Autumn leaves and fiendish fun
Ellie Cox
family fun
It may feel as if the children have only just gone back to school but already it’s time for half term. So, if you’re in need of some ideas to amuse them and save your own sanity, read on…
This time of year may be the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, but it’s also the time for ghostly goings-on when things go bump in the night and you can’t help bumping into a pumpkin or two!
There’s a whole week full of pumpkins at Secretts at Hurst Farm, Milford from October 22nd to 29th. Pop along and pick your own to take home. They’re priced by the diameter so bear that in mind when tempted to go for the biggest. Pick up an activity sheet and join in a scavenger hunt. If the fleshy orange squash is to your taste, then tuck into the pumpkin menu of soup, curry or a slice of spicy pumpkin cake.
In the lead up to Halloween, RHS Wisley invites you to delve into the world of deadly plants and bugs. With fun family activities from Saturday 22nd to Sunday 30th. Follow the trail around the garden to explore how everything from cacti to centipedes defend themselves and their habitats. Meet all kinds of bugs and get stuck in with craft and planting workshops. Design a deadly bug or start growing your own carnivorous plant at a workshop and find out more about the wicked plants and wildlife who make Wisley their home.
Magic and mischief abound on The Watercress Line this Halloween with spooky fun galore to keep the kids entertained. Travel on the Wizard Express steam train, walk in Harry Potter’s footsteps over the railway footbridge and explore the Harry Potter style coaches in the siding at Alresford. Get up close to hairy, scary creatures, take part in a broom making demo and much more. As well as unlimited train travel between stations. And why not dress up as a spooky character for the chance to win a prize?
There’s a week of spooky make and take craft activities at the Rural Life Centre, Farnham from Monday 24th to Sunday 30th. With the popular pumpkin carving on Saturday and Sunday. Pre-booking essential for this.
If you’ve ever accused your children of being air heads let them revel in this at Brooklands Museum this October half term, at their Air Heads extravaganza where you’ll find all manner of activities to keep them entertained. Join in the Build a Paper Aircraft Family Workshop and watch it fly. Pedal planes will run from the paddock for under 5s. Become a detective and solve clues, decode messages and search for hidden objects to claim a prize.
Fairy Doors will be in the Painshill landscape from Saturday 22nd until November 13th. Discover the secret series of doors hidden around the woodlands and lake. As you wander the route you will see the best spots for autumn colour. Enjoy some stunning trees, collect autumn leaves and celebrate the season. Keep your eyes open for the fairies!
A new after dark trail awaits visitors to Polesden Lacey from October 20th to November 6th with IGNITE. Visitors can enjoy a walk through the gardens at night guided by flickering flames and glowing tunnels of trees, with magical illuminated installations along the way. Nestled in the Surrey Hills, the Edwardian gardens of the estate are the perfect setting for this exceptional after-dark experience.
An autumn stroll through the ancient woodlands and parkland at Hatchlands Park is a joy at this time year. The beech woodland creates a delightful haze of gold and yellow and the native wild service tree, with its vibrant red leaves glows against the sky. There are various way-marked routes to follow and if you need a little help to get around, book an all-terrain Tramper personal mobility vehicle.
There’s a weird, wacky, and wicked Halloween trail to follow at Winkworth Arboretum in Godalming. From Saturday 22nd to Monday 31st where you can uncover the spookier side of trees on a haunted trail around the arboretum. Did you know fungi is closer to an animal than a plant? There’s a tree that smells like candyfloss? Or that some trees can grow fingers? Discover all this and more…
Take part in an autumn colour hunt throughout the month at The Vyne. Search for reds, golden yellows and rusty browns hidden in the grounds using the autumn colour hunt key. Intrigue and curious conundrums are part of the Halloween riddle trail from Saturday 22nd to Sunday 30th when little ones can also hunt for witches, wizards, cats and toads exploring the gardens with the aid of trail sheets. A chocolate treat awaits at the end.
Spot the pumpkins hidden across the Pleasure Garden and have fun strolling through crunchy leaves at Petworth from Saturday 22nd to Sunday 30th. Search out seasonal colours and different leaf shapes at Petworth that are marked on the colour catcher chart. Collect what you find, then help create deer shaped wild art installations by attaching your leafy collections to the animal models.
Gin lovers listen up! Did you know there’s an award-winning distillery in the beautiful village of Ripley? Distillers Of Surrey are a family run business on the picturesque Papercourt Lake, Polesden Lane. If you’re yet to discover this hidden treasure, check out their opening times at www.distillersofsurrey.com or book one of their popular distillery tours where you’ll be welcomed with a G&T and enjoy an interesting tour. Younger ones aren’t forgotten with spooky Halloween craft to enjoy on Saturday 29th.
Autumn leaves and fiendish fun
Ellie Cox
family fun
It may feel as if the children have only just gone back to school, but already it’s time for half term. So, if you’re in need of some ideas to amuse them and save your own sanity, read on…
This time of year may be the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, but it’s also the time for ghostly goings-on when things go bump in the night and you can’t help bumping into a pumpkin or two!
Come and explore the first-ever pumpkin patch at The Earth Trust Centre at Wittenham Clumps from October 22nd to 30th. Pick your own direct from the field on the farm and try not to get lost in the maize maze. Get your boots muddy and your hands grubby, as you and your little ones have fun with one of our favourite autumn harvest vegetables. Morning and afternoon sessions. Booking essential.
A spooky, fun-filled, after dark trail awaits all the family this half term at Blenheim Palace, 21st to 30th, complete with new installations for 2022. Join with family and friends to wander from dusk into darkness between one ghostly space and another… if you dare! Watch out for flickering flames in a fiendish fire garden, daring fire artists and grinning pumpkins. Wind your way through the illuminated haunted woods filled with creepy neon cobwebs, ghastly ghouls, wicked witches, larger-than life spiders and beastly bats. Then discover the Secret Garden filled with more hidden surprises. Could it be a trick of the light or do things really go “bump in the night”?
Join fascinating, free, family-friendly events at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford this half-term. The Festival of Social Science is a celebration of creative, challenging, and inspiring work that social science researchers do to help us understand and influence the world around us. Hands-on activities are led by real-life social scientists. Discover the future of going to the doctors, explore what better cities could look like, uncover hidden histories in the museum’s collections – and much more! Find out how the researchers are helping to make the world a better place. Just drop in on 29th and 30th.
Hear spooky stories from 1,000 years of gruesome history come to life during a Spooky Tour at Oxford Castle on October 15th and 21st to 31st. Are you brave enough to visit one of the most haunted places in the UK? Explore the vaulted well chamber, visit the punishment cells and go underground into the dark and spooky crypt. Watch out for ghostly visitors revealing themselves! Underground in the crypt, a cauldron is brewing; with the help of the castle’s resident warlock you can concoct some magical potions with three exciting activities in this hour-long workshop on selected dates.
Take part in the Waterperry Halloween Hunt throughout October half term, 15th to 30th. Follow the trail through the historic gardens to claim your prize at the end.
Follow the clues around the mysterious world of Tumblestone Hollow and the Gardens at Stonor to win a chocolate prize (or an alternative treat) on the Moon Witch’s Halloween Adventure. Folk of Tumblestone Hollow will be reading stories from The Moon Witch and The Thief and giving away spooky temporary transfers. There will be pumpkins galore and ghoulish surprises in this magical spot.
Corn Exchange Newbury and 101 Outdoor Arts and The Base Greenham are excited to be presenting a range of fabulous shows, events and workshops to keep families and little ones entertained this October half term! From shows like Fireman Sam, Morgan & West: Unbelievable Science and a stage adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s The Dark on stage, and spooky screenings of Halloween classics in the cinema, to crafty workshops and fun art courses across the Learning Centre, 101 and The Base, including pumpkin carving and Halloween themed t-shirt printing – it’s going to be a fang-tastic half term! Find out more at www.cornexchangenew.com
Enjoy a free guided tour at the Living Rainforest this half term and explore the theme of ‘poisonous and venomous’ in keeping with it being Halloween. The centre is home to more than 850 species of plants and animals and visitors can experience the sights, sounds and smells of a lush tropical rainforest environment.
Children can enjoy some autumn crafts in the barn at the historic site of Avebury, as well as a half-term family trail from 22nd to 30th.
LEGOLAND’s Brick or Treat presents Monster Party, where the LEGO® Monsters are taking over this October. Join them at the Brick or Treat Monster Party to celebrate their fantastic new 4D Movie The Great Monster Chase!. There’ll be amazing new experiences, live shows, fantastic LEGO decorations and lots of Monster mischief. The LEGOLAND Windsor Resort will be transformed into a pumpkin-filled wonderland for what promises to be the most frightfully fun event of the year.
Big friendly spooktacular family fun is promised at HalloWellyWeen at Wellington Country Park from Saturday 22nd until Sunday 30th. Enjoy daily shows and story telling at The Witches Show Tent, comedy duo Big Foot and PeteZa in The Not So Spooky Show Tent, get face to face with creepy crawlies in The Lost Jungle and carve a pumpkin in The Pumpkin Patch. The pop-up play village, Halloween themed miniature train and new for 2022 Junk Jodie with recycled Halloween crafts will all add to the entertainment.
Explore the lost village of Stowe as part of the Halloween trail at the National Trust property during October half term, expect some chants and spells along the way together with rare opportunities to explore the spookiest of Stowe’s monuments, the Gothic Temple on 29th and 30th.
Follow the paths of the Wicked Witch Trail around Lamport Garden on a spooky exploration from Saturday 22nd to Monday 31st. Help find the ingredients for a secret Stowe potion, learn some chants and spells, and enjoy the magical colours that can be found there.
Chilterns Walking Festival October highlights
Liz Nicholls
family fun
Enjoy walk, foraging, local & literary history, cream tea, garden tours and more as part of Chilterns Walking Festival, 15th-30th October.
The tenth Chilterns Walking Festival features a programme of more than 50 walks and local events to help you enjoy the autumn splendour, the golden beech trees and hedgerows bursting with colour.
Highlights include Pipsticks walks on the day before All Hallows Eve for a spooky walk along the River Thames and lots of ghostly tales from the riverbank! Or take a Walk on the Dark Side with an exhilarating stroll through Bones Wood and Crowsley Park, tuning into the sounds and sights of the night, and ending at the pub for hot chocolate.
50 walks and local events to help you enjoy the autumn splendour
There’s also a foraging walk among the magnificent sweet chestnut trees to learn about and enjoy the bountiful autumn fruits of the forest. Literary walk discovering” in south Oxfordshire including the house where he once lived.
Discover and walk some of the ancient routes which criss-cross the Chilterns, exploring Drovers routes and the Slow Ways historic routes. There’s a nature walk at Aston Rowant to celebrate the 70th anniversary of National Nature Reserves. Join the rangers to see the wildlife that makes them so special, finishing with tea & cake.
Tour guide Bobbie Latter will take you on a guided walk around historic Marlow, followed by a hands-on lace-making experience and a delicious afternoon tea. Plus there are map reading courses, pub walks, local produce tasting, historic garden tours and much more.
Find out more
For full info please visit visitchilterns.co.uk/walkingfest
Happy birthday to The Parade Cinema!
Round & About
family fun
We join The Parade Cinema team in celebrating their first anniversary and can’t imagine Marlborough Town without them, one year after opening.
Since opening last September, they have served 1.8 tonnes of popcorn, poured 19,600 glasses of wine and 38,000 cups of coffee and shown a total of 583 different films, spread across the regular Kids’ Club, subtitled films, Parent & Baby sessions, as well as live performances from The Royal Opera House, Met Opera and National Theatre.
Cinema manager David Williams says: “It’s been an amazing first year and so exciting to be able to bring cinema back to Marlborough. The reception has been incredible, and it’s truly wonderful to see how the people of Marlborough have flocked to The Parade. I am so proud of what the team have made here and all the events we have been able to put on. We have some exciting things happening between now and the end of the year, and 2023 is looking like an incredible year for film.
“There has been lots going on, and it’s great to contribute to such a brilliant community with our pop-up events, including our very successful Family Music Festival and Easter Bunny Hunt – we genuinely feel we have something for everyone.
“As a cinema, the films take centre stage, and our most popular in this opening year has been Top Gun Maverick, which has been viewed by nearly 6,500 people, closely followed by No Time To Die. Belfast, Downton Abbey, Dune, Elvis, Liquorice Pizza and Boiling Point.”
“It’s great to contribute to such a brilliant community with our pop-up events.”
The Parade Cafe is a great place to meet friends and enjoy delicious food made in-house by the fantastic team. And with their heated outdoor courtyard and fabulous bar, you can be sipping a cocktail, a pint of beer, gin & tonic or cup of coffee and enjoying the beautiful surroundings of this historic building.
There is so much to look forward to in the coming months with the Halloween Hunt for Kids’ Club on Saturday, 29th October, and a Film Festival & Christmas Market (with live music and a visit from Father Christmas) from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th December.
The Parade Cinema’s weekly newsletter gives you film and ticket information and advance notice on special events. You might like to become a Friend of The Parade with an annual membership which gives you free tickets, early booking, discounts on tickets, food & drink, and local businesses.
Find out more
See their website www.theparadecinema.com
Discover dog-friendly venues in Newbury
Round & About
family fun
Newbury Business Improvement District are launching a new Dog-Friendly Trail Map in time for National Dog Day
The handy pocket Dog-Friendly Trail Map has launched online in advance of National Dog Day on Friday, 26th August, to help raise awareness of Newbury’s dog-friendly venues in the town centre.
The guide also supports the national and independently owned cafes, coffee shops, pubs, and eateries.
Copies of the map are due to be distributed in matching display boxes to all 20 independent businesses and some of the national brands featured, as well as at the 48 independent businesses included on the Independent Retail Map, launched in July.
There will be a further map in late summer / early autumn, this time sporting a vegan-friendly theme
The Dog-Friendly map includes a brief description of each venue and is set to become a useful resource for dog owners to discover the best dog-walking routes within walking distance of the town centre, while signposting to dog-waste bins in and around the area to encourage keeping Newbury clean and tidy. View the map online at: visitnewbury.org.uk/maps.
The themed maps produced by the BID are the second in a series of town centre maps for Newbury under the umbrella term ‘Newbury Town Trail Maps’.
Newbury BID, the not-for-profit organisation behind the Visit Newbury brand will also be releasing a further map in late summer / early autumn, this time sporting a vegan-friendly theme. This map will promote 59 vegan-friendly businesses extending from hospitality to retail and hair and beauty venues across the town centre.
The aim of our beautifully illustrated pocket guides and online interactive Town Trails is to help support our local businesses and raise the profile of our wonderful town centre
Kirsty Lemberger, Marketing Manager at Newbury BID, says: “We’re so pleased with our dog-friendly trail maps and hope the handy pocket-sized format will encourage dog-walkers to use the map on a regular basis to locate dog waste bins in the town centre and enjoy exploring new dog-walking routes in the area.
“The aim of our beautifully illustrated pocket guides and online interactive Town Trails is to help support our local businesses and raise the profile of our wonderful town centre. Launching our dog friendly map in line with the nationally recognised National Dog Day will help to increase awareness further while supporting a cause important to dog-lovers in West Berkshire and beyond!”
Maps are available to collect across the town centre at most businesses featured on the map, and from Newbury Library, West Berkshire Museum, and in the Old Town Hall.
If you run a business in Newbury Town Centre and would like to be included on an upcoming map, please email: [email protected].
To find out more about what’s happening in Newbury, please visit: visitnewbury.org.uk/newburys-calling.
LEGO’s super-sized celebration cake
Round & About
family fun
Check out this super-size LEGO cake to celebrate LEGOLAND hotel’s 10th birthday & welcoming visitors for fun
There were no soggy bottoms in sight when a birthday cake with a difference was unveiled at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort to kick off its 2022 season.
The talented model makers at LEGOLAND Windsor have been hard at work building a super-size LEGO cake. Standing at an impressive four-foot-tall, built using an incredible 18,272 LEGO bricks, weighing over 50kg and with ten LEGO candles included, the supersize cake is now on display outside the 148 room LEGOLAND Hotel throughout its milestone birthday year.
With ten LEGO candles included, the supersize cake is now on display outside the 148 room LEGOLAND Hotel throughout its milestone birthday year and is the latest incredible LEGO model on display at the Resort and Hotel.
Helen Bull, Divisional Director at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, said: “We’re well and truly in party mode this year, as we open the Resort for our 2022 season. We have so much for families to enjoy, from our new brick building experience – The Brick – opening in April, to the first anniversary of the UK’s first flying theatre ride Flight of the Sky Lion in LEGO MYTHICA.
Helen Bull, Divisional Director at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, said: “We’re well and truly in party mode this year, as we open the Resort for our 2022 season. We have so much for families to enjoy, from our new brick building experience – The Brick – opening in April, to the first anniversary of the UK’s first flying theatre ride Flight of the Sky Lion in LEGO MYTHICA.
“The LEGOLAND Resort Hotel is celebrating 10 years since it first opened its doors in March 2012 and we’re marking this milestone with a host of celebrations including the unveiling of our giant LEGO birthday cake! We can’t wait to welcome families back into the Resort this year and hope that guests will join us at the hotel for a slice of real cake very soon.
”Guests to the LEGOLAND Resort Hotel during this celebratory year will see LEGO Ollie the Dragon receive a birthday makeover as he guards the hotel entrance sporting a colourful party hat. The party atmosphere continues inside the hotel where guests will be greeted with sweet scent of birthday cake as step foot inside the reception. With an array of party decorations, new party evening entertainment, pop badges up for grabs, birthday themed food and drink items added to the menu and fun new birthday themed LEGO building challenges.
But that’s not all! To add to the bricktastic excitement, families staying at the Resort Hotel and Castle Hotel in 2022 will now get priority access to the rides from 10am-11am*.
Overnight stays at the LEGOLAND Hotel are from £90per person for a bed and breakfast stay with one day entrance into the theme park. Guests visiting the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort this year can look forward to a host of great attractions including a brand new brick building experience ‘The Brick’ coming to Miniland this April. Kids and their parents can fully immerse themselves in this new experience filled with thousands of LEGO bricks while building, LEGO masterpieces together.
Intrepid explorers can also voyage through the portal to visit the parallel universe of LEGO MYTHICA®, full of epic adventures, powerful guardians and mythical creatures waiting to be discovered. Families can soar through the skies on the UK’s first flying theatre ride, Flight ofThe Flight of The Sky Lion is found in the heart of the multi-million-pound land.
For more details on the LEGOLAND Windsor Resorts opening times and the Resort Hotel’s 10th anniversary year, or to book a stay visit www.legolandholidays.co.uk
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