Beer Festival- Easter weekend

You don't have to wait for summer for this Beer Festival! The Club at Hanslope are holding a Beer Festival from Friday 3rd April until Sunday 5th, open from noon-11pm every day. There will be a number of Real Ales and Ciders from local breweries, with live music every day, quizzes, games and competitions for all the family.

On Friday there will also be 'The Wheel of Fortune', and on Saturday there'll be a quiz to see how well you know your beers, with great prizes to be won. The Clermont vs Northampoton rugby kicks off at 5.40pm, and there will be live music with The Jazz Collective from 8pm.

Easter Sunday (5th) includes a great variety of Easter-themed events. There will be a giant Easter egg raffle and drawing and colouring competitions for children, with chocolate egg prizes. From 5pm there will be live music with Chaos Theory, and at 7pm the festival will close with a quiz night.

All are welcome, and admission is free, sky and BT Sports available every day. Don't miss out on a great event this Easter weekend, in just over a week's time.

Weekend what's on Listings...

As always there's a weekend filled with activities and various things to do coming up, why not visit one of these events with family or friends this weekend?

Macmillan Coffee morning, run by Jane Smith financial planning. Come along between 9.30am and 12.30pm to 7 Osier Way, Olney for cake, coffee, entertainment and shopping from a range of local shops and businesses.

Ampthill Fireworks- Possibly one of the last local fireworks events of the year, the Ampthill display features a pre-show of live acts, fairground and various food outlets, with the lighting of the Ampthill beacon at 7.30m and fireworks starting at 8pm.

'The Pad Presents' Heaven 17 and Blancmange at Bedford Corn Exchange. Kicking off at 7.30pm, it's a show featuring two of the UK's most original experimental synthesiser bands. Tickets cost £22.50.

Olney Senior Citizens Club run every Friday, this week it's a night of whist.

Bedford Art Society- featuring John Somerscales. 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. John Somerscales has been involved in the visual arts his entire working life. He has staged exhibitions, exhibited at the Mall gallery in London and has published articles in Paint and The Artist magazines. He will be at the art society in order to talk about composition, and demonstrate watercolour landscape painting. Entry is free for members, £5 for visitors.

The Bedford branch of the Royal Anglian Regiment Association meets on the first Friday of the month at The Keep, Bedford Road, Kempston. The bar opens at 7.30pm and meetings begin at 8pm. Ex Servicemen/women from any arm are invited to join.

Coffee morning and bric-a-brac table top sale at Olney United Reformed Church. From 10am-1pm.

Cliff Richard tribute pub night, at Westbury Grange, Newport Pagnell. Come along from 7.30pm to enjoy an excellent evening's entertainment at a modest cost (only £6) As well as the tribute act there will be a raffle and nibbles, and the bar will be open for drinks.

HULA animal rescue- Winter warmer at Glebe farm, Aspley Guise. Open form 1-3.30pm, there will be a wide variety of events, including dog parade, children's workshops, bazaar, book sale, Christmas goodies and more. Refreshments will be available in 'the Trough' cafe. Dogs are welcome. Admission is £2 for adults, £1 for children.

Bletchley Park Presents- Remembrance Parade. Held by the Royal British Legion from 9am-11.20am. Starting from Bletchley Park and ending at the Bletchley cenotaph, the Parade will be followed by a service in St Mary's Church, all are welcome to attend.

Plus local remembrance services and parades at your local church or war memorial.

The Club at Hanslope- Beer Festival.  A number of beers and ciders from local breweries, 12 real ales and 3 ciders. Free admission all weekend.
Friday- 6pm-11pm, chip van from 9.30pm
Saturday 12 noon-11pm, International rugby England vs New Zealand at 2.30pm
Sunday 12 noon-11pm, Brazilian Grand Prix at 4pm, Quiz at 7pm.
Sky and BT Sports available all day, games and competitions including skittles, darts and wheel of fortune.

Sunday: Soapbox, Smallspace, Sanctuary & Shopping

Tomorrow (Sunday 13th) brings a host of events to the Milton Keynes area, let's just hope the weather holds out for the ones taking place outside!

Newport Pagnell Soapbox Derby
This year there are a record number of carts entered into the Derby, so even if you're not planning on racing, do come along to cheer on the racers and see the variety of homemade carts on offer; it's always a great morning which involves much of the community. The Working men's club and 'Sew inspiring' will be opening their doors on the day, and the Newport Pagnell Baptist Church will be postponing their usual service to provide refreshments for racers and spectators. The Rose and Crown will have a BBQ on the go, and the awards and trophies will be presented there. Spectators are invited to come along for 10am, and racers need to be at Silver Street for 9am.

Smallspace Model Show
It's the model show for all things space, science fiction and fantasy, and it's being held in the Village Hall, Newport Road, Hanslope, between 10am and 4pm. The day presents an amazing mix of models and props from a wide range of science fiction programs, including: Dr. Who, Blake's 7, Thunderbirds and Space 1999, to name but a few. There will be the opportunity to have your photo taken with a Dr. Who UNIT Land Rover, and face-painting will be available for kids of all ages. There will be a special guest: Dirk Maggs, who is a writer, director and producer of a number of award-winning radio shows, best-known recently for bringing The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to a theatrical audience. There will also be Daleks in the car park, and maybe the odd Cyberman... and if all that has you working up an appetite, head to the 'K-9 cafe' for some refreshments. There's a lot going on t this event, so if you have an interest in space, science fiction or fantasy, don't miss out!

HULA Animal Rescue: Children's Open Day
The HULA Animal Rescue is holding another of their regular events, and this time it's a children's open day. There'll be fun for all the family, including bouncy castles, fun and games, and children's workshops in rabbit care and mask making. There'll also be bargains in the bazaar and pet bed shed, and once you've worked up an appetite you'll find delicious refreshments on sale in 'The Trough'. There'll also be the HULA dog parade at 2pm. Entrance is £2, children go free. Come along and support your local rescue centre between 1pm and 4pm.

All day: Don't miss the French Food Market, held at the Castle Ashby Shopping Yard. Come and celebrate 'Bastille Day', which is the French National Day, and there'll be a great selection of traditional French market traders with some authentic, freshly prepared French foods. Bastille Day commemorates the start of the French revolution, and the Storming of the Bastille on the 14th July 1789. Foods on offer will include an extensive variety, such as: French breads, pastries, sweets, condiments, charcuterie, croissants, pain au chocolat, baklava, cakes, gateaux, crepes, waffles, tartiflette, Toulouse and merguez sausage and more, as well as some Spanish and Italian treats. The quality and authenticity of the foods on offer, and the enthusiasm of the stallholders makes this a market well worth visiting. The stalls will be open from 9am until 5pm, don't miss out on some tasty snacks!