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!

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!

Blake: Live @ The Stables MK

Have you seen the August edition of the phonebox magazine online?  If so, you'll have spotted an interview with the well-loved, suited and booted men of Blake. (If not, take a look here.)

Well, from tomorrow night they can be found at The Stables in Milton Keynes for two nights of fantastic music, supported by Camilla Kerslake. Playing a variety of sounds, the UK classical chart toppers and Brit winners are set to entertain, thrill and maybe even turn on the waterworks for young and old alike.

Performing live is what it's all about for Blake, and they're excited to be coming back to the Stables for the next two days. If you haven't already got your tickets, they're just £24 and if you act fast there may be some left, but we can't promise anything! If you're not lucky enough to get tickets this time, we're sure there'll be a next time, and in the meantime why not enjoy some of their music via youtube...

British Beer Festival 2014 @ The Cowpers Oak

This weekend, make sure you get along to The Cowpers Oak in Weston Underwood for the third year of the British Beer and Cider Festival. Last year saw over 500 guests attend over the weekend, and this year is set to be bigger and better than ever before. There will be a great selection of local beers and ciders (more variety than ever before!) great hot food, including roast lamb, the famous Pieminister pies served with peas, mash and gravy on Saturday between 1 and 8pm, and burgers and chips served throughout the weekend. Enjoy these food and drink delights in the beer garden, and enjoy some live music from local talent, including a Saturday afternoon jam session led by local musician Ian Roberts, where all budding musicians are invited to come along and play their own songs. A fantastic local party band, 'My Holiday Romance' will draw the evening to a close with some great tunes.

Sunday is the family day of the weekend, with bouncy castles, kids entertainers, glitter tattoos and more.  The event has a great family feel to it and is a great weekend of supporting local people, with local bands and local beers being key to the event.

Kids go free, and adults are just £5. Visit the Cowpers Oak website for more information.

Free fun at the MK Loveliness Festival this Saturday

This is the third year of the MK loveliness festival; a festival of free community music and arts for all the family run by Inter-action MK. Inter-action MK is a community arts charity which has been running in Milton Keynes for over 35 years. They use arts to help improve the life chances of disabled people and those in challenging circumstances, and helps participants to develop creative, personal and social skills.

The Loveliness Festival is a free day, this Saturday 26th July, running from midday 'till 8pm, and is held at the picturesque grounds of Inter-Action MK's Old Rectory gardens, Waterside, Peartree Bridge, Milton Keynes MK6 3EJ.

The day will include a variety of events, including live music from musicians including James Stimson and Mr Vee, 'The Spider Club' and 'The Bighead' to name just a few, and the night will finish off with a disco in the marquee. There will be live art and refreshments all afternoon, including a great pic 'n' mix selection, ice creams and a cocktail bar.

It's a fun day for all the family, with special activities for the kids, including face painting, bouncy castles, creative workshops, rides and games. 'Pyjama Drama' will be holding free drama sessions for children under 7 to get involved in.

As the name suggests, this should be a  'lovely' day!

For more information visit the Inter-Action MK website.

Elkie Brooks live @ The Stables

Hopefully you'll have seen the interview the Phonebox magazine did with Elkie Brooks this month in preparation for her upcoming gig, tomorrow at The Stables in Wavendon. If you missed it have a look at the image below, or click here to be taken to the online magazine.

Elkie became a household name in the 70's, and to date has released a total of 21 albums. A clearly talented musician, her music has become a family affair, with both of her sons working with her on her music and her husband working as her sound engineer.

Seated tickets for tomorrow's show are sold out, but standing are still available on a limited basis, so if you've got a ticket or are planning on going, don't waste any time in securing a ticket and we hope you thoroughly enjoy yourself!

The show is set to be a great night as ever, with Elkie performing some of her classic hits of blues and jazz, and we're looking forward to seeing one of the most successful British artists of all time perform tomorrow. The night begins at 8pm, don't be late!

Swing Serenade- tomorrow night!

Susan Valliant Speer and her band, The Moonlight Cafe Orchestra (a 5-piece outfit) comes to the Olney Jazz Club tomorrow evening with her new show "Swing Serenade", which celebrates the music of the Second World War. Held at the Carlton House Club on the High Street in Olney, it's set to be a great show with some superb, swinging band arrangements. Don't miss it! Dancing will not be discouraged! The night starts at 8pm. Tickets are £10 on the door.

For more information about the Olney Jazz Club, have a look at their website by clicking here.

Competition Time! Home Alone Star Sings...

Fresh off the press- our June competition is quite a quick one this month, we need your entries in by Thursday 5th June as the prize takes place on the 7th... What is this great prize I hear you say?! Well, who remembers Macaulay Culkin? The child star from those classic films: Home Alone. He is now fronting a band and will be playing at Esquires in Bedford. Slightly different to his times of chasing bad guys and singing with a comb for a mic, Macaulay Culkin has combined the loves of singing and pizza from his Home Alone days...

One of the more bizarre gigs The Pad have ever put on, the band is titled 'Pizza Underground' and is a 'Velvet Underground' cover band with a bit of a twist, a pizza themed twist. The songs of Velvet Underground have been changed to involve pizza themed song names and lyrics, an unusual twist set to provide an interesting show!

From New York's anti-folk scene, the gig is part of their first ever UK tour, and tickets cost £10 in advance- BUT- you can get in for free if you win this very simple competition!

QUESTION TIME!!

What country does the pizza originate from?

Please email your answer to: competitions@phoneboxmagazine.com

or post your answer to:

Phonebox Competition,
Unit 2 Stanley Court,
Olney,
Bucks,
MK46 5NH

The first 2 entires pulled out of the hat will win a pair of tickets each to the gig.

What are you waiting for?! This sounds like one of the most random yet fun gigs around, get those competition entries in to be in with a chance of getting to the show!