Happy 5th birthday to The Lexicon

Karen Neville

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activities

Bracknell’s fabulous shopping centre is celebrating and you’re invited to join them

Celebrate The Lexicon’s fifth birthday with forest giants, seedling sprites, night forest theatre and a special birthday proms taking place in the town centre from August 24th to September 4th.

The Bracknell Giants, so popular last year, will return with two new friends. Bracknell Forest Guardian Elderma and the adventurous Will Wildwood, boasting an integral slide.

Also new for this year is The Night Forest theatre show, where younger visitors and their families will meet five fabulous forest creatures. Using holographic technology, these characters will appear to come to life as part of this interactive show. Places to attend The Night Forest Show can be pre-booked, with all proceeds going to The Lexicon Charity Fund.

Younger visitors and their families will meet five fabulous forest creatures

There’s also a Seedling Sprite Trail to follow, pick up a trail sheet and unlock the secrets for the chance to win some wonderful prizes, a host of fun entertainers, giveaways, a special birthday Proms taking place on Saturday, 3rd September and much much more.

The birthday proms will feature performers giving away birthday badges, tote bags and cupcakes.

From Monday, 5th September The Lexicon will be giving away five fabulous prizes donated by Beaverbrooks, Pandora, Marks & Spencer, Wagamma and Primark so keep your eyes on their Facebook page!

They will also reveal which local community groups have been awarded £5,000 each from The Lexicon Charity Fund.

Bracknell Forest Council and The Lexicon have teamed up to create the Bracknell Forest Festival so make sure that you put a note in your diary now.

Find out more

Find out more by visiting www.bracknellforestfestival.com

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What’s your favourite local park?

Round & About

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Love Parks Week runs from today until Friday 5th August, organised by Keep Britain Tidy.

The charity wants us all to enjoy our green spaces, whether it’s walking the dog, picnicking with friends, or pushing our little ones on a playground swing.

There are lots of events going on and the week is also set up to celebrate and support the efforts of the volunteers who maintain and protect our green spaces.

Buckinghamshire has so many wonderful parks to enjoy, including Guildford’s Loseley Park, Frimley Lodge Park in Camberley, Lightwater Country Park and Gostrey Meadow in Farnham… Which is your favourite? Make sure to share it on social media #LoveParks

We’ve also teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to call for dog-owners to bag and bin their pooch’s poop!

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What’s your favourite local park?

Round & About

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activities

Love Parks Week runs from today until Friday 5th August, organised by Keep Britain Tidy.

The charity wants us all to enjoy our green spaces, whether it’s walking the dog, picnicking with friends, or pushing our little ones on a playground swing.

There are lots of events going on and the week is also set up to celebrate and support the efforts of the volunteers who maintain and protect our green spaces.

Surrey has so many wonderful parks to enjoy, including Guildford’s Loseley Park, Frimley Lodge Park in Camberley, Lightwater Country Park and Gostrey Meadow in Farnham… Which is your favourite? Make sure to share it on social media #LoveParks

We’ve also teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to call for dog-owners to bag and bin their pooch’s poop!

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What’s your favourite local park?

Round & About

Posted on

activities

Love Parks Week runs from today until Friday 5th August, organised by Keep Britain Tidy.

The charity wants us all to enjoy our green spaces, whether it’s walking the dog, picnicking with friends, or pushing our little ones on a playground swing.

There are lots of events going on and the week is also set up to celebrate and support the efforts of the volunteers who maintain and protect our green spaces.

Hampshire has so many wonderful parks to enjoy, including Eastrop Park in Basingstoke and Bramshot Farm Country Park in Fleet… Which is your favourite? Make sure to share it on social media #LoveParks

We’ve also teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to call for dog-owners to bag and bin their pooch’s poop!

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What’s your favourite local park?

Round & About

Posted on

activities

Love Parks Week runs from today until Friday 5th August, organised by Keep Britain Tidy.

The charity wants us all to enjoy our green spaces, whether it’s walking the dog, picnicking with friends, or pushing our little ones on a playground swing.

There are lots of events going on and the week is also set up to celebrate and support the efforts of the volunteers who maintain and protect our green spaces.

Wiltshire has so many wonderful parks to enjoy, including Langford Lakes Nature Reserve and Penn Wood in Calne… Which is your favourite? Make sure to share it on social media #LoveParks

We’ve also teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to call for dog-owners to bag and bin their pooch’s poop!

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What’s your favourite local park?

Round & About

Posted on

activities

Love Parks Week runs from today until Friday 5th August, organised by Keep Britain Tidy.

The charity wants us all to enjoy our green spaces, whether it’s walking the dog, picnicking with friends, or pushing our little ones on a playground swing.

There are lots of events going on and the week is also set up to celebrate and support the efforts of the volunteers who maintain and protect our green spaces.

Oxfordshire has so many wonderful parks to enjoy, including Oxford’s Shotover Country Park, Radley Lakes, Abbey Gardens, The Ridgeway and Stonor Park…Which is your favourite? Make sure to share it on social media #LoveParks

We’ve also teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to call for dog-owners to bag and bin their pooch’s poop!

Get the latest news straight to your inbox

Choose which newsletter:

What’s your favourite local park?

Round & About

Posted on

activities

Love Parks Week runs from today until Friday 5th August, organised by Keep Britain Tidy.

The charity wants us all to enjoy our green spaces, whether it’s walking the dog, picnicking with friends, or pushing our little ones on a playground swing.

There are lots of events going on and the week is also set up to celebrate and support the efforts of the volunteers who maintain and protect our green spaces.

Berkshire has so many wonderful parks to enjoy, including Wokingham’s California Country Park, Windsor Great Park, Reading’s Forbury Gardens and Beale Park near Pangbourne… Which is your favourite? Make sure to share it on social media #LoveParks

We’ve also teamed up with Keep Britain Tidy to call for dog-owners to bag and bin their pooch’s poop!

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Petworth Craft Group boost charity funds

Liz Nicholls

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Petworth Community Craft Group has taken its fundraising efforts for local charities online to continue its good work when they haven’t been able to meet in person.

The group which has just marked its third anniversary brings crafters of all abilities together to make saleable delights to help boost local charities including more than £1,000 for Petworth Community Garden and in excess of £2,500 for the Sylvia Beaufoy Youth Club.

When sources of selling ceased last year because of the pandemic, Tricia Stephens from PCCG said they “entered the 21st century, creating a Facebook page and sold from there as well as Petworth virtual Christmas market”.

Where possible the group uses unwanted, surplus or natural products to make a wide variety of gifts and useful items. Materials used have included donated designer fabric samples, donated blank cards and envelopes, unwanted magazines and newspapers, scraps of wool, corks, fir cones and much more.

PCCG encourages teamwork and a sense of camaraderie and belonging and enables experienced crafters to share their know how.

Members are welcome to bring their own project, make crafts to raise money or just go along for coffee and a chat and see what others are doing.

The group usually meets every second Friday in the month at Coultershaw Warehouse and is looking forward to getting together as soon as they can.

Interested in joining? Email [email protected], visit petworthcommunity.org or call 01798 342016.

To see what the group has for sale visit www.facebook.com/CreatePetworth

Let us know about your local groups here

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Build a lockdown family time capsule

Round & About

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Kirsty Prankerd, from photo keepsake retailer Write From The Heart, explains how to build a time capsule with the kids.

If you’re currently looking for an educational family activity that will keep the kids busy during lockdown (and who isn’t at the moment?) then why not try building a time capsule?

Not only is this great fun, but it can help encourage the kids to learn more about the past, and to imagine their futures. Here, I’ll share my tips for creating a capsule as a family.

Make it educational

Before you set out to build your time capsule, you’ll need to decide how long you want to wait until you re-open it. Then, ask a few questions and get your children to use their imaginations.

For example, how old will they be when it’s re-opened? What might they be doing? What will the world be like in the future?

Find a sturdy box

Of course, before you can assemble your time capsule, you’ll need to find a strong box that will keep everything safe for a long time — preferably one that’s water- and air-tight. If you’ll be burying your capsule, it may help to double up and use multiple boxes to help provide an added layer of protection. Placing photos, letters, and newspaper cuttings in plastic wallets will also help to keep them safe.

Decide what to include

You can include any objects that you think might be interesting to revisit years into the future.

All of the following items are perfect for a time capsule:

• Money. A few coins and notes will show future generations how money has changed over time.

• A list of prices for everyday items, e.g. a pint of milk. This is a great opportunity to teach slightly older children about how the value of currency changes

• Newspaper cuttings.

• A few handwritten diary entries describing what an average day in lockdown is like — perfect for getting the kids to practice their writing skills!

• A family photograph.

• A note or letter to your future selves.

Find a spot to stash or bury it

Finally, you’ll need to find a place to buy or stash your time capsule. Remember, you don’t necessarily need to bury it in the ground if you don’t have access to a suitable location. Instead, you can always stow it in an out-of-the way place like an attic or storage space.

Once you’ve buried or stashed your time capsule, remember to make a note of its location so you don’t lose track of where it is!

 

Let us know how you get on and send any photos of your time-capsule in the making to [email protected]

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Cornering youth market

Round & About

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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, 16th to 23rd 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 18th to 21st 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 23rd 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 22nd, £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

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