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.

Macmillan Coffee Morning:

Tomorrow with Jane Smith financial Planning

Come along tomorrow morning to enjoy coffee, cakes, entertainment and shopping, all in aid of Macmillan cancer support.

Held at 7 Osier Way, Olney, MK46 4DT from 9.30am-12.30pm, there are a variety of companies showcasing for you to enjoy. Bring a friend and have some cake and coffee while browsing the stalls, all for a good cause.

Companies on offer will include:

• Jane Sumner from Image matters, offering short taster sessions showing women how the correct colours can help create a younger, taller, slimmer look and help you gain confidence and improve self esteem. 
• Tina Horn from Heart of the Home will have a stall with a selection of handmade products from cushions to wooden signs and bunting.
• Nicky Marchant from Joy Health Coaching will be there to discuss programmes which can help people manage stress levels through a combination of nutrition, meditation, fitness and holistic approaches. 
• Jane Stevens Holistics will be showcasing some of her massaging techniques, including back and shoulder massage and Indian head massage. She will also be showing some Reiki and answering questions, so it's a great opportunity to find out more.

And so it ends... the Great British Bake off is off the screens

The Great British Bake off has come to an end, and while some of you may be weeping, others are rejoicing, both at the results and at the fact that it is over for another year. If you have yet to watch the final and are trying to avoid knowing who won, read no further!

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!

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!

National Carrot Cake Day

I'm never sure how many of these 'National days' to believe… but this is one I'm happy to go with. National carrot cake day- an excuse to eat cake, does it get any better?!

I've dug out a carrot cake recipe from the BBC Good Food website so you can have a shot at making your own and really get involved with National carrot cake day!