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Journey of discovery

Round & About

February 24, 2020January 26, 2021

Witney

Fi Harding tells us more about Chiltern Arts Festival 2020 which takes place at various venues between Friday 28th February and Saturday 7th March

As the world celebrates 250 years since Beethoven’s birth, Chiltern Arts is celebrating overcoming adversity in the arts, with its usual array of venues including those in Henley, Marlow, Wallingford and, for the first time, Princes Risborough.

‘It’s a busy year for Chiltern Arts,” says founder and creative director Naomi Taylor, “and an exciting one! I’m particularly excited to have a theme linking all events for the first time and I hope people will get on board and follow the festival as a bit of a journey of discovery. There are also lots of opportunities to get involved as well as sitting back and enjoying; a Come and Sing day, poetry competition and Youth Music and Art Day… come and join us for what we think will be a brilliant week!”

Chiltern Arts offers an array of concerts for all musical tastes: Septura Brass Septet celebrate the music of female composers; the Come and Sing Company invite you to explore Tippett’s Five Spirituals alongside Tippett’s biographer Oliver Soden; the Marian Consort uncover the Catholic music kept under wraps in Elizabethan England; the Phoenix Piano Trio present piano trios from Beethoven and Fauré, both of whom suffered hearing loss; pianist Danny Driver presents Beethoven and the loss of Vital Senses with music from Gabriela Lena Frank and Rodrigo partnering Beethoven’s impressive Hammerklavier; and the City of London Sinfonia close with Beethoven’s famous Septet.

One of the highlights is undoubtedly a mini-residency from eminent solo percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, performing with Trio HLK a piece called Extra Sensory Perception; and we’re thrilled to be commissioning a piece from Stephen Goss for Dame Evelyn and Matthew Wadsworth. The piece will be premiered at the Candlelit Lute recital in Great Missenden on Thursday 5th March. Dame Evelyn and Matthew both also precede their respective events with pre-concert talks.

Chiltern Arts’ popular concert and dinner event returns to The Gatsby in Berkhamsted with music from members of the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, featuring cabaret and a seven-piece band.

Three outstanding young professional ensembles feature at the festival: the Salomé String Quartet, baroque quartet Ensemble Hesperi and wind group the Magnard Ensemble. The first entirely youth-focused event features music from several local young musicians and performers, including students from the Mary Hare School for the Deaf, Amersham Music Centre, Tring School and Chiltern Music Academy, as well as a massed choir led by the Marian Consort.

More info..

The poetry competition also returns, open to writers of all ages. There’s information about all of these events online, where you can also request a brochure, buy tickets and find out how you can get involved with Chiltern Arts. You can also call the box office on 01442 920303.

Website

Cornering youth market

Round & About

February 14, 2020January 26, 2021

Witney

Dance, theatre, yoga, music and making your own bedroom decorations are among the fun activities for young people at Cornerstone’s Youth Festival.

The week-long extravaganza which runs during half term, 16^th to 23^rd February begins on Sunday with The Elves and the Shoemakers. Meet Sam who is big on imagination but short on business knowhow until one night, two small green visitors climb in and start stitching, cutting and gluing… Suitable for ages 3 upwards, tickets £9.50, concs £7.50, family £30.

Get active with a series of classes focussing on movement with fun from 18^th to 21^st starting with a children’s art and yoga class, £15, for school years 1-6 and unleash your inner dancer on Wednesday with beginner’s Latin and ballroom dancing, £25, school years 1-6 – perfect for those with an eye on being a Strictly star in the future.

Thursday and Friday it’s the turn of those in years 7-13 with break dancing for beginners, £15, where you’ll learn the basics and then develop the confidence to explore your own style. Friday sees a physical theatre workshop, £20, in which you’ll learn techniques for creating a narrative through movement and storytelling which will be performed at the end of the session.

Award-winning comedy musicians Bowjangles will be putting on a magical show taking you through myths, legends and folklore through a portal in a cello case – where else? – to find a priceless relic, a magical violin bow known as Excalibow. Suitable for all ages, £14, and may contain a few well-known ABBA hits!

Join Yana on Sunday 23^rd as she journeys through a strange land, all alone and far from home, unable to understand anything other children are saying and then she encounters a Yeti… This cast of extraordinary puppets are out to show friends come in the most unexpected shapes and sizes in Yana and the Yeti, £9.50, concs £7.50.

If craft is your thing there’s also the opportunity to spruce up your bedroom for years 1-6 by making your own bedroom decorations on Saturday 22^nd, £25, with collage, paint, printing and mark making.

Cornerstone also offers a range of courses for children and young people including theatre, photography, dance and young reviewers.

More info

For more details about these and the Youth Festival and to book any of the events visit cornerstone-arts.org or call 01235 515144

Home help

Round & About

February 11, 2020January 26, 2021

Witney

Didcot’s own Matt Richardson tells Peter Anderson how much he’s looking forward to his show at the Cornerstone – not least because his mum always helps his home gig sell out!

Matt’s first tour at the tender age of 21 was called Hometown Hero, and now he brings his latest tour Imposter to his home town. With this tour, he’s celebrating a decade delighting audiences, both as a stand-up and as a link on many television shows. When I caught up with the lad from Didcot I found, among other things, his mother is still one of his best, and busiest fans.

“I love the show at The Cornerstone whenever I do it,” says Matt. “It’s full of familiar faces and it’s always a lovely sell-out! My mum basically does all the leg work and promotes it to everyone she knows, so it’s a very stress-free show for the promoter!”

What can the audiences look forward to?” It’s loads of new material, about growing up and settling down with some stories about my slightly unusual life on the fringes of the public eye, with one or two of my old routines thrown in from my previous shows as a slight celebration of my decade in the business!”

Feeling he is an imposter as an adult now 28, what’s Matt favourite age? “About 21 or 22. You’ve broken into the world and feel like everything is in front of you and anything is possible, but a lot of the reality hasn’t set in yet. And your parents are still happy to cover your rent once in a while.”

His career has included television work, does the stand-up experience stand him in good stead? “Yes, I really think it does. I’ve done a lot of shows that require dealing with members of the public, and I think years on stage talking to them really sets you up for that. Live TV is such a different beast to stand-up, but I’ve had to make up 10 minutes of a show after the autocue failed and there was nothing to prompt me. The one thing live TV and stand-up have in common are this – when it’s going badly time slows down to a crawl!”

Is there somewhere he would love to perform? “I’d be quite keen to gig in America. I’ve filmed there lots over the years, but I’d be really interested to see how my act goes down with their comedy club audiences. I’ve got a lot of routines I worry are far too UK centric, and I am planning on world domination (once I can sell out Didcot without my mum, of course).”

More info

Matt is performing on Saturday 15^th February; visit the Cornerstone website for ticket information.

Click here

Unique Unicorn

Round & About

February 7, 2020January 26, 2021

Witney

Photo: Shackleton Trio

The new year has already got off to a great start for Music at the Unicorn with two fantastic pieces of news.

Dave Pegg of Fairport Convention and guitar virtuoso PJ Wright have once again agreed to be patrons for MATU and they have a new programme curator in the form of Duncan Chappell of Big Ginger Tom Music.

Both Dave and PJ are delighted to be continuing their links with the popular music venue and Duncan has already been hard at work putting together an exciting mix of acts for the 2020 programme which will feature acts old and new as well as many local treats.

He said: “This is an exciting time for me and I’m very proud to be part of this wonderful organisation. I know I can do a great job for MATU. We’re all looking forward to a fantastic 2020.

“The new programme will be ready soon and we will be distributing it early in the new year. Come and see us!”

Among the goodies Duncan has lined up for the Unicorn are the stunning vocals of Me for Queen who kicked off the year in January. March brings Jim Moray with Tom Moore on the 26th, one of England’s finest interpreters of traditional song who has changed the sound of folk music.

Among other highlights Duncan has put together are the Shackleton Trio on 21^st May. The musicians have played to great acclaim on the folk circuit with their original work blending with imaginative re-workings of traditional folk songs often with a twist.

Multi-award winning folk duo Ninebarrow have impressed audiences across the country with their innovative take on folk favourites and their delivery of old songs rooted in the landscape and history of the British Isles and are named after Nine Barrow Down in Dorset’s Purbeck hills. Ninebarrow are at the Unicorn on 10^th September, but definitely worth the wait.

As 2020 draws to a close there’s no let up in the great music on offer with the aptly-named The Willows playing on 1^st October as autumn blows in with their music influenced by both sides of the Atlantic.

Warm up with family trio Cup O’Joe on 12^th November, the two brothers and sister have been playing together since they were in their teens and were due to release a new album in January featuring many original tracks.

More info

To find out more about the fabulous bands playing at the Unicorn in 2020 and ticket information

Click here

Take a peep at new app

Round & About

February 3, 2020January 26, 2021

Witney

What started as a family surprise has developed into an app letting you countdown to celebrations and special events – a digital advent for any occasion, any time.

MyPeep is the brainchild of Cholsey couple Pam and Darren Evans. Pam wanted to surprise her sister with a countdown for her 50th birthday but couldn’t find what she was looking for – husband Darren came to the rescue and created the app.

They tested it on their son Dylan with a seven-day countdown of things he liked including his favourite songs, photos and news of a treat but while it was created for fun, the couple hope to see the app used to help combat social isolation.

Darren said: “We’d love to see “peeps” being sent to people who live alone or far away from family – just that little surprise could really make their day. We are also now in discussions with initiatives for mental health (PTSD specifically) and well-being, as well as fitness and nutrition type services.”

With MyPeep you can include text and emojis, photos, images and links as well as short clips via the in-app video. Once you’ve created all the content for your windows, invite friends and family to download MyPeep so you can share it with them.

The fun of MyPeep is in the anticipation. Recipients can only open one window at a time – the rest of the windows stay locked until it’s time to open the next one.

The UK’s first customisable digital advent can be used to countdown to birthdays, reunions, parties, weddings, holidays – or simply for brightening someone’s day.

Other opportunities have also been identified including one that will help improve end of life care experience and therefore the quality of palliative care for patients, family members and others important to the patient through a product called Treasured.

Treasured will help in creating daily content, storing memories and allow patients to post for future events. Data is securely held until a specific date and can only be unlocked/made available to relatives and loved ones on that specific date.

The aim is to work in partnership with a national charity who have indicated that Treasured will also assist loved ones in the grieving process.

More info

For more information visit

Website

Business School

Round & About

January 23, 2020January 26, 2021

Witney

Make money from your passion at Pop-Up Business School in Didcot

Have you always wanted to start your own business but don’t really know how or what the next steps are?

Help is at hand at a Pop-Up Business School in Didcot next week when you’ll be able to get advice on starting a business with no money, marketing, all the legal stuff and much more.

The five-day course at the Civic Hall will help new and established businesses get going and to kick start them in the right way. You don’t need to attend every day but the more workshops you can visit the better, the more you’ll learn and the more you’ll get out of it.

The Pop-Up Business School has been running live events for seven years and shows a new way of thinking and practical ways to get your business off the ground.

Each day is split into two sessions and the week starts with help on how to start a business for free and the quickest way to do so. Tuesday is all about sales and marketing before website Wednesday teaches you how to build a website for free and setting up online payments.

Thursday focuses on social media – where are your customers online and using social media to find them before the week ends with a guide to the legal stuff on Friday.

In addition to the workshops, Pop Up also provides one-to-one support whenever possible and continuing online support to all participants after the event.

All sessions are free, but places are limited so booking is essential for the course which runs from 27th to 31st January, 10am to 3pm daily except Friday, 10am to 1pm.

More info...

To find out more and register for your place to make money from your passion visit

Website

Banff film festival

Karen Neville

January 23, 2020January 26, 2021

Witney

Picture credit: Ben Tibbetts

Celebrate the great outdoors with exhilarating stories and intrepid characters as the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns for 2020.

The tour features two different collections of films from the world’s best film makers, with super-human challenges, inspiring journeys and stunning cinematography from the four corners of the globe.

The tour’s films are chosen from hundreds of entries into the Banff Mountain Film Festival, which is held every November in the Canadian Rockies. The UK and Ireland tour visits 60 locations along the way. As well as thrilling films, each event features a free prize draw for exciting outdoorsy goodies from the tour partners.

UK tour director Neil Teasdale said: “We can’t wait to share the latest inspirational films from the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival on our biggest tour yet.

“As well as exhilarating stories starring intrepid characters and pioneering journeys, an evening at Banff is a celebration of the great outdoors, with a vibrant atmosphere and a real sense of community. And we guarantee audiences will leave inspired to have an adventure of their own.”

For more information about the films and to book tickets visit www.banff-uk.com

The tour comes to Oxford’s New Theatre on28th January; The Hexagon, Reading on 29th January and 18th March; Abingdon’s Amey Theatre on 5th February; Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe on 11th February; Cheltenham’s Town Hall on 12th February and 28th April; Wyvern Theatre, Swindon on 19th February

Oxford, Reading (29th Jan), High Wycombe, Swindon and Cheltenham (12th Feb) are showing the ‘red’ series of films – Charge, Danny Day Care, The Flip, Home, Up to Speed, The Imaginary Line, The Ladakh Project and Thabang

Abingdon, Reading (18th March) and Cheltenham (28th April) are screening the ‘blue’ series of films – A Nordic Skater, Return to Earth, The High Road, Spectre Expedition – Mission Antarctica, The Frenchy, The Long Rover Home and The Running Pastor

All programmes may be subject to change.

Health research study

Round & About

January 22, 2020January 26, 2021

Witney

People in the Thames Valley can now find more than 100 research studies taking place in the NHS, public health and social care using a new interactive online map.

The map, at thamesvalleyresearch.nihr.ac.uk, features pins that show where studies are taking place at locations including hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes.

Users click on the pin to browse studies at that location. They can also search all studies in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire by medical speciality, location, keyword (for example diabetes), postcode and study name.

After finding a study they are interested in, users visit a webpage for more information including a summary of the study, health inclusion and exclusion criteria and contact details.

The website lists studies supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network Thames Valley and South Midlands.

Prof Belinda Lennox, Clinical Director for the NIHR Clinical Research Network Thames Valley and South Midlands, said: “Health research is vital for developing new treatments in the NHS and improving the quality of the care that we provide.

“We rely on the public to take part in this research, which can range from filling out a questionnaire or giving a blood sample to trialling a new medication or treatment.

“This map provides people with the opportunity to actively seek out studies that they could take part in.”

Participating in health research helps develop new treatments, improves the NHS, public health and social care services and save lives.

Studies are offered to NHS patients that are relevant to their condition. Healthy people can also take part so results can be compared to those with a condition.

We rely on the public to take part in this research

Motown magic

Round & About

December 17, 2019January 26, 2021

Witney

Book in for the smash-hit West End musical Motown The Musical which roars into the New Theatre Oxford from Tuesday, 17th December to Saturday, 4^th January.

Motown The Musical tells the story of Berry Gordy’s world-famous Motown record label, which gave rise to huge stars such as The Jackson 5, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.

The record label celebrated its 60^th anniversary on January 12^th this year. With just $800 borrowed from his family, Motown founder Berry Gordy went from featherweight boxer to heavyweight music mogul, discovering and launching the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more. Motown the Musical uncovers the true story of the legendary record label that changed music history and created the soundtrack of a generation.

With music and lyrics from the Motown catalogue and book by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Charles Randolph-Wright’s production features a live orchestra playing 50 Motown tracks, including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I’ll Be There, Dancing In The Street, Stop! In The Name of Love, My Girl and I Heard It Through the Grapevine and tells the story behind the classic hits.

The show features Edward Baruwa in the leading role of Berry Gordy, Karis Anderson as Diana Ross, Nathan Lewis as ‘Smokey Robinson’ and Shak Gabbidon-Williams as Marvin Gaye.

The original Broadway cast recording of Motown the Musical is available via Motown Records, a label of UMG Recordings – www.classicmotown.com

Tickets

For tickets & more information please call 01865 320775 or visit

Website

Santa steams in

Round & About

December 14, 2019January 26, 2021

Witney

Father Christmas will take time out of his busy schedule to hop on board the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway again this month

He will make six return trips from Wallingford (five from Cholsey) – on 7^th, 8^th, 14^th, 15^th, 21^st and 22^nd December.

Trains depart a little earlier this year, with the first train leaving at 10.15am and then at 75-minute intervals until the last round trip train leaves at 4.30pm. If boarding at Cholsey the departures are between 10.55am and 3.55pm.

All adult passengers receive seasonal refreshments and all children 10 years old and younger will be collected by Mother Christmas and her helpful elves and taken to visit Santa in his grotto to receive their gift on board as the train travels through the south Oxfordshire countryside.

“There will be plenty of time for family photos with Santa,” says volunteer Tony Stead. “We have spoken to Santa’s elves and they are currently working hard to try to make sure that this year Santa’s train will be hauled by a steam loco.

Last year Santa saw a massive increase in the number of children that he saw and so there is an extra train each day but we expect many trains to be sold out – especially the first and second trains of the day and those closest to Christmas so advance booking is strongly recommended.

“There is always a great Christmas atmosphere on the train which is decorated throughout and gifts are arranged to be age-dependant so why not come along and join in the fun. We hope to see you there!”

Tickets

Book at…

Website

Monday 06 May 2024

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Witney

Fi Harding tells us more about Chiltern Arts Festival 2020 which takes place at various venues between Friday 28th February and Saturday 7th March

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Witney

Dance, theatre, yoga, music and making your own bedroom decorations are among the fun activities for young people at Cornerstone’s Youth Festival.

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Witney

Didcot’s own Matt Richardson tells Peter Anderson how much he’s looking forward to his show at the Cornerstone – not least because his mum always helps his home gig sell out!

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Witney

The new year has already got off to a great start for Music at the Unicorn with two fantastic pieces of news.

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Witney

What started as a family surprise has developed into an app letting you countdown to celebrations and special events – a digital advent for any occasion, any time.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Witney

Make money from your passion at Pop-Up Business School in Didcot

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Witney

Celebrate the great outdoors with exhilarating stories and intrepid characters as the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns for 2020.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Witney

People in the Thames Valley can now find more than 100 research studies taking place in the NHS, public health and social care using a new interactive online map.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Witney

Book in for the smash-hit West End musical Motown The Musical which roars into the New Theatre Oxford from Tuesday, 17th December to Saturday, 4th January.

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Witney

Father Christmas will take time out of his busy schedule to hop on board the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway again this month

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Search for:

People in the Thames Valley can now find more than 100 research studies taking place in the NHS, public health and social care using a new interactive online map.

Book in for the smash-hit West End musical Motown The Musical which roars into the New Theatre Oxford from Tuesday, 17th December to Saturday, 4^th January.