Half Term Horrors

Round & About

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Berkshire

Round & About

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There are plenty of Halloween activities and ideas to entertain your little monsters this holiday

Berkshire
Oxfordshire
West Berks

Berkshire

Take a breath-taking trail through light, colour and fantasy as you discover the night-time wonder of Welford Park, selected dates Oct 18th-Nov 10th. Enjoy this beautiful, illuminated trail through the majestic woodland and around the gardens all lit under the stars.

Head to Wellington Country Park this October half term, where they’re throwing the biggest and most friendly spook’tacular Hallo’welly’ween ever, and you’re all invited! From family shows, to recycled junk crafts, from pumpkin carving to the Halloween train ride, there is so much to do this October half-term.

There’s been a murder… of the wildlife kind. After a bump in the night, there’s a crime scene at Windsor Great Park. Help solve the wildlife mystery – whodunnit? Complete the detective training through the family trail, learn how to find and identify tracks and signs of animals. Oct 29th-31st. Book at Berks Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (bbowt.org.uk) and search ‘events’.

Illuminate the Skies at Windsor when the pyrotechnics team will unleash the firework fiesta featuring a dazzling display of rockets, Catherine Wheels and fountains to incredible music. Head over to the funfair for thrilling rides and with yummy treats to keep you and yours fed and toasty you’re sure of an explosive night all round on Saturday, 2nd November.

The The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is once again hosting Brick or Treat – where the LEGO® Monsters are taking over and throwing a Monster Party to celebrate their favourite time of the year!​ Along with the return of the fangtastic Monster Street, there’s the thrilling Monster Jam Show, explore the Haunted House Monster Party – get ready for the most frightfully fun ride of your life! ​Enjoy amazing rides, live shows and attractions until Nov 3rd. 

Follow the October half-term trails at Basildon Park and Greys Court. Follow the map to discover the activities at each venue and collect a small prize when you have finished. Cost £2 per trail.

Join the Moon Witch at Tumblestone Hollow, Stonor and go on a Halloween Scavenger Hunt exploring the woodland that surrounds Tumblestone Hollow, ticking off spooky items and solving mystical riddles along the way.

Track down more than 30 scarecrows on the half term Binfield Scarecrow Hunt around the village with the help of a trail map.

No sooner will October be over and it’ll be time to start thinking about the festive season! Take a trip around Didcot Railway Centre as you hunt for Santa’s reindeer. Collect gifts to fill your stocking along the way and visit Santa and his elves in his grotto, where you can choose your gift from his own toy shop. Take unlimited train rides as you enjoy 200 years of railway history in the original Great Western Railway setting. Book at Didcot Railway Centre

Oxfordshire

If you’re looking to keep the family entertained during October half-term, look no further than The Story Museum in Oxford. With a packed programme of events and skills courses, not to mention magical gallery spaces and a fantastic new exhibition, Here Be Dragons co-curated by Cressida Cowell and Toothless, the museum is the place to be, The Story Museum.

Abingdon County Hall Museum has what’s sure to be a fun offering with the Barbie & Ken Exhibition, see the couple dressed in costume through history from 1066 to 1980. More at Abingdon County Hall Museum.

Shop beautiful gifts, watch live craft demonstrations and try your hand at ‘have a go’ sessions at Abingdon Traditional Craft Fair, Nov 1st-3rd in the ancient Abbey Buildings. More than 60 craftspeople will be displaying their work. More at Abingdon Craft Fair.

Talk to whales, hear the universe laugh, and investigate the impossible with IF Oxford, the Oxford science and ideas festival, Oct 9th to Nov 3rd. With more than 100 intriguing and interactive events and activities. IF Oxford has a whole world (and beyond) to entertain and surprise you. Details at Oxford science and ideas Festival.

High Lodge Farm’s bewitching Halloween trail and pumpkin patch is back this October half-term at the farm in Culham OX14 3BN. Follow the spooky trail, PYO Pumpkin, tuck into mallows and tasty treats and have fun on the farm. Visit High Lodge Farm.

From gremlins and goblins to witches with charm, Millets Farm invite you to their Spook-tacular Farm! With a circus full of tricks, a disco full of spooks and field full of pumpkins, there’s spookily good fun this half term.

Tiptoe through spooky rooms at The Witch’s House at Cogges Manor decorated with scenes from favourite childhood stories, and see spooktacular sights and sounds. There will be a pumpkin trail around the grounds too.

Get your hands dirty and boots muddy as you pick pumpkins and squash from the growing field at the Earth Trust, Little Wittenham. Take on the mega maze maze, visit the storytelling teepee and follow the scarecrow trail around the farm.

Blenheim Palace invites you to wander from dusk into darkness and through the spooky spider tunnel to be surprised by fantastic fire performers. Watch out for the headless horseman emerging from the mist.

Take a Spooky Tour of Oxford Castle & Prison and uncover some of the grisly stories of its inhabitants – some of whom are said to still roam the grounds. Join the resident witches and warlocks for a half-term potion-making activity.

No sooner will October be over and it’ll be time to start thinking about the festive season! Take a trip around Didcot Railway Centre as you hunt for Santa’s reindeer. Collect gifts to fill your stocking along the way and visit Santa and his elves in his grotto, where you can choose your gift from his own toy shop. Take unlimited train rides as you enjoy 200 years of railway history in the original Great Western Railway setting. Book at Didcot Railway Centre.

West Berks

Take a breath-taking trail through light, colour and fantasy as you discover the night-time wonder of Welford Park, selected dates Oct 18th-Nov 10th, through a wonderful spectacle of light and sound. Enjoy this beautiful, illuminated trail through the majestic woodland and around the gardens all lit under the star. Sip delicious hot chocolate and spiced cider as you meander along this beautiful trail. Take a moment by the house to tuck into scrumptious hot food.

Head to the Orchard at Avebury Manor Garden over the weekend of October 26th and 27th and join in the apple weekend celebrations. Pick up information on the apple orchard at Avebury and join in fun family activities, have a go at pressing some fresh apple juice from several native apple varieties. Why not join a family stone circle tour on Wednesdays and Sundays during school holidays to learn more about this amazing site as a family!

This autumn half-term explore the outdoors with a tracker pack at Buscot and Coleshill Estate. Pick up a rucksack with everything in it you’ll need to explore Coleshill, binoculars, magnifying glass, spotting sheets and more. Search for bugs, identify trees and see what signs of animals you can spot, then head to reception for a nature friendly prize.

Follow the enchanting decorated woodland trail in Aldermaston through Wasing Estate’s stunning autumnal woodland then head for the pumpkin patch where a fairytale pumpkin carriage awaits and where you can choose your perfect pumpkin nestled in the organic field to take home and carve. Afterwards enjoy tasty seasonal snacks and hot & cold drinks.

Join the Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham on October 29th & 31st for a Spooky Spectacular Halloween Trail through their nature reserve. Find out about some of the amazing creatures associated with Halloween and why they are not as scary as you once thought. Pop along to The Hutch afterwards for a craft activity to take home.

Blaze and his dragon friends have decided to play hide and seek in West Berkshire Museum – help Blaze to count the tiny glow-in-the-dark dragons as well as to find his dragon friends and, the greatest treasure of all, a precious dragon egg. The family friendly event on Friday, 1st November, 5-7pm, features a free dragon hunt through a dark or dimly lit museum – please bring a torch.

No sooner will October be over and it’ll be time to start thinking about the festive season! Take a trip around Didcot Railway Centre as you hunt for Santa’s reindeer. Collect gifts to fill your stocking along the way and visit Santa and his elves in his grotto, where you can choose your gift from his own toy shop. Take unlimited train rides as you enjoy 200 years of railway history in the original Great Western Railway setting. Book at Didcot Railway Centre.

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Journey with Jane

Karen Neville

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Berkshire

Karen Neville

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Explore and uncover the links between Jane Austen and the Thames Valley with a new book by Berkshire author Jane Durant and follow in the delicate footsteps of our heroine

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen is one of our most loved authors and her books some of the most read in the world, but how much do we know of her local connections?

Discover a fresh perspective on her life with a new book Jane Austen in the Thames Valley which delves into her lesser-known connections with our area in the expert hands of local author Jane Durant.

The Thames Valley, a region frequently overlooked in Austen studies, harbours numerous ties to the beloved author, more than initially apparent as June reveals in this thoroughly researched and meticulously documented book, unveiling these connections. Accompanying the narrative are three detailed excursions designed to help readers explore and uncover the links between Jane Austen and the Thames Valley.

“For enthusiasts like me,” begins June, a retired teacher, “we must visit the places where Jane Austen placed her feet or had any tenuous connection with her. We all wish that she visited our own area – whether it be the United Kingdom or further afield. I felt that her connection with my area of the Thames Valley (I lived in Wokingham and now Arborfield) was neglected and I began to visit such places that were mentioned in her many biographies or articles written about her. The very lack of evidence provoked the bloodhound in me.”

June’s ‘bloodhound’ was first stirred after being given a year’s subscription to the Jane Austen Society in the early 1990s and, despite the writer not being on her radar, on a whim she decided to keep up the subscription and her love affair blossomed, “I began with biographies and initially knew more about her than about her books.”

Those books – Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey (1817) and Persuasion (1817) – are as loved today as they were when Jane put pen to paper at her home in Chawton, Hampshire, sitting at her small writing table. 

Her enduring attraction June puts down to “academics in the literary world who wish to admire and analyse a style of prose. There is plenty to intrigue the critique in Austen. Then there are the films that animate the general public who, especially over the past two decades, love costume drama. 

“Another reason for Austen’s enduring attraction is that her novels are wide open for the fan-fiction writers of this world. Her unfinished stories (The Watsons and Sanditon) had them finished by novelists as early as 1845 and continue to this present day with Andrew Davies’s Sanditon. It could also be that there are others like me who just can’t leave unanswered questions alone.” 

It was these unanswered questions that led June to her book Jane Austen in the Thames Valley investigating beyond the biographies and through the ‘evidence’ sections in her book clarifies some of Jane’s connections with Berkshire and Oxfordshire. She continues: “Added to this, I can’t stop writing and have kept a journal for decades. My Jane Austen journals are also illustrated with photographs and ephemera. Jane Austen in the Thames Valley sort of materialised unintentionally and then I wanted to share my discoveries with my Jane Austen friends. Two successful publications encouraged me to submit the book to [publishers] Austin Macauley.” 

June’s writing examines Henley and Harpsden, rich in familial links and evidenced in a letter in which Jane writes: “We are to go to Windsor in our way to Henley”. Further explorations led to discoveries in Fawley, Hurley, Wargave, Sonning and Hare Hatch where she followed in the footsteps of many of Jane’s friends and relations. 

Reading is well known as where Jane went to school, the Jane Austen Society has placed a plaque near the spot where the school once stood. Jane and her brother Henry stayed in Reading overnight when she writes in a letter from the time “I should not wonder if we got no farther than Reading on Thursday evening”. She references a stop over in Reading in Sense and Sensibility when sisters Eleaner and Marianne are travelling and “wondered whether Mr Palmer and Colonel Brandon would get farther than Reading that night”, showing her familiarity with Reading as a staging post. 

June’s work gives an insight into the life and character of Jane, whose sense of humour, interest in human behaviour and quirky opinions of idiosyncrasies shape her novels and form her characters. “Mostly she was a typical parson’s daughter of her times, with the added injection of an incredibly intelligent and lively family life,” says June. While she garnered little ’fame’ in her own lifetime had she been living in this celebrity-obsessed time, June adds: “I think she would have been very pleased at her celebrity status – so long as she did not become famous and ‘an exhibit’. I think, too, that she would have been derisive of the extreme fanaticism of some of her Janeite fans.” 

So which is June’s favourite Austen? “My favourite book is always the one that I would be currently reading. At the moment it is Northanger Abbey which gallops along with a lot of humour and young persons’ view of life. Every time I read this book I fall in love with Henry Tilney. He remains my favourite man of all the novels. And I must admit that I love Catherine best because I prefer to teach teenagers to any other age group.” 

Jane Austen in the Thames Valley is available from Austin Maccauley at Jane Austen in the Thames Valley

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Jo Whiley’s 90s Anthems live shows

Liz Nicholls

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Berkshire

Liz Nicholls

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HEY GIRL…HEY BOY… Superstar DJS…HERE WE GO! Jo Whiley is here with the ultimate 90s party… at Oxford’s o2 Academy on 3rd October and G Live in Guildford on 18th November

Get ready to be transported back to the decade that defined a generation – as the legendary Jo Whiley brings her electrifying new show Jo Whiley’s 90s Anthems to your doorstep.

The undisputed queen of this decade of British music will be rummaging through her record bag, dusting off her vinyl and bringing you the biggest hits and hidden gems that shaped the soundtrack of the 90s.

From the rise and huge success of Blur and Oasis to the block rocking beats of The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy, with Jo behind the decks, this isn’t just a soulless 90’s playlist – it’s a journey through music history. Jo lived every moment, curated every track, and shared the studio and stage with the greatest acts of the decade.

Jo says: “I can’t wait to get back on the road in 2025 and bring the best of the 90s to audiences across the UK. There’s nothing like the energy of a 90s Anthems crowd, and I am looking forward to relive those moments with everyone – from Britpop to Rock to dance, it’s going to be an epic trip down memory lane.”

It really WAS better in the 90s… let Jo Whiley show you with this sensational new show. Prepare for a night of Britpop nostalgia, high-energy beats, the ultimate celebration of the era and let Jo remind you of what you’ve forgotten with this sizzling anthem-packed party to end them all.

Jo is still at the cutting edge of new music and will always be the ultimate authority on the very best of classical sounds of the 90s, Jo is an institution in her own right and a national treasure.

Whether you were rocking out to Britpop, raving to club classics, or living the indie dream, Jo’s got you covered – Jo loved it all and she’s ready to remind you why 90s really were the best time to be alive.

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For Your Tomorrow at Stowe Gardens

Liz Nicholls

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Berkshire

Liz Nicholls

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Stowe Gardens is the UK’s official host for the British D-Day 80 memorial exhibition For Your Tomorrow. You could help by volunteering.

A memorial installation to soldiers killed in the D Day landing on 6th June 1944 is heading to Stowe, the UK’s official host of the commemoration, for exhibition in October.

Open to the public from 1st October to 11th November, the large-scale art installation consists of 1,475 silhouettes of Second World War military personnel.

For Your Tomorrow – the People’s Tribute was created by community artist, Dan Barton with the number of figures in the display representing the number of fatalities under British command on 6th June 1944. The work is currently installed at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-mer, France where it will remain over the summer before coming to Stowe.

Tanya Brittain, general manager of the National Trust gardens at Stowe says: “It’s an honour to be chosen as the official UK host location for the British D-Day 80 memorial exhibition, For Your Tomorrow – the People’s Tribute.

“This September will be opportunity to remember family, friends and colleagues lost in conflict situations over the past 80 years. Stowe has a rich military history and we look forward to welcoming visitors this autumn to experience this poignant outdoor art installation against the stunning backdrop of the Stowe’s historic Landscape Gardens.

“The 18th-century landscape garden at Stowe is well known for its many historic buildings and statues and has also featured in many well-known films and TV series. The Capability Brown designed landscape is renowned for its precise placement of eye-catching monuments to create the picture-perfect view. Its beautiful avenues, temples and lakes will provide an impressive outdoor gallery space and backdrop for this celebrated artwork.”

The silhouettes are designed to represent the military personnel from all major services but in addition, two bespoke figures of nurses have been included. They are of Sister Mollie Evershed and Sister Dorothy Field who died while helping to save 75 men from the hospital ship SS Amsterdam which sank off the Normandy beaches on 7th August 1944.

Both were given posthumous commendation for their actions and are the only two women commemorated on the British Normandy Memorial.

Artist Dan Barton has delivered several impactful military-based displays since founding Oxfordshire-based charity Standing with Giants. The life-size figures are constructed entirely by volunteers, using recycled building materials and create meaningful spaces for people to visit and reflect.

“Our ethos at Standing with Giants is to value life, to understand and appreciate why we have our freedom, and to remember and pay tribute to those who have fallen so we can live the lives we have today. Using outdoor art is a great way to do this.” Said Standing with Giants Founder, Dan Barton.

A small section of the installation was seen at Stowe last year when 200 of the silhouettes were displayed at before joining the rest of the figures in Normandy for the D-Day 80 commemorations in June this year. September will be the first time the full size installation has been seen in the UK.

The full installation weighs in excess of 30 tonnes and will take around 15 days to set-up with the help of 30 volunteers each day. The Trust is looking for people to be involved – if you would like to get involved as a volunteer contact [email protected]. 

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Sir Cliff Richard visits Thames Hospice

Liz Nicholls

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Berkshire

Liz Nicholls

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Last Saturday, music legend Sir Cliff Richard paid a heartfelt visit to Thames Hospice, where he met patients, staff and volunteers, spreading joy and happiness to all.

Sir Cliff Richard took the opportunity to tour the facilities, engage with those receiving care and offer his support for the hospice’s vital work in the community. He shared wonderful stories and provided words of comfort, creating very special moments for patients, loved ones, staff, as well as many life-long fans.

Last weekend’s visit was made possible through Thames Hospice Ambassador Sunita Arora, who is a close friend of Sir Cliff. Sunita is one of the co-founders and an executive director of The Arora Group who have been supporting the Hospice since 2021, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Jane Symmons, director of fundraising at Thames Hospice, said: “We are incredibly thankful to Sir Cliff Richard for taking the time to visit us. His kindness and genuine care for our patients, families and staff have left a lasting impression. We also extend our thanks to Sunita Arora for her ongoing support and for making this wonderful day possible.

“Thames Hospice provides vital care and support to individuals with life-limiting illnesses and their families. Visit like this are a meaningful reminder of ensuring patients receive not only medical care, but also emotional support during their time at the Hospice.”

Sir Cliff also donated one of his iconic jackets to help raise funds for the Hospice. The jacket, personally signed by the singer, is a treasured piece from his personal collection and will be used in upcoming fundraising efforts, with all proceeds going towards supporting the charity. Further details about how supporters can get involved in the fundraiser and bid for this special item will be announced soon.

Sir Cliff said: “It was my pleasure to visit Thames Hospice and meet all the lovely staff and volunteers who work so hard to provide amazing care. Meeting some of their patients reminded me how important hospice care is. I hope they can raise a lot from my jacket, is a favourite of mine. I watched Andy Murray win Wimbledon while wearing it!”

To find out more about the charity’s work, make a donation, access services or join the amazing team of staff and volunteers, please visit Thames Hospice

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Top 10 hotels in Oxfordshire

Ellie Cox

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Berkshire

Ellie Cox

Taking a tour through Round & About county, here the Good Hotel Guide invites you to explore 10 of the top hotels in Oxfordshire.

Offering warm and welcoming places to rest, relax, wine and dine as we head into the autumn months, from pubs with rooms to Michelin Star dining destinations, romantic trips to getaways with friends, here’s to hotel stays from picturesque villages to the city centre.

The Feathered Nest, Chipping Norton

The Feathered Nest Country Inn – Cotswolds Pub, Restaurant & Rooms (thefeatherednestinn.co.uk)

Sitting proudly overlooking the Evenlode Valley, The Feathered Nest is an enchanting restaurant-with-rooms in a former 18th-century malthouse. The gastropub-with-rooms is well known for its food courtesy of newly promoted head chef Rene Pinedo, who takes inspiration from his Caribbean roots with a special focus on seafood and open grill cooking. Interiors offer a cosy atmosphere is keeping with the best of pub experiences, with a crackling fire to enjoy when the weather is cold. Guests staying overnight are treated to welcoming details including home-baked biscuits, an espresso machine and Bramley toiletries and individual style.

The Double Red Duke, Bampton

Double Red Duke | Cotswolds | Country Creatures 

The Double Red Duke is owned by Georgie and Sam Pearman – a 17th-century Cotswold stone inn turned pub-with-rooms. The Duke combines heritage architecture with country-chic style, including carefully designed rooms that feature luxurious fabrics, hand-blocked wallpaper and wooden furniture. Food is not your average pub grub – they grill meat and fish over charcoal, cherry and apple wood to add that little extra flourish.

Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, Great Milton

Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons | Raymond Blanc, Oxford (belmond.com)

The 15th-century manor house where Raymond Blanc has held two Michelin stars since 1984, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is the epitome of good taste. Now with a green star for sustainability as well, it’s surrounded by magnificent gardens where many of the ingredients for their cooking are grown. The hotel is an enchanting honey-stone building framed by lavender-fringed pathways. The grounds are delightful and inside the rooms are opulent details that range from four-poster beds to silk wallpapers and a decanter of Madeira. The menu is an ever-changing feast of gastronomic delights – with dishes such as roast pigeon, celeriac and prune ketchup or Jerusalem artichoke, leek and truffle.

The Old Parsonage Hotel, Oxford

Old Parsonage Hotel | Luxury 5-Star Hotel in Oxford

In a 17th-century stone manor house, the Old Parsonage is an intimate hotel that sits behind historic gates and welcomes you with open arms. Inside guests find sophisticated and immaculate interiors, with some rooms featuring a Juliet balcony or private terrace. There’s always a hand-written welcome note and a beautifully presented collection of stories by the shortlisted entrants to the annual Mogford Prize, as well as details such as a marble-clad bathroom with under-floor heating and Noble Isle toiletries. At meals, settle into the cosy restaurant and dine on sophisticated dishes such as crispy potato terrine or lamb rump with wild garlic sauce.

The Lamb Inn, Burford

https://www.cotswold-inns-hotels.co.uk/the-lamb-inn

The Lamb Inn is located in the historic market town of Burford on the River Windrush, and has been welcoming guests since the 1750s. Once a collection of 16th-century cottages, it retains plenty of nods to the property’s history with mullioned windows and a log fireplace sitting alongside beautiful interiors that envelop you as you walk in. Luxury touches such as artisan coffee and Molton Brown toiletries are ready and waiting in your room. Meanwhile, food and drink range from a sumptuous dinner menu to light bites throughout the day, sharing platters and a delectable afternoon tea.

Artist Residence Oxfordshire, South Leigh

https://www.artistresidence.co.uk/oxfordshire

An idyllic retreat at the gateway to the picture-perfect Cotswolds, the Artist Residence Oxfordshire is part of the boutique Artist Residence collection of destinations serving up immaculate and individual style. Fun and welcoming, at first it appears as a classic pub, but on entering you discover a world of original inglenook fireplaces and flagstone floors flanked by House of Hackney wallpapers and contemporary art. Food and drink consist of pub grub and a ready supply of local ales, all served under an unassuming thatched roof.

The Wild Rabbit, Chipping Norton

The Wild Rabbit: Award-Winning Restaurant, Pub Rooms & Cottages

An award-winning pub-with-rooms, The Wild Rabbit is an enchanting destination that’s been tastefully styled. Warm and welcoming but with an undeniable elegance, food is at the heart of the experience, serving up seasonal fare on an ever-changing menu depending on which produce is fresh from Daylesford’s organic market garden. The bar and terrace are popular places to relax with a drink, while guests staying overnight can enjoy creature comforts in the stylish rooms above the inn. The colour palette draws on the natural world outside, featuring soothing hues such as a bay-coloured bridle leather and rust-coloured hemp and linen.

The Old Bank Hotel, Oxford

Old Bank Hotel | Luxury Five Star Hotel in Oxford

Close to the Bodleian Library, this five-star boutique hotel is beloved for its high standards and lively restaurant. A three-story stone building in a converted bank, it cuts an impressive figure on the Oxford landscape, delivering unrivalled views of the city’s world-famous landmarks, while inside are high ceilings and an art collection including works by Stanley Spencer. The sense of traditional grandeur is juxtaposed by inherently modern hospitality and aesthetic updates. Amongst its many noteworthy features is the Quod restaurant, a lively ground-floor hub serving up European classics, afternoon teas, and sundowners on the Italian garden terrace.

The Harcourt Arms, Witney

The Harcourt Arms – The Ultimate Village Pub Experience

A charming 17th-century inn, close to Oxford and on the cusp of the Cotswolds, The Harcourt Arms serves award-winning food and is wonderfully stylish. The social hub of the villages, visitors instantly feel a sense of conviviality, whether popping by for dinner, to visit the deli or to enjoy a drink. Contemporary updates are offset by retained historic features and for all its elegance it’s also warm and welcoming. Some elements are particularly grand, like the four-poster bed and a stand-alone copper bath in The Blenheim Suite. The restaurant meanwhile serves pub classics alongside its more elaborate offerings, and it’s surrounded by a half an acre of gardens, so you can sit outside with your drink when the sun shines or simply enjoy the view.

The George Inn, Banbury

The George Inn | Barford St Michael | Near Oxford (thegeorgebarford.co.uk)

In a honey-coloured stone, well off the beaten track, The George Inn is a renovated 17th-century thatched inn turned gastropub-with-rooms. A hub of the community, with eclectic style, it combines beams, inglenook fireplaces and flagstone floors with Buddy Holly prints, fifties film posters and an image of George V in ermine. There are three chic bedrooms above the pub and six in converted stables, complete with underfloor heating, a coffee machine, handmade truffles and botanical toiletries. Dining at the inn is a sensory feast, with details ranging from delicious home-made brownies to breakfasts of fresh pastries, butcher’s sausages, sourdough toast, local jams, porridge with Transylvanian acacia honey.

Explore more hotels in the Cotswolds

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Young talent at South Hill Park

Karen Neville

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Berkshire

Karen Neville

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Alistar Jones tells us about a beautiful space to enjoy beautiful music at South Hill Park with the Conservatoire International Concerts Series

Have you ever visited South Hill Park, our local centre for performing and creative arts? It is a wonderful, thriving centre offering so much to Bracknell’s community – shows, plays, comedy, an annual panto, Bracknell Jazz, a cinema and music of all kinds.

In the midst of all these activities, in the house’s Old Library, now called The Recital Room, there is a Steinway concert grand piano. This is the home of the Conservatoire International Concerts Series. It sounds very grand, but it is simply a beautiful performance space for the centre’s classical concerts.

About to enter its 12th season, these concerts were set up 11 years ago to offer a venue, audience and concert opportunity to the talented young musicians graduating from the UK’s international conservatories.

“Talented” hardly describes the young musicians who have, over the years, entertained audiences with their music and skills. Eleven years ago, the first audience was tiny to hear Ji Liu, a Chinese pianist from the Royal Academy, give the first recital. Since that first concert, audiences have grown, and we have heard almost 100 stunning young performers.

The musicians come recommended by their professors as the leading pianists in their class at the conservatoire. The professors send me a name and I can hear them on YouTube, by way of audition. I have never turned down anyone down. I offer them a concert date and ask for a publicity photo and a programme that should last 2 x 40 minutes. The choice of music is entirely up to them and as a result, we get seriously thrilling concerts that show off music by the great composers, played by enthusiastic and technically brilliant young pianists. In addition to pianists, we have had duos with violin, cello, clarinet and singers. Never a dull moment.

Our 12th season begins on September 27th with an internationally renowned violin and piano duo playing Beethoven, Sir Malcolm Arnold and Elgar. Book tickets at Conservatoire: Foyle-Stsura – South Hill Park Arts Centre. This is the first in a list of 15 concerts that includes annual visits from the UK’s leading music school, The Purcell School, and for the second time, young musicians from Wellington College in Crowthorne.

In the middle of all this is, and most exciting, an orchestral concert in the Wilde Theatre on Sunday, 13th October. The programme includes Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto with pianist Amit Yahav, some orchestral songs by Alistair Jones and Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony. You should definitely not miss this one! Tickets at Orchestral Chamber Concert – South Hill Park Arts Centre

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Windsor Photographic Society’s upcoming exhibition

Round & About

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Berkshire

Round & About

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Windsor Photographic Society Exhibition will run from Tuesday 1st to Thursday 31st October

The Windsor Photographic Society (WPS) annual exhibition showcases the variety of photographs taken by its members and is also an opportunity for them to see their work exhibited. Some photographs may be available to purchase.

Members are holding a special opening night on Tuesday, 1st October, and hope you can join them in The Old Court licensed bar and upper areas.

You can view their photographs and meet members who would love to tell you more about their club!

WPS meet at The Old Court at 7.45pm on Monday evenings and fully welcome new members. They offer a full and varied programme that includes presentations, practical workshops, photo walks and competitions. There are members at every level of expertise (from beginners through to professionals), using all kinds of cameras and phones, willing to share a wealth of experience.

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Venison: for deer life & woodlands

Liz Nicholls

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Berkshire

Image: Ben Wright Photography

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls chats to Geoff Wickett, founder of Chiltern Venison, who helps protect local landscapes and is on a mission to encourage us to eat sustainable, ethical venison, year-round

Twilight is a magical time in the deep, dark woods. As the autumn mist rises and sunshine dapples the undergrowth at dawn and dusk, you’re most likely to catch a glimpse of the fallow deer, even if it’s only a twitch of its distinctive white tail.

But, as Geoff Wickett knows all too well, this majestic, mystical creature is likely to have spied you first… “Deer are truly astonishing creatures,” he says. “They’re beautiful, sentient, and their hearing is exceptional: their ears operate independently, alerting them to any danger. Their ability to register visual changes around them is astonishing, it’s as if their eyes take a series of pictures, with the brain then overlaying them for any changes.

“When you’re sneaking up on a herd of fallow deer, say, and there are 100 pairs of ears and eyes, it doesn’t take much for them to notice you. And the wind swirls swiftly around these hills; one can sniff you out, and they’re off!”

Roe deer are a native species; they’ve roamed this land since the Ice Age. Fallow deer were introduced by the Romans, extirpated and reintroduced by the Normans for the chase. You’ll also find smaller, barking muntjac who ancestors escapees from the Duke Of Bedford’s herd at Woburn, and Chinese water deer, whose forefathers scarpered from Whipsnade.

So, the question is, why kill these beautiful animals? The wild truth is that deer have become the single biggest threat to woodland in the UK, which is why Geoff is employed by land-owners and conservation charities, including the National Trust & Woodland Trust, to help manage their population. Deer, who have no natural predators, reproduce at a startling rate. In fact, numbers have doubled since Covid. Left unchecked, they will destroy the landscape, its distinctive flora and fauna.

“This deeply layered habitat is being trashed by deer,” says Geoff, who moved to Hughenden Valley ten years ago, leaving a career in tech accessories. “The shrub layer of most local woodland has been entirely eaten by the deer. Unlike other deer, muntjac eat the bluebells which won’t return the following year. This woodland provides nesting habitat, shelter, nectar, berries and nuts for a whole range of birds, mammals and insects. With the shrub layer gone, all life suffers and if a wood can’t produce young trees, it eventually dies. In larger numbers, deer need to go further for food and cause great damage to local farmers’ crops, as well as causing up to 74,000 vehicle collisions every year on UK roads, some fatal.”

Image: Piers Photography

Image: Piers Photography

Geoff’s mission is to encourage us all to eat venison, year-round. This natural, ethical, sustainable meat is showcased on menus at restaurants including The Oarsman in Marlow (pictured), The Nags Head in Great Missenden, White Oak is Cookham Dean, The Griffin in Amersham, Three Oaks in Gerrards Cross and Peterley Manor Farm (where it’s also stocked in the shop). In addition to firearms and wildlife laws, stringent food handling laws apply, as soon as a deer hits the ground. Geoff has just invested in a walk-in larder and processing unit to meet demand and is happy to sell direct. “We have this idea venison’s ‘posh’,” he says. “In the past you might have been executed for poaching a deer by the king, but venison’s not just for high days. It’s a great, healthy everyday alternative to beef or lamb, with high zinc and protein. My wife and I love a rump or chump steak. I love to sell to foodies, which means minimal food miles, unlike meat shipped from New Zealand which is crazy!

“I can trace every detail about the animal which is being enjoyed in a delicious meal instead of going to waste. Surprisingly, I’ve had one comment in a decade along the line of being a ‘bambi killer’. But people have been very supportive when they understand the bigger picture. I’ve even sold boxes to vegetarians who know that this is a food source that’s unprocessed, and that the animal has had a good life, unexposed to steroids or antibiotics.”

Importantly, each deer has also had a ‘good’ death, unlike the majority of animals reared for their meat and slaughtered in much more dystopian settings. Geoff is sometimes accompanied on his stalking trips by his cocker spaniel Artemis (pictured above) and he also has a young blue roan Skadi (named after the Norse goddess of the hunt). Both enjoy the odd bone (“nature’s toothbrush”) and Geoff takes his role and animal welfare very seriously. He learned to shoot at school and with the army is trained in “gralloching” as well as all the other handling processes which cost about £150 per carcass.

“I must be mad to do this as there’s not much money in it,” adds Geoff. “But I love this glorious countryside – I won’t go back to a desk job!”

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Marlborough LitFest stars to shine

Liz Nicholls

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Berkshire

Liz Nicholls

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Marlborough LitFest celebrates its 15th year with a packed programme full of more than 40 events offering a myriad of topics for all ages across the festival weekend from 26th to 29th September

On offer this year is an exciting mix of debut authors and established writers in fiction and non-fiction, as well as poetry, children’s authors and free schools events, workshops and LitFest’s annual Big Town Read in the historic market town.

This year’s line-up includes LitFest Patron Sir Simon Russell Beale, 2024 Golding Speaker Linda Grant, Celia Imrie, Robert Hardman, Kate Mosse, William Dalrymple, Zeinab Badawi, Robert Peston, Sarah Perry, Martin Sixsmith, Jonathan Dimbleby, Felix Francis and children’s author and illustrator duo Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre.

With autobiography, memoir, poetry and fiction and non-fiction covering genres including Shakespeare, royalty, politics, history, nature (in particular trees and tulips), signing therapy, midlife crises, a history of childhood reading, crime, food and travel, AI, sport, storytelling for both adults and children and a Big Book Quiz at The Parade Cinema, this year’s 15th anniversary programme has something for everyone.

Bestselling Sunday Times author and award-winning actor Celia Imrie will discuss her latest novel, Meet Me at Rainbow Corner. Fans of the international bestseller, The Essex Serpent can hear Sarah Perry talking about her new novel, Enlightenment. Political and economics reporter Robert Peston will talk about his latest novel, The Crash, featuring his recurring main protagonist, Gil Peck.

Join local playwright and author Barney Norris on a walk in Savernake Forest, examining the link between place and memory when writing about fiction. Participants can write about their own experiences and discuss this over a drink in a local Marlborough pub.

LitFest Patron Sir Simon Russell Beale will be interviewed by Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Oxford, discussing Beale’s first book, A Piece of Work, recounting his acting career with a focus on his Shakespearean characters.
Broadcaster and journalist Jonathan Dimbleby, acclaimed for his Second World War histories, will talk about Endgame 1944: How Stalin Won the War.

Among many other highlights, sports journalist Sam Peters will be in conversation with rugby player Steve Thompson about concussion in sport in his book Concussed: Sport’s Uncomfortable Truth. First time writer Chloe Dalton will share her astonishing story of Raising Hare. Tristan Gooley, bestselling author of How to Read a Tree, will share tips on tree identification and how to unlock the secret signs that trees give about their past and surrounding landscape.

This year’s Big Town Read, run in association with Wiltshire Libraries, is The Secret Life of John le Carré by Adam Sisman.

In its 15th year LitFest has expanded its free activities for younger children and their families, with many ways to join in and share everyone’s love of stories. The children’s festival programme features a bumper crop of events – many free – to keep all ages entertained both before and during the festival weekend. Little ones can enjoy poetry and storytelling slots at Pewsey and Marlborough Libraries, with Street Storytellers at The Parade Cinema, as well as free craft activities at St Peter’s Church with Aldbourne Children’s Book Group.

To book your tickets and find out more please visit Marlborough Literature Festival. You can also call 0333 666 3366 or buy from The White Horse Bookshop in Marlborough, and from the box office in the Town Hall over the festival weekend. Please note that the bookshop cannot take orders by phone.

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