TV stars and West End actors launch Milton Keynes pantomime

It’s just 85 sleeps until Christmas. Now that may seem like a long way off, but it won’t be long until the chocolate calendars are being opened and the lights are put in the windows. And MK Theatre is just as ready, launching their festive pantomime last week.

Actor, comedian and TV presenter Bradley Walsh (pictured) made his way to Milton Keynes to launch this year’s pantomime, Peter Pan, after appearing at the venue seven years ago. Playing the mischievous Smee, he will be joined by Britain’s Got Talent favourites Flawless as the pirate crew and Oliver-award winning actor David Bedella as the master of villains, Captain Hook.

Joining them on the decks is Wicked and West End star George Ure as the boy who doesn’t want to grow up and Victoria Tyrell as Wendy Darling.

Running from December 5 until January 11, the theatre’s traditional pantomime is sure to be full of the booes, hisses and swashbuckling adventures, as well as some flying.

Speaking at the launch, Bradley said: “I can’t wait to be back in Milton Keynes. I have been dying to get back, but my schedule over the past seven years hasn’t allowed me. However, this year I’m back with a show that will be fun for everyone – especially me!”

Street dance troupe Flawless added: “When you have a good cast like this, you know it will work. We’ll all have fun with it, and to act as part of it too.”

The full cast arrive in Milton Keynes in November to get rehearsals under way, but you’ll have to wait for our December edition to see the full cast interviews.

Tickets available to book now from atgtickets.com or (0844) 871 7652.

Dartmoor pony on your plate?!

Following the scandals of horsemeat getting into our foods last year, you'd be surprised to hear that there have been recent discussions suggesting that such meat is actually deliberately introduced to our shelves... One conservation group has suggested that the only way to save Dartmoor's hill ponies is, ironically, to eat them. The Dartmoor Hill Pony Association has proposed that the best way to encourage the pony herders to keep their herds is to create a market for their meat. The reasons behind it is simply that they believe the ponies will have a much higher chance of finding a new home at sales if money can be made through their meat. The fear of the Dartmoor ponies disappearing from the hills appears to have driven people to the extreme, stating that the only way of keeping them is to allow their meat to be used for human consumption.

An emotive subject amongst many, it seems highly unlikely that pony meat will become something of a commodity in the UK, especially as ponies and horses are more often seen as companion animals rather than a source of food. However, the view of many societies and conservation groups appears, bizarrely, to be in favour of the introduction of horsemeat in the UK, saying that:

 “As there is so limited a market for ridden ponies, show ponies and conservation grazers, why not promote the free-living Exmoor ponies as a food animal as much as an amenity or aesthetic resource?”

What do you think? Would you eat the horsemeat?! 

International Coffee Day

Every day is an international day of some sort, but the international coffee day seems one worth raising a glass, or mug, to, and today's the day! Being made from a grown source, the coffee bean, it is obviously difficult to tell when coffee drinking was first discovered. The first evidence appears to show coffee drinking starting in the mid 15th century in Yemen. Coffee became popular in England due to the British East India Company, and Oxford's Queen's Lane Coffee House started up in 1654.

Over the years coffee has become a much loved commodity across the world, and nowadays is the source of many social and business meetings, with coffee shops becoming increasingly popular year by year. The phrase 'going for a coffee' is used even by those who never drink coffee, it's become something of a modern day term for going for a drink, whether that be tea, coffee, juice or pretty much anything that's not an alcoholic beverage. Despite the big chains such as Starbucks and Costa having coffee shops left right and centre, the local and unique coffee shops are still popular, and are often even more popular than the big guns due to being a bit different and being supported because they are a locally owned and run business.

Why not take the opportunity of it being 'international coffee day' to visit some of the locally owned coffee (or tea) shops in the Olney area?! There are lots- Beans, Cafe Tosco, Teapots and Much Ado, to name but a few!

Environmental Education

It’s often being said that we need to take better care of our environment and ensure that the next generation grow up knowing about and caring for nature, and most would agree this is the case. But how do we provide this information in a practical way? Environmental education is a key factor in preserving and cultivating the nature around us, and Milton Keynes is on the way to creating something which will hopefully enable this in a big way.

A £500,000 environmental education and visitor centre is currently being built in Howe Park Wood, Milton Keynes, and is set to open in October. The centre will contain classrooms, meeting rooms, an outside decked area and new pond dipping platforms. Set in a beautiful ancient woodland setting, the centre will provide some key steps towards conservation and will help to teach children and adults alike about nearby wildlife and nature and how to help preserve it. Bird and bat boxes will be situated throughout the woodland and boxes for plants and insect homes will also be built. The centre will incorporate low carbon technologies in order to make it even more environmentally friendly, including an air source heat pump and solar panels. This is set to be a great resource for the community, and will hopefully play a big part in helping educate many about nature and how to take care of it.

Initiate Youth Dance Company- New to MK

Initiate YDC is a new contemporary dance company for young people, based in Linford Wood, Milton Keynes.

"Artistically led by Chris Bradley, Initiate adheres and works to professional standards, looking to not only train in a variety of  Contemporary dance styles, but also to produce pieces of high quality dance performance.

Alongside weekly term time technical and creative sessions, the company members have the opportunity to perform in a variety of settings and events. Participants will are be given the chance to work with a range of contemporary artists and to make their own original work through submission of choreographic proposals."

This Saturday they will be holding auditions for new members to join the dance company, for young people between the ages of 13 and 21. Applicants should have some experience in dance, preferably contemporary or ballet but other styles will be considered.

This is an exciting new venture for Milton Keynes, focussed on creating new performance works. If you love dance and are in the age group or know someone who is, have a look at the website here to find out more about how to audition!

This weekend in MK... Vintage, tea, fashion and cider

Recycle the Vintage

This Saturday, Throwback vintage presents their vintage and retro fair at York House, Stony Stratford. Come along and delve into a selection of vintage and retro items and enjoy musical entertainment- rocking rhythm and blues from Lucille. Open from 9.30am-4.30pm, entry is £1 and children under 12 go free.

Tea party vintage-style 

The Milton Keynes and Bedford group are holding a vintage tea party this Saturday in order to raise awareness for Crohns and Colitis UK. Held at the Summerlin Centre, Woburn Sands. Come along for tea, sandwiches and delicious cakes, served in lovely vintage bone china cups in surroundings decked out 1940's/50's style. Kaley Herrick of Vintage Vanity events will be there to entertain, alongside her lovely waiting staff. Dressing up vintage style is optional, but encouraged! Tickets cost £5 for a great afternoon, open from 2-4pm. Please check that there are places still available before you attend.

Friday-Sunday: Autumn Theatre of Fashion

Come along to the centre:mk this weekend to see some of the latest trends to be hitting the stores this autumn/winter. From fashion shows to pamper pods, demonstrations and workshops, the centre:mk's top brands will be showcasing some great fashion pieces. On top of that is the opportunity to win £500 off your autumn wardrobe, don't miss out this weekend! 

Saturday and Sunday: Cider and Juice Making

Campbell Park Pavilion are hosting an opportunity to learn how to make cider and press your own apples to turn it into delicious cider or apple juice! This is a ticketed event which must be booked in advance and costs £15 for the day, which runs from 10am-4pm.

The Future City Debate- MK

Are you intrigued by the communication and technology debates? Tonight at MK Gallery you can enjoy an informative discussion which explores how to make Milton Keynes a well-connected city, and how it needs to respond to the potential of communication information technology. The talk is titled; 'The future of city debate: Connected Lifestyles' and is presented by the Fred Roche Foundation.

Due to changing patterns and behaviour, new ways to access the city's everyday needs need to be explored, and this is what this debate aims to do, alongside stimulating creative discussion and debate around subjects which are key to the growth and vitality of Milton Keynes.

Milton Keynes is a place which is often at the forefront of new ideas, with the soon to be introduced driverless cars and the new electric buses, it is a key place for welcoming new and improved methods of communication technology.

The evening includes a number of speakers from some key positions, including Tim Stonor from Space Syntax, Rick Robinson executive architect, Smarter Cities IBM UK and Professor John Worthington, co-founder of DEGW and Director of the Academy of Urbanism.

Join these experts as they discuss the communication and technology of our city. Doors open at 7.30pm and it's a free event, although pre-booking is essential, click here to book.

Take that, Take That....

For the band which has been through more changes than Katy Perry's hair colour, Take That are heading through yet another change in structure, with the announcement that Jason Orange is leaving the band. For many, keeping up with the comings and goings of the band has become all too much and Take That remain a memory in the past, yet for others, this will come as devastating news.

Having jumped into the charts in the early 1990s, Take That have been one of the most successful British bands ever, with 11 singles reaching number 1 in the charts. 1995 saw Robbie Williams leave the group, bringing the number down to four, and then in 1996 Take That announced they were splitting up. 2005 saw them back on the scene, however, when they released a greatest hits album, followed by an ITV documentary and then a comeback album, Beautiful world. This return to the spotlight left many fans wondering if they were going to be true to their lyrics and be Back for Good this time. Following the success of this album, they'd have been silly not to make the most of being back in the limelight, and in 2011 their Progress Stadium tour featured the return of Robbie Williams and became the most successful in UK and Irish history, selling a huge 1.34 million tickets in under 24 hours.

Jason Orange was apparently recruited initially for his good looks and dancing ability, and didn't actually sing or play an instrument on their first albums, but eventually ended up singing lead on Wooden Boat, the final track on the Beautiful World album. However, despite the long journey of Take That (and maybe because of this long journey) Orange has called time on his role in the band, saying he simply doesn't want to do it anymore. You might have thought that this would bring a natural end to the band's career, but the remaining three members have vowed to go on, in the words of U2, With or without you. 

We're sure many fans will be left in tears following this breakdancing hunk leaving the band, but keep your eyes and ears open, who know's what he'll be going on to next... 

REVIEW – Dawn French: 30 Million Minutes at MK Theatre

No clock watching from this audience member

It was a misty and chilly evening, but the atmosphere was anything but cold in the MK Theatre as hundreds took their seats for one of the venue’s most anticipated shows of the autumn season. 
Famous for her dazzling humour as one half of French and Saunders and as the savvy Geraldine on the Vicar of Dibley, Dawn French was finally arriving in Milton Keynes as part of her 90-date tour, 30 Million Minutes.
She’s one of the UK’s most famous and loved comedians, but her show isn’t stand-up. It’s a monologue, an autobiography, a play and a comedy all rolled into one.
Marching on the stage to a delighted audience, she takes them on a journey through her life and career. As a fan myself, I kept pinching myself that it was the woman herself on stage. Touchingly sombre at parts and delightfully excited at others, her dance to MC Hammer’s Can’t Touch This is something everyone, everywhere, should see. 
She confronts what the press have said about her over the years, and he annoyance at the lack of truth (including a specific gastric band reference). 
It’s a tremendous show, full of laughs and quiet moments of reflection, and she commands the stage for the whole two hours. There was no clock watching from this audience member.
A must for any Dawn French fan, she assures you before you leave that everyone is fabulous in their own way. And it gives you a beaming smile to walk into the night with.

MISCHA ALLEN

Saturday in the Olney area

As autumn begins to hit home and the nights start to draw in, there are a number of events on this weekend to get you out and about in the mild weather in the local area. You can enjoy the picturesque falling leaves alongside the sun (it looks like it's sticking around for a little bit longer!) which will make a beautiful scene, so even if you're just heading out for a walk in the wood, why not grab your camera and take some autumnal snaps!

Saturday 20th:

'We're in the Pink', the breast cancer support charity, are holding their annual auction night at 7.30pm, in conjunction with Willen Hospice. There will be music from 'Error 404', a raffle, hog roast and of course the auction, where there are a number of great lots to be auctioned. Tickets cost £15 for adults and £7.50 per child. All proceeds will be split between We're In the Pink and Willen Hospice. The event will be held at the Olney rugby football club (MK46 4DW)
For more information visit the Facebook event here.

There's another charity event on Saturday, a Macmillan coffee morning at Cold Brayfield village hall in Olney. Come along from 10am to enjoy the coffee morning and village fete with your friends, while raising money for a great charity.

This Saturday, Wollaston Courtyard is holding their first ever food fair. Running from 10am until 4pm, there will be a variety of foods on offer from a great selection of local producers. From specialist cheese makers, to micro brewers, a chocolatier, cakes, biscuits and confection, local honey and fresh vegetables, there will be something on offer for whatever tastes you prefer. As well as all of these foods on offer, there will be a barbecue serving up local meats, and a selection of tasty Cajun and Indian foods. Tea and coffee will be served throughout the day from the tea shop, and there will be an array of vegetarian and vegan snacks available form the 'eyetoeye' shop. Come along and let your senses be tingled by the products of the local area and try something new!

Have a laugh tomorrow night @ Stadium:MK

Tomorrow night- comedy night at Stadium:MK

Head on over to the Ret Dot bar at Stadium:MK to enjoy some no-nonsense comedy from headlining comedian Alun Cochrane and sketch duo In Cahoots.

Alun Cochrane has appeared numerous times on television, featuring on shows including 8 out of 10 cats, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, Mock the Week, Soccer A.M and Live At The Comedy Store. He is a great comedian, set to provide an evening of hysterical entertainment.

In Cahoots have been through the London comedy circuit and featured at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and will be presenting some enthralling sketch comedy to enjoy.

Lloyd Griffith, who has appeared at AAA Stand-up Late and supported Rob Beckett on his sell-out UK tour, will be hosting the evening, and the night as a whole is expected to be a great success.

Doors open at 7.30pm for a 8.15pm start, and tickets cost £10. You can buy tickets and find out more by clicking here.

Competition time!

Don't miss our competition in the Phonebox magazine to win tickets to see the Mighty Hawkwind! Flick to page 59 of the mag or view the online magazine by clicking here.

Simply answer the question and send your answers to competitions@phoneboxmagazine.com or by snail mail to: Unit 2, Stanley Court, Olney, Bucks, MK46 5NH.

Get your photo taken with the Rugby world Cup trophy!

The rugby world cup is launching today with an event in Middleton Hall, centre:mk. 'Too big to miss' is coming to the centre:mk from 9am-6pm. There will be the opportunity to have your photo taken with the Trophy from 12.30pm. There'll be rugby-based interactive activities and games where you can test out your skills, competitions and you'll also be able to meet local clubs. Find out more information about the upcoming rugby world cup, including ticket information. Tickets are on sale from 12th-29th September, and it's not a first-come-first-served basis, simply sign up for the matches you want and if over subscribed the tickets will be balloted out to ensure the distribution of tickets is as fair as possible.

Get the Stadium MK dates in your diary now!

STADIUMMK
01/10 - 20:00	France		-		Canada	Stadiummk
Cat A Cat B Cat C (Child) Cat D (Child)
£150 £115 £75 (£15) £50 (£15)
03/10 - 14:30	Samoa		-		Japan	Stadiummk
Cat A Cat B Cat C (Child) Cat D (Child)
£85 £65 £35 (£15) £20 (£15)
06/10 - 20:00	Fiji		-		Play-Off Winner	Stadiummk
Cat A Cat B Cat C (Child) Cat D (Child)
£60 £45 £35 (£7) £15 (£7)

'Ping' Milton Keynes

Have you come across 'Ping!' in and around Milton Keynes this summer? Well there have been table tennis tables set up across the city to simply allow people to play for free. The initial idea of Ping! was to help build community spirit and involvement in sport leading up to the Olympics, and has been in a number of cities across the country, but Ping! is new to Milton Keynes this year. The tables have even reached as far as Olney, and one of the table tennis tables can be found at Olney Recreational field, next to the children's play area and the river. It's a great opportunity to get into sport in a free way, so make the most of it before the sun really does leave us for good, the nights are drawing in and there's a bit of a chill in the air, but there's still a little bit of sunshine for us to hold on to, so why not enjoy some ping pong while it's here?!

Macbeth at the Mill

How well acquainted with good old William Shakespeare are you? Is he the name linked to the painful hours spent studying at school not understanding what the seemingly made-up language meant? Or is he more of an idol for you, and key to the start of great theatre? Either way, why not experience a live production of Macbeth from the Sharnbrook mill theatre company? In celebration of 450 years since Shakespeare's birth, this production is set to be a powerful representation of the tragedy which is considered to be one of his darkest and powerful works.

If you have yet to be acquainted with Macbeth, or it's just been a while, let us remind you of the storyline... The play is set around a brave general named Macbeth, who receives a prophesy from some witches that he will one day become King of Scotland. This good, upright man allows blind ambition for this prophesy to come true lead him to arrogance, madness and eventually death. This is the shortest of Shakespeare's tragedies, and is being shown at 7.30pm from tonight-Saturday (15th-20th September)

Tickets are available by calling the box office on: 01234 718112, from the Sharnbrook Post Office or online here.

Downton Abbey is back again!

Downton Abbey is loved by many, but has possibly fallen somewhat in the opinions of some since it began following a rather dismal and depressing last couple of series. Following the sudden death of Matthew Crawley at the end of the Christmas episode in 2013 there was affair bit of negativity towards the show for killing off one of the 'favourites', and I'm not sure anyone completely recovered from the dramatic turn of events. Series four then picked up six months after Matthew's death, and had a somewhat slow and unhappy start. Let's see if they can turn it around a bit after the last series seemed to go down well, but didn't have such raving reviews as it maybe used to.

It does look like better things are in store for us with the upcoming season 5, which starts this time next week, Sunday 21st September at 9pm. There are a number of new characters to be seen and, of course, numerous jaw-dropping dramas. Watch the trailer below if you're after a taste of the action before Sunday night, and you'll see a few snapshot of the events coming our way this series! 

The #bingate dramas of the Great British Bake Off

Following the big Olney Bake off at the Big Olney Food Festival, we're wondering how many of you are enjoying watching the ever-popular TV series, the Great British Bake Off? If so, you'll have noticed that this series appears to have that little bit more drama than usual...

The first shocker came last month when one contestant, Iain Watters, was sent packing after throwing his baked Alaska in the bin. Not only that, but accusations then flew around of sabotage, when it turned out that another contestant, Diana Beard, had taken his ice cream out of the freezer, causing the tissue with the Alaska!

Viewers jumped on this drama, and thanks to social media the controversy escalated quickly. '#bingate' became the hashtag for the event, trending worldwide, and people began getting a little too over the top with their outrageous tweets aimed at Diana. A few brands also jumped on the bandwagon and used the opportunity to create a quick bit of advertising, with Innocent drinks and Tetley tea joining in with the drama.

The episode caused uproar all round, with viewers calling for Iain to be reinstated and Diana to be dropped, clearly forgetting in the excitement of it all that the series had actually been filmed months before. Not only that, but Iain then appeared on Newsnight the following evening... and this is where I think we need to stop and remember that this is all about a cookery show! Wow!

Following this drama, viewers were left reeling again last week as there was another surprise, and first ever for the GBBO, with no-one being sent home and the bottom two given another shot! Following Diana's exit due to illness, the question was raised as to whether the contestants were kept in order to keep numbers up, but judges Paul and Mary claimed this had nothing to do with it. Maybe the show is trying to inject a little more drama to the cake baking, but to me it sounds rather too similar to the stunts pulled by shows such as X-Factor and Big Brother, with dramatic twists and turns to keep viewers on their toes and make it more dramatic and less and less predictable.

Whatever the reasons for the comings and not-goings of the contestants, Diana Beard is attempting to set the record straight with her side of the story of the ice cream dramas on 'an extra slice' this week, again reminiscent of the Big Brother and I'm a Celebrity coming out shows.

How do you feel about the whole debacle? We hope your home baking doesn't erupt into quite so much drama! We're about halfway through the series now... so who knows what other dramas may be in store, you may be watching tomorrow's episode on the edge of your seat, and if you've missed out so far, it looks like it might be worth tuning in!

Row row row your boat- What's on this Weekend?

As well as the events on through part of the MK Heritage Open days today, there are also a number of other events on this weekend...

Saturday

The Olney model railway club exhibition will be held at the Carlton house Club in Olney from 10.30am-4.30pm. Come along to see layouts, trade support, society stands and refreshments. Adults cost £2.50 and a family of four is £6.  Visit the website for more information.

The Milton Keynes Regatta also takes place today, consisting of two lane racing over a 500 meter course, with a variety of events in all categories including rowing, sculling, junior, senior and masters events. Racing will begin at 8.30am until 5pm, so do come along and cheer the rowers on at the rowing club on Caldecotte lake.

In the evening, come along to St Laud's Church in Sherington at 7.30pm to hear 'Ed and friends' play a light and varied programme of instrumental and vocal music. Tickets are £8 and are available on the door or from John and Pam Fielding. The concert is being held in aid of Prostate Cancer UK and St Laud's Church.

Sunday

HULA have another of their popular fete and dog show's today, including a variety of activities such as dog classes for all, doggie games and a fun photo competition (bring your pet photos). There will be assorted stalls, fun and games for children, bazaar and book stall and delicious refreshments, and the opportunity to come and meet the resident farm animals. Admission is £2 for adults and £1 for children, with all proceeds going to the care and welfare of HULA's animals. visit the website for more information.

Part of the Milton Keynes Heritage Weekend includes the medieval family fun day at Milton Keynes discovery centre, Bradwell Abbey, from 11am-4pm. The day will include a variety of hands-on activities, such as archery, birds of prey, medieval re-enactors and encampment, face painting, arts and crafts and more. There will be a great selection of refreshments, including hog roast, tea/coffee and cakes.

Visit the Cowpers Oak Country Pub and dining room from 4pm to enjoy 'last of the summer tapas'- enjoy some tapas and sangria as we say goodbye to summer!

Walk walk walk with the Newport Pagnell Muster!

The Sixth Newport Pagnell Muster takes place this Saturday, and is set to be a great day out for all the family. Each year a great number of people take part in the community walking event, many walking to raise money for charities. This year, there are five different walks to choose from, with varying difficulties taking different lengths of time. Each of the walks begins at the United Reformed Church on the Newport Pagnell High Street, and can be started any time from 10am. Full instructions and details of each of the walks will be given at the start from the United Reformed Church.

The key objectives of the Muster are to promote health, charity and fun. It also gives an opportunity to demonstrate the numerous benefits of Bury Field as a well-used amenity, and helps raise money for a number of worthwhile causes. As well as building on community spirit and helping local people get to know one another, it's a great event to invite visitors to the town and share some of the sights and local history. We'd really encourage you to get involved if you can!

Explore the heritage of Milton Keynes this weekend

Starting today, there's a whole weekend of free family fun in and around Milton Keynes as part of the MK Heritage Open Days, which celebrates its 20th year this year. Milton Keynes is home to a lot of history, and there is much to be learnt and discovered from this central place. Have a look at the website for a full list of what's on, there are numerous open days, tours and events, and we've included just a small selection below...

There have been a few events on today so you may have spotted a few, if not then don't worry you've got a few days left and there are some events on this evening for you to enjoy if you have the time.
This evening there is a talk from Kevin Varty; 'The Great War in 10 Objects' held at Milton Keynes Library from 6-7pm. There's also an evening ramble held at Ouzel Valley Park which costs just £1 or is free if you have the MK Heritage Open Days leaflet. Enjoy a tour with the Parks Trust rangers from 6-7pm.

Friday

Again, there are a great number of free events to choose from, including a number of walks, such as a heritage hunters walk around Willen lake, a railway walk and Stoney Stratford town and riverside walk to name just a few.

The Milton Keynes Museum will be holding open days, which today will include their annual beer festival, from 11am-4.30pm with a selection of real ales and cider and a BBQ. Check this out on any day of the open weekend.

There's also the beer and cider festival at the York House Centre with the 12th Cock and Bull real beer and cider festival from midday to 11pm, again it will be continuing over the weekend.

This evening, head over to Milton Keynes gallery for an hour long film titled 'Milton Keynes through the lens', showing images from the 1940s through to the present day. 7.30-9pm.

Don't forget to check the website for the full list of events.

Saturday

A number of the events will follow through from yesterday, but again there is a great selection of free things to do and see.

Bark in the Park, organised by the Parks Trust, is on from 10-11.30am at Tattenhoe Valley and is a chance to walk your dog while meeting other dog owners. Free with the presentation of the Milton Keynes Heritage Leaflet.

Have a look at the Bradwell Windmill at their open day, where you can see the early 1800s windmill restored to working order between 1.30-4.30pm.

Sunday

There's much of the same at the previous days today, so if you've missed something you liked the look of then make the most of the last day of the event today, as well as a few other items, including the exhibition at Double Tree Hilton Hotel celebrating the history of women's football from 7.30am-10.30pm, and a guided walk around the Homeworld '81 exhibition at 11am showing how the buildings have faded over the last 30 years.

There's a great variety of events and activities taking place over these 4 days of the Heritage Open Days, so you've got plenty of opportunities to get involved in something over the weekend.

Download the pdf brochure here.

Edwardian Village Fete and rock 'n' roll- Saturday events

Tomorrow there's an opportunity to travel back in time to the Edwardian era at the Memorial hall, Northampton Road in Yardley Hastings. The Edwardian themed fete and produce show features the star attraction of the 'Picture Postcard Tent', where you can have your very own themed portrait taken by photographer Jo Blackwell. The annual show will feature all the usual attractions, including horticulture and handicrafts, music, traditional games, village stalls, competitions, flower festival, memorabilia, and of course a great selection of foods and drinks.

If that doesn't float your boat, then why not head on over to the Newport Pagnell football club where  "rock 'n' roll hop with Tartan Ted" will be on from 7.30pm till late. £5 admission on the door with proceeds going to the Newport Pagnell Christmas Lights.

Then of course, as you should have seen in the blog earlier today, there's the Big Olney Food Festival taking place all weekend in Olney, there's loads to do so have a great weekend!

BOFF is here!

The highly anticipated event is finally HERE!! (well, almost, it will be by tomorrow!) Due to the great success of previous years, the festival this year has been extended to two days, and it's a weekend full to the brim with various events. Saturday sees the BOFF kick off at midday, the bar opens and the local foodies will be cooking up a storm to provide you with a variety of different tastes. The weekend includes the usual entertainment for all the family, music, food and more... The 'Great Gappo' children's entertainer will be making the crowd laugh at 2pm, and The Great Olney Bake Off competition will be underway at 3pm. There will be music from a variety of acts between 1pm and 10pm, including Alan Houghton, Bolivian Sunshine Dogs, Mad Mods and Englishman and more!

This year Sunday will incorporate the Olney Farmers market, where stallholders will be cooking up some tasty treats for you to try from 9am. The bar will open at 11am, and then from 12 midday the highly anticipated finals of 'Rock with BOFF' will be held. The heats have been going on since July, so from 12-5.30pm you'll be able to see the eight finalists and vote on who should be crowned the winner!

We're hoping the sun will be shining for a great, relaxed and enjoyable weekend enjoying local talent and great foods and drink with friends and family. Don't miss out on this yearly event, it's getting bigger and better every year!