• Anne Boleyn – be her last judge and jury
Thursday 13 March, audience to be seated by 7.20pm
Stamford High School, Main Hall
Tickets in advance only are priced £7.50/£6 on 01733 237456
Lesley Smith, the Curator of Tutbury Castle, is the speaker and gives a fascinating insight into the life and death of the doomed Anne Boleyn. The content is suitable for ages sixteen plus only.
• Annual Good as New Designer Clothes Sale
Friday 14 March 5pm – 8.30pm and Saturday 15 March 8.30am to 1.30pm
Barnsdale Lodge Hotel, The Avenue, Nr Oakham
Entry to Friday’s sale is by ticket only priced at £15 to include champagne and canapés by Hambleton Hall. Tickets available on 01572 724400. Admission is free to Saturday’s sale.
Always eagerly anticipated, the Rutland Cancer Macmillan Good as New Clothes Sale offers a superb array of designer clothes and accessories from labels such as Louis Vuitton, Armani, Gucci, Yves St Laurent and many more. If you have high quality, clean, good as new clothing, shoes, hats, bags or belts to donate, call Elizabeth Mills on 01780 460630.
• Stamford Mid-Lent Fair
Monday 3 March to Saturday 6 March
Further information from Stamford TIC on 01780 755611
or visit www.stamfordfairsociety.co.uk
Promoted by The Stamford Fair Society, the annual Stamford Mid Lent fun fair is the largest street fair in Lincolnshire, and one of the major events of its kind in the country. The streets of Stamford together with part of the Meadows will be filled with all the latest travelling rides, traders and stalls of all kinds within a carnival atmosphere. The fair has been held in Stamford since the Middle Ages and is so much a part of the town’s history that it would now take an Act of Parliament to stop it happening.
• The Shire Horse Society Spring Show
Saturday 15 March to Sunday 16 March
The East of England Showground, Peterborough
Further information on 01733 234451or visit www.shire-horse.org.uk
The two-day spectacular, organised by the Shire Horse Society helps raise much needed funds to support the threatened breed and secure its future. Visitors will see hundreds of Shire Horses expertly presented and dressed in their traditional glory. There will be a range of demonstrations and classes featuring in-hand, harness, turnout, ridden, and cross-country driving. Plenty of main ring entertainment is scheduled over the two days, culminating in a grand parade in the afternoon each day. There is fun for all the family, including vintage tractors and farm machinery, a dog agility show, a Victorian funfair and a heritage farmyard.
• Oundle Festival of Literature
Saturday 1 to Sunday 16 March
For full details of all events, dates, times, venues and ticket prices see the Festival brochure or visit www.oundlelitfest.org.uk. Tickets are on sale at Oundle Tourist Information Office on 01832 274333.
Highlights this year include former Liberal Democrat Leader, Paddy Ashdown, broadcaster and political journalist James Naughtie, Gervase Phinn and Francesca Simon author of the immensely popular children’s series Horrid Henry. Organisers also look forward to welcoming Professor of English John Mullan who will lead a stimulating talk about how novels work, the distinguished poet Jackie Kay presenting her sensitive and wry perspective on multicultural Britain and newspaper cartoonist Posy Simmonds who will entertain with her latest illustrated novel. There will be a workshop session on writing romantic fiction with Sharon Kendrick, who has written over sixty books for Mills and Boon. There are some superb workshops and fun events for children and families - some featuring the author of the Blue Kangaroo Series, Emma Chichester and the author of the Princess Poppy series, Janey Louise Jones. The community events programme will include special interactive sessions for everyone, free of charge at libraries, museums and cinemas in the area so find out more, get involved and have some fun.
• Spring at Burghley House
Friday March 21 to Wednesday 30 April Burghley House, Stamford
Admission will be by charity donation. Miranda Rock and her family will open the private south gardens for the fantastic annual display of spring flowers.
• Horticultural Society Spring Show
Saturday 29 March
United Reformed Church, Broad Street, Stamford
To enter or for further information, call 01572 823576
Come and see a wonderful display of spring flowers. Looking ahead, the Society holds their annual summer show on Saturday 23 August at the same venue with classes for everything from cakes to onions. Entries are welcome from non-members for both shows.
• Childrens Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Sunday 23 March
Burghley House, Stamford
Further information on 01780 752451 or visit www.burghley.co.uk
Starting in the Garden of Surprises, this Easter Egg Hunt is free with a ticket to visit the house and is followed by an adults Egg Hunt on Easter Monday. Fun for the children, and a chance to let off some energy in the gardens.
• Children’s’ Easter Trail
Monday 24 March, Easter Bank Holiday from 11am -4pm, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Easton Walled Gardens
Admission is £4.75 for adults, and £1 for children, Easter trail £2
www.eastonwalledgardens.co.uk
Great fun for 2-10 year olds who will love exploring the Gardens, there is masses of space for running about and lots of wildlife and flowers to discover.
• Easter Egg Hunts, Lambs and Chicks
Tuesday 25 March to Sunday 20 April
Sacrewell Farm and Country Centre, Thornaugh, Peterborough PE8 6HJ
For further information and admission charges call 01780 782254
Take the tractor ride to the Enchanted Wood to hunt for special Easter Eggs and meet the Easter Bunny. See and hold the newly hatched chicks and bottle feed the spring lambs.
• The Eighteenth Century in Stamford
Throughout March, April and May
Stamford Museum, Broad Street, Stamford PE9 1PJ
Admission is free with further information on 01780 766317
This exhibition takes a fresh look at Stamford Museum’s permanent displays
on the eighteenth century and gives the public a chance to tell us what they
think and how they might be re-displayed. It also looks at the way Stamford
developed in the eighteenth century.
• Concert
Sunday 2 March, 7pm
Ketton Church
Tickets £10 on the door or available from Peter Gosling on 01780 721015
The Arpeggione Quartet will perform String Quartets by Beethoven, Schumann and Mozart.
• Mary Stuart: Local History comes to Life
Tuesday 11 to Saturday 15 March, 7.45pm
Stamford Arts Centre,
Tickets cost £7.50/£6.50 on 01780 763203
Shoestring Theatre’s spring production, Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller in a new translation by Peter Oswald, has several local connections. It pits Mary Queen of Scots against her rival Elizabeth of England at a fictitious meeting at Fotheringhay Castle, as Elizabeth’s advisors – including the first Lord Burghley - clamour for the Scottish Queen’s head. The meetings between the two Queens form the centre of the play and although they never actually happened, the history of England would have been very different had Mary succeeded Elizabeth to the throne – a thought provoking piece.
• Three great family shows for the April school break
All three shows take place at Stamford Arts Centre during the spring break with tickets and further information available on 01780 763203 or visit www.stamfordartscentre.com
• The Comedy Club 4 Kids
Saturday 12 April, 2pm
Tickets £6.50 or £24 for a family of four
A proper comedy club where the best comedians do their stuff without the swearing or rude bits. Suitable for children of six years and over and their families – running time just over an hour.
• Silly Billy
Wednesday 16 April, 11am and 2pm
Tickets £5 or £18 for a family of four
Billy is a bit of a worrier and can’t sleep – luckily his Grandma knows what he needs to help him overcome his fears.
• Three Billy Goats and other Furry Tales
Thursday 17 April, 2pm and 6pm
Tickets £5.50 or £18 for a family of four
Find out how those billy goats really dealt with that troll – all will be revealed in this family show full of fun with an exciting gypsy soundtrack. Suitable for children aged three years and over and their families – running time one hour with no interval.