Paraffinalia @ Campbell Park, Milton Keynes

This Saturday there's a great free event being held in Campbell Park, Milton Keynes. 'Paraffinalia' is a midwinter Fire Festival celebrating the darkest of days with fire spectacles, processional lanterns and pyrotechnic effects and live performances.

The night kicks off at 7pm, with some amazing walking characters in the Open Air Theatre area who will guide audiences through to the happenings beyond. There will be a parade of lanterns and illuminated structures which will join the celebrations from across the park. People will have the chance to interact with installations and performances, and there will be refreshments including hot food and drinks available. The main event is a 20 minute show, featuring fire performers, traditional re-enactment and live music from 'the Kettle Band'. There will be opportunities to take part in music workshops, led by musician Tim Hill from the fittingly named 'Tongues of Fire.'

This is a free event which is suitable for all ages. Parking on the Campbell Park Events Plateau is limited, otherwise parking at the centre:mk (John Lewis end) or Xscape is recommended.

Visit the Facebook Event Page for more information.

Milton Keynes International Festival Kicks off tomorrow!

The amazing MKIF 10-day festival begins tomorrow, and is set to be bigger and better than last year on a number of levels! With events taking place across Milton Keynes, including two new locations at the Cathedral of Trees and Willen Lake, the themes of sounds and music will be ever present throughout the events. The events are varied and unique as ever, all interpreting the themes in different ways and presenting different nationalities through these works of art. Tomorrow kicks off with a number of events including:

• Architects of Air: Pentalum. A huge inflatable sculpture with domes, labyrinthine tunnels and a variety of colours, Pentalum is a celebration of the beauty of geometry and is inspired by Islamic architecture, Gothic cathedrals, modern architecture and nature. Walk through this luminarium and experience it for yourself! Find it in Middleton hall, centre:mk from Friday 18th- Sunday 27th July, 11am-6pm each day. There will also be a number of concerts taking place over the 10 days within Pentalum, don't miss out on this unusul experience! Adults £4, children £3.

• Rosemary Lee: Under the Vaulted Sky. Award-winning choreographer Rosemary Lee has collected an assembly of over 100 dancers and musicians who will lead the audience on a journey around the Cathedral of Trees in a promenade performance. This will draw on history, nature and stories inspired by this unique and magical location. Including live music from composer Terry Mann, this will be an unusual performance in an unusual setting. The performance will run on Friday 18th- Sunday 20th at 2pm, 4pm and 7pm. Adults £7, children £5.

It's camping month!

June is technically the start of the summer, and so it's not quite so surprising that it's the official month of camping, whether or not the weather will agree with this is another matter! One of the joys of camping (oh there are many), are that once you've got the equipment, it's fairly easy to take off on a relatively last-minute trip. Weather aside, the benefits of camping are great (or even glamping if you're not a fan of sleeping on a camping mat, have a look at some of these pictures!) It gives you a chance to spend some time in the great outdoors, away from the stresses of work and away from technology and tv, and gets you spending time with your loved ones in, what is hopefully, a calm and chilled environment. If you've got kids, it's a great opportunity to teach them new things, like roasting marshmallows on a bonfire or how to put up a tent, and if you get some clear nights, it's the perfect place to stargaze and soak up the views you just don't get in a busy town or city. With the school holidays creeping closer, now's the time to book your camping trip (either to avid the kids or to get on holiday with yours!) Take a risk and hope for some nice weather, but know that you'll have a great time regardless of the weather, just don't forget your waterproofs! Happy camping!

Fire in Newport Pagnell

January draws to a close and, thank goodness, so far the snow has stayed well away. The same can't be said for the rain though, can it?! We need a nice long spell of sunshine to dry up all those waterlogged fields, but that would be a bit too much to ask for, it seems. How many of you saw the recent fire in Newport Pagnell? While homes temporarily ran out of water while the firefighters tackled the blaze, the surrounding flooded fields seemed somewhat ironic. Thankfully no-one was hurt, and it was eventually under control, despite taking a number of hours.

I heard some people asking how a warehouse of fridges could possibly catch fire, a seeing as they're so cold… well, this is true, they are cold (when switched on!), but it's the large amount of plastic they contain, as well as highly flammable insulation, which causes a fire to spread quickly once starting. In fact, fridges and freezers are the most dangerous household appliance when involved with a fire… so don't let that cool interior fool you!

Let's hope the fire was a one-off, and that February brings us no more fires and some sunny weather! Although Christmas is a distant memory, I still can't quite believe it's almost February… Time sure flies!

Sarah