such as Bach, Mozart, Dowland, L’Estrange, Jenkins, Chilcott, Whitacre, Rutter and Brahms.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X @FroxfieldChoir and on our website.

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Fizz fest at The Grange, Alresford

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Hampshire’s world class still and sparkling wines will be showcased at The Grange, Alresford on Sunday, 23rd June

The Vineyards of Hampshire Fizz Fest is back for its 10th year offering visitors the chance to taste more than 20 world class Hampshire sparkling and still wines.

Wine makers and vineyard owners are on hand to showcase their wine portfolio including new vintages. Wine lovers can join a range of masterclasses, tour the vineyard and winery and enjoy Hampshire street food and live music as well as taking your favourite wines home.

This year the event will coincide for the first time with English Wine Week, (15th-23rd June, WineGB) including a range of local celebrations promoting Hampshire wines. The Grange’s winery adjoins Burges Field Vineyard, home to 52,000 vines which produce the award-winning The Grange wines.

“Fizz Fest provides the perfect opportunity to taste all of the best wines to be found in Hampshire and we are very much looking forward to hosting this showcase event and we are all proud for it to have reached its 10th year. We opened our state-of-the-art winery here in 2022, with the purpose of servicing our young vineyard and blending and producing our own wine. This year we are now able to do just that,” says Zam Baring, Managing Partner for The Grange wines.

During the day, the tasting tent will host wines and new vintages from all eight members: Black Chalk in Andover, Danebury Vineyards in Stockbridge, Exton Park, Hambledon and The Grange, Hattingley, Louis Pommery England and Raimes, all Alresford.

Book at Vineyards of Hampshire

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WMSO concert in Binfield

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Join the musicians of the Windsor & Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra in Binfield for an evening of musical masterpieces

The Windsor & Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra summer family concert features three very accessible masterpieces written for a large symphony orchestra.

Walton’s Johannesburg Festival Overture was commissioned in 1956 by the Johannesburg Festival Committee to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the city, and includes some African melodies and rhythms. Walton described it as “a non-stop gallop, slightly crazy, hilarious and vulgar”.

By contrast, Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto is anything but…! It is an ever-popular work that established Rachmaninov as one of the greatest composers for piano and orchestra. The work is full of romantic tunes and with a virtuoso piano part that balances well with the orchestral writing. No wonder the work has been used in film scores such as Brief Encounter and The Seven Year Itch as well as regularly topping the ClassicFM Hall of Fame chart.

Swan Lake is the most often performed ballet in the world and yet when it was first performed in 1877 the reception was very mixed. This Suite is a selection of the highlights of the full score and is full of wonderful melodies and brilliant orchestration, all classic Tchaikovsky trademarks.

The concert on Sunday, 16th June at Newbold College Church, Binfield will showcase the talent of WMSO Young Musicians’ competition 2022 winner Ryan Wang.

Tickets £15, £5 for student/child. Book at WMSO (thelittleboxoffice.com)
New members are always welcome, more details at Rehearsal Schedule.

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Sweet sounds of Concerts in Caversham

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Hear the rich sounds of professional musicians on your doorstep with Concerts in Caversham

Concerts in Caversham are delighted to present two summer concerts featuring the sonorous rich sound of the cello contrasting with the haunting sounds of oboe and bassoon.

Programmes range from the core Romantic repertoire for cello and piano to French and English repertoire for wind and piano.

The versatile cellist, Naomi Watts (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), will present a programme around the many aspects of love described through music including some beautiful arrangements and quirky pieces by Schumann, Brahms, Debussy and some other ‘surprises’. Accompanied by Alison Rhind on piano, enjoy The Romantic Cello on June 14th at the Baptist Church, Gosbrooke Road, Caversham.

Ewan Miller and Ben Hudson who were BBC Young Musician Finalists in 1996 and 2020, will include the two fabulous wind and piano trios by Poulenc and Madeleine Dring, along with solos by Elgar, Henri Dutilleux, Gordon Jacob and Piazolla. These two engaging artists will not disappoint! Don’t miss them accompanied by pianist Adrienne Black at St Andrew’s Church, Albert Road, Caversham on June 15th.

Attend both concerts and enjoy a saving a £6 on the price of two tickets. See concertsincaversham.co.uk for further details and to buy the ‘Two Concert Bundle’ or individual tickets per concert.

Email info@concertsincaversham.co.uk for more information.

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