Events
Craft shop Hobbycraft announce a new Luton store opening
Hobbycraft, the UK’s largest arts and crafts retailer, is opening a new store in Luton on Tuesday 15th October at 9:00am. To celebrate this new store, Hobbycraft is also hosting a grand opening event on Saturday 19th October at 9:00am, with exclusive offers and exciting activities!
The new store at Luton Retail Park will create 20 new jobs in the area, following 220 applications for a variety of roles.
On Saturday 19th October, the new store will be opened by store colleagues who will assist the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Maria Lovell for the customary ribbon cutting. The first 100 customers in store will also receive a free goody bag.
Hobbycraft Luton will have the best crafting experts on hand to help customers develop their artistic skills in a creative environment. A few members of the crafting team include: paper craft expert Jo who specialises in decoupage and origami, Izumi the knitting and crochet expert who loves to express creativity through fluffy yarns, Aless who specialises in cake making, Luc who is a dab hand with a sewing machine, Michaela with her varied art skills and the resident cross stitch expert Arron.
Store manager Jake comments: “We’re really looking forward to opening the doors to our Luton store and share our passion for arts and crafts with the community. We’ve been working really hard to ensure that the store will be packed full of the most exciting crafting products, which will help our customers create handmade masterpieces. Our new colleagues are all dedicated crafters and are ready to inspire and share their knowledge with locals of all crafting abilities.”
Hobbycraft Luton Lockdown Update
Hobbycraft Luton has re-opened its store in Luton following the change in government guidelines and the easing of lockdown restrictions. The safety and wellbeing of Hobbycraft’s colleagues, customers, and communities remains the top priority. Click here for more info.
Milton Keynes Theatre is delighted to announce its summer season of sensational entertainment!
Returning to the venue after a sell-out run in 2019 is the phenomenal Les Misérables, the musical often regarded as the most popular in the world. Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed production arrives in Milton Keynes on Tue 26 Apr for four weeks.
Northern Ballet share their take on the beloved literary classic The Great Gatsby from Tue 24 May, promising the most glamourous party in town.
From Mon 30 May, a whodunnit everyone can enjoy arrives fresh out the boardgame box and onto the stage. Cluedo is the new comedy thriller directed by Mark Bell, director of the award winning The Play That Goes Wrong, which will also be arriving in Milton Keynes on Mon 25 Jul.
Brining life and energy to the immortal songs of the late Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf is the rocking musical, Bat Out of Hell, from 14 June. With all the anthems you know and love, this show is set to be a crowd-pleaser for those inclined to rock ‘n’ roll.
From best-selling author David Walliams comes the Olivier nominated Billionaire Boy from Thu 30 Jun, a winner for the whole family!
Fancy yourself a decoder? Try to decipher the secrets, clues and riddles in The Da Vinci Code from Tue 12 Jul. The world premiere tour of the brand-new stage production stars Coronation Street’s Christopher Harper and Danny John-Jules (Red Dwarf, Death in Paradise).
Take a chance on the ultimate feel-good musical MAMMA MIA! as it returns to Milton Keynes on Tue 2 Aug. Set on a Greek island paradise, this musical is a story of love, friendship and identity, cleverly told through the timeless songs of ABBA. And from one musical legend to another, The Cher Show joins Milton Keynes Theatre from Tue 9 Aug. Get ready to Turn Back Time in this outrageous new musical directed by Arlene Phillips (Grease, Starlight Express) and choreographed by Strictly’s Oti Mabuse.
Willy Russell’s moving Liverpudlian tale, Blood Brothers, then takes to the stage from Tue 30 Aug. Few musicals have been received with such acclaim as this multi-award-winning production which surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End.
Milton Keynes will be screaming Go, Go, Go Joseph this September when the sensational new production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat comes to the Milton Keynes Theatre for two weeks. The family musical which opens on Mon 12 Sep stars Alexandra Burke as the Narrator and Jac Yarrowas Joseph.
Milton Keynes Theatre continues its outstanding programme of one night entertainment this season. The hilarious Menopause the Musical 2 comes to the theatre on Sat 11 Jun. Enjoy an evening with world famous football manager Harry Redknapp on Tue 28 Jun. Strictly professionals Anton & Giovanni team up for an evening of song and dance with their show, Him and Me. And the tribute shows are back! For Rod Stewart fans there’s Some Guys Have All The Luck on Sun 31 Jul, and celebrating the music of Tina Turner is What’s Love Got To Do With It on Sun 4 Sep.
After a two year break, Rock in the Priory 2022 is back and will be at its usual location on the Priory Island on Sunday, 17th July.
Showcase auditions were held at Southern Maltings on the April 10th and helped determine the line-up for the main event. The organisers are grateful to all the musicians who came along to perform.
The high standard of performances made the selection process difficult. The seven bands and three acoustic acts who will be entertaining the crowds on July 17th are listed below.
Quivering Lip
Quivering Lip are a two-piece originals and cover band playing rock and brit pop anthems. Quivering Lip wrote and recorded their first 5 track album Generation Panic in 2018, following it up with a new release “Ashes” in April 2019.
Quivering Lip are a two-piece originals and cover band playing rock and brit pop anthems.
Uptown Punk
Uptown Punk are a high energy, 5-piece pop/punk band, covering fan favourites from 90s to present. Their set is full of well known pop/punk tunes, with a bit of Rock thrown in. Artists covered include; Blink 182, Green Day, The Offspring, Foo Fighters, Sum 41 and many more.
Uptown Punk are a high energy, 5-piece pop/punk band, covering fan favourites from 90s to present.
Grace Whitford
Grace is a singer, pianist and songwriter based in Hertfordshire specialising in acoustic pop, golden oldies, jazz and much more. Take a moment to listen/watch her Thinking Out Loud cover.
Other artists performing at Ware Festival’s Rock in the Priory include Adam Fearn, Mr No Face, Back to the 50s, George Croucher, Junkyard Dolls, Second Bite, The Routine.
Ware Festival and Rock in the Priory
The last Rock in the Priory was held in 2019. This annual event is known for its excellent atmosphere and energy. It takes place in the unique setting of the Island bandstand, nestled within seven acres of picturesque riverside gardens of the 14th century Ware Priory building. Tickets in advance are £5 entry or a family ticket at £15 for two adults and up to four children. Further details about Ware Festival and Rock in the Priory can be found on rockinthepriory.co.uk
May half-term will see the return of our ever-popular Colourscape as well as the chance for children to discover the animals of Waddesdon with a brand new Birds and Beasts family trail.
In June, outdoor theatre will also be returning to Waddesdon’s lawns. Visitors can enjoy an evening of Shakespearean comedy as well as a performance of The Teapot Prince, a contemporary reimagining of a lost 18th-century ballet that hasn’t been staged for over 280 years!
Eythrope Garden Tour © Waddesdon, A Rothschild House & Gardens. Photo Paul Hewes
Eythrope Walled Garden Tour
Every Wed from 18 May – 19 Oct, 10.15am & 1.15pm
Discover the four-acre walled garden, glasshouses and orchard at Eythrope, the private Rothschild garden. Visits are by guided tour only and include a light meal with savoury and sweet elements inspired by the produce from Eythrope.
Adult £50. Includes a meal in the Manor Restaurant, free Grounds admission and shuttle bus.
Marchesi Frescobaldi is one of Italy’s most celebrated winemakers, and their global ambassador will be hosting a magical evening at Waddesdon.
An Italian Feast with Frescobaldi
Sat 28 May, 7pm
Marchesi Frescobaldi is one of Italy’s most celebrated winemakers, and their global ambassador will be hosting a magical evening at Waddesdon. Wine-lovers can sample a glass of Frescobaldi sparkling wine in the atmospheric cellars, followed by a delightful five-course dinner served with carefully-selected wines.
£99.50 per person (over-18s only)
Colourscape
May Half-Term Sat 28 May – Sun 5 Jun (inc Mon 30 & Tue 31), 10.30am-4.30pm
This May half-term, an immersive experience of colour, light, space and music lands on Waddesdon’s lawns. Returning to Waddesdon for its eighth year, Colourscape is for visitors of all ages and promises an extraordinary experience you will not forget.
Advance booking recommended. Adult £6, Child £4; plus normal Grounds admission applies.
May Half-Term at Waddesdon
Family Visitors on the South Front Parterre © Waddesdon Manor, National Trust. Photographer Chris Lacey
Birds and Beasts trail
Sat 28 May – Sun 5 Jun (inc Mon 30 & Tue 31), 10am-4pm
Enjoy fresh air and family fun this May half-term. Discover the animals of Waddesdon with a new outdoor Birds and Beasts trail, adventure in the Woodland Playground and then refuel with a delicious family picnic.
£3.50 per trail (inc souvenir), plus normal Grounds admission applies. One trail per child
Cellar visit and tasting
Every Fri, Sat & Sun from 15 Apr – 31 May, 12noon
Join one of Waddesdon’s wine experts for a short tour of the atmospheric wine cellars, which house over 15,000 bottles of Rothschild wine, before an informal tasting of two Rothschilds wines.
£7.50 per person (over-18s only), plus normal Grounds admission applies
What’s On at Waddesdon in June 2022
Cast of the Ballet des Porcelaines at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Villa Albertine’s headquarters at the Payne Whitney Mansion in New York City. Photo by Joe Carrotta
The Teapot Prince
Thu 16 & Fri 17 June, 6-9pm
A contemporary reimagining of the lost 18th-century French Ballet des Porcelaines—The Teapot Prince—will be performed in the fairy-tale grounds of Waddesdon Manor, bringing to life a story of magic, desire and exotic entanglement.
Tickets include a talk by the ballet company, exclusive access to the Manor’s west galleries and a chance to preview an Edmond du Waal display until 8.30pm.
Adult £32, Child £16
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Image © Lord Chamberlain’s Men
As You Like It – The Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Thu 23 June, 6pm gates open
One of the UK’s finest touring theatre companies, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, invites you to join them once again for an evening of sparkling Shakespearean comedy in the grounds of Waddesdon Manor.
Adult £20.50, Child £11
Dinner in the Manor Restaurant © Waddesdon Manor, National Trust. Photographer Pascale Cumberbatch
Dinner with Gusbourne Estate Wines
Sat 25 Jun, 7pm
Celebrate the wines of one of England’s most renowned and innovative winemakers at Waddesdon. Enjoy a sparkling aperitif in the atmospheric wine cellars, followed by a delicious five-course dinner served with wines from the Gusbourne Estate’s wonderful portfolio.
£99.50 per person (over-18s only)
