By GEORGE!
The Alnwick Castle offers free entry to George’s and budding Knights - St George’s Day Celebrations at The Alnwick Garden &
Alnwick Castle this weekend -

Namesakes of England’s most famous George are invited to visit the historic Alnwick Castle for free this weekend, as part of the annual St George’s Day celebrations.

And in honour of St George’s reputation as a dragon-slaying knight, all those that visit The Castle dressed like the armour-clad patron, will also gain free entry.

The medieval Castle – which is this year celebrating it’s 700th year as the home of the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland – has an intriguing past, intertwined with tales of knights and heroes. It has its own celebrated ‘Knights Quest’ activities where children can learn the sword slaying tricks of a dragon slaying knight.

This weekend, The Alnwick Garden will also celebrate the spectacular Cherry Blossom Festival. The Garden is the only place in the UK to have such large numbers of Tai-Haku Cherry Blossom.

The annual bloom of the stunning collection will be celebrated with special events: Decorated silk banners, paper lanterns made by The Garden’s visitors, and colourful kites flown over The Garden will create a visual feast for visitors. In honour of the Blossom’s Japanese origin, there will be a Bonsai Tree exhibition, workshops on origami and Japanese folk art calligraphy.

At 2pm on both days, there will be a must-see enchanting parade to the Orchard for the symbolic rite of Spring.

Garden opening times: 10am - 6pm (last admissions 5.15pm).
Visit: www.alnwickgarden.com for details

Castle opening times:

• Grounds open daily 10am - 6pm (last admissions 4.15pm)
• State Rooms 11am - 5pm (last admissions 4.30pm)
• Knights Quest 10am - 5 pm (last admissions 4.45pm)

Visit: http://www.alnwickcastle.com for details

T’s & C’s
Free entry is open to all visitors with the name George (please bring ID) or dressed as a knight.

PAPILLON SHOES FOR CHILDREN SUMMER RANGE

Papillon Shoes for Children are pleased to present their new collection of beautiful summer shoes for boys and girls. Available in a variety of styles and colours including sandals, ballerinas and moccasins, this stylish and fun range has something to suit all tastes. Most importantly, the shoes are expertly made with the child’s comfort and delicate feet in mind so parents can rest assured that sore feet won’t be a problem this summer.

To see the full range visit www.papillon4children.com

2012 COMMUNITY PROJECTS - V GRANTS TO BE GIVEN TO 16 - 25 YEAR OLDS
If you've got an idea for a London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games volunteering project to improve your community, you could apply for a grant of up to £2,500 to bring your idea to life at http://vinspired.com/vcashpoint.

To get your brains-whirring Olympic and Paralympics Games themes include: Sport, Health Culture, Education and Environment

To apply for a vcashpoint grant, you must be aged 16-25, live in England, and be up for running the project yourself. You'll need to show how your project will help other people (not relatives), the environment or your community and how it has been inspired by London 2012.

MAY DAY! MAY DAY!
With spring flowers in bloom and warmer weather on the way, the May Day bank holiday is the perfect time of year to get into the great outdoors and enjoy the very best of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Why not get all the family together and experience traditional May Day celebrations, complete with Morris dancers and May pole dancing, or perhaps take the opportunity to try something out of the ordinary?

From watching noisy battle re-enactments to getting your hands dirty planting pumpkins, there’s something for all the family to enjoy with the National Trust this spring holiday.

What’s more even if we haven’t got an event on, why not enjoy making your own fun? We’ve got gardens that are perfect for practising handstands and cartwheels; coast and countryside brimming with wildlife and historic houses that are full of enchanting characters and stories- great for firing the imagination.

Here’s a selection of the great events and activities taking place on May bank holiday:

Beningbrough Hall, nr York, North Yorkshire
May fair 1 – 3 May 12noon – 4pm
Classic English May Bank Holiday Fair with cream teas, model railways, meccano, morris dancers and a May Pole. Plus 1980s cars on Saturday, 1970s cars on Sunday and1960s cars Monday. For kids and big kids! Normal admission applies, booking is not required.
For more information please call 01904 472027.

Corfe Castle, Dorset
Saxon and Viking encampment, 3 May 10am - 5pm
Enjoy battles and re-enactments of Saxon village life complete with Saxon and Viking traders. But beware the cries of Oden across the Isle of Purbeck…
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional charges.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01929 481294.

Sutton Hoo, Suffolk
Archery at the Hoo 3 May 10.30am - 4.30pm
Try your hand at archery. Enjoy the chance to shoot an arrow and learn more about this ancient fighting and hunting method. Normal admission charges apply, plus £1 for archery.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01394 389700.

Studland Beach and Nature Reserve, Dorset
May Day trail, 3 May 11am-3pm
Find the clues hidden along the beach and find out more about the origins of May Day and the British seaside.
Cost- £2.50 per child.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01929 450259
Please meet at the visitor centre, Knoll Beach. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Stowe Landscape Gardens, Buckinghamshire
May Day festival, 3 May 11am - 4pm
Join us for a spot of May pole dancing and willow weaving. Visit the craft fair and watch dancing displays by local schools.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01280 822850.

Winchester City Mill, Hampshire
Milling and baking for May Day, 3 May 11am - 4pm
Join us for the second of our 'Eat into Green Living' events, showing families how to make the most of local sustainable ingredients. Watch volunteers baking bread and other delicious goodies with our wholemeal flour fresh from the mill. Free recipe cards will also be available.
The mill will be producing flour from noon until 4pm.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01962 870057

Wallington, Northumberland
May day, 3 May 11am - 4.30pm
Enjoy a day of traditional fun and frolics, including May pole dancing, Punch and Judy, face painting and clog and Highland dancing. Children can follow the May Day trail and have a go at craft activities too.
Normal admission charges apply plus there is a small charge for some activities.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01670 773600.

Dolaucothi Gold Mines, Carmarthenshire
Gold fever, 3 May 11am - 5pm
Enter our gold panning competition and you could win your very own piece of precious Welsh Gold, There will also be ‘gold’ themed activities and a treasure hunt for children.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is essential for this event, please call 01558 650177.
with Styal Primary School at 2pm.
Normal admission charges apply plus small additional charges for some activities.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01625 445845.

Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire
Grow the perfect pumpkin, 3 May 12pm - 3pm
Over the May Day holiday weekend members of the Clumber garden team will show children how to sow pumpkin seeds and produce the perfect pumpkin. Pots, compost and pumpkin seeds will be available for children to sow their own seeds.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01909 544917.

Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate, Cheshire
May Day fair, 3 May 12pm - 4pm
Enjoy music, stalls, a BBQ and traditional entertainment on the Mill Meadow, including dancing around the May pole with Styal Primary School at 2pm.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01625 445844.

Killerton, Devon
Bank Holiday Monday Punch and Judy, 3 May 2pm - 4pm
Enjoy a great performance of Punch and Judy in the garden, it’s sure to be fun for all of the family.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01392 881345.

Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire
May Day celebrations! 3 May 2pm - 4pm
Morris dancing is on hand to get you into the spirit of May Day plus there’s the chance to refresh your garden for summer with a plant sale.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 01295 670266.

Wellbrook Beetling Mill, Co. Tyrone
May bank holiday hoo-haa, 3 May 2pm - 5pm
A living history interpretation of the mill and those associated with the linen industry will be re-enacted by costumed characters.
Normal admission charges apply but there are no additional event charges.
Booking is not required for this event.
For more information please call 028 8674 8210.

TRY YOUR HAND AT MILKING & BUTTER CHURNING WITH CALON WEN AT the Real Food Festival 7-10 May 2010

Where does milk come from? How is butter made? Seemingly simple questions but recent research keeps telling us that more and more children actually have no idea. Now they can have a chance to meet some very friendly cows, see milking in action and even have a go at churning butter! The Real Food Festival 2010 has got together with Calon Wen to bring visitors to the festival a milking demo and hands-on butter making classes.
The festival, which will take place in London‘s Earls Court 7-10 May 2010, will once again top the foodie calendar as the must-attend event of the year.Real Food Festival is much, much more than a food or farmers market, packed with fun events for the whole family. Featuring over 400 hand-picked producers the public will get an opportunity to meet the people behind the best food in Britain. In addition to this there are cooking demonstrations from world renowned Master Chefs, the delicious Chocolate Unwrapped show, and an opportunity to meet some very friendly livestock, from water buffalo to sheep!
Calon Wen is an organic dairy co-operative owned by 20 family farms from across Wales. They have been producing their own products under their own name for over 9 years. They started bottling their own milk and over the last couple of years have added additional products such as cream, butter and their recently launched Cheddar cheese to their range. They are one of the sponsors working with the Real Food Festival to demonstrate how choosing food that is fresh, in season and produced with care not only tastes fantastic but won't blow the budget either. Giving families a chance to meet the producers, the farmers, the cooks and the animals! And thanks to Sacla’, another of the festival’s sponsors, kids go free!

To find out more about the Real Food Festival visit www.realfoodfestival.co.uk

The Real Food Festival 2010 will take place on 7-10 May at London’s Earls Court.

The 7th, 8th and 9th of May are open to the public. Tickets cost £9.50 in advance and £15.00 on the door. Under 16’s go free.

MAY BANK HOLIDAY… in Carmarthenshire
Badgerwatch at Dinefwr Castle and Gardens – 1 May
What: Experience the magic of the deer park at dusk with a rare chance to observe and appreciate these shy creatures in the company of a bone-fide Badger expert.
Where: Deiefwr Park and Gardens, Carmarthenshire

Cost: Adult £10, Child £6, Family (2 adult sand 2 children) £30

For more info: 01558 824512/823902, http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Experience the Dawn Chorus at the National Wetland centre in Llanelli – 1 May
What: Take a guided walk to listen to the bird world wake up as dawn breaks over the beautiful Burry Inlet. You won’t go hungry as the session includes a full cooked breakfast in the Estuary Café
Where: The National Wetland Centre, Llaneli, Carmarthenshire 6.00am
Cost: Adults £15.00, children £10.00.
For more information: http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/llanelli

Roman Gold season begins at Dolaucothi Gold Mine, Carmarthenshire – 1 May
What: Dolaucothi Gold Mine in Carmarthenshire launches its Roman Gold season on 1 May (which runs until 20 May). The family event includes tours into the Roman Adits, with a Roman guide. displays and information on why the Romans came to Britain. Try you hand at being a Roman miner, experience a working day in the mine , learn about the food, dress up in the clothes and try out the tools.

Where: Dolaucothi Gold Mine, Carmarthenshire

Cost: Adult £3.60, Child £1.80, Family £9

For more information: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-dolaucothigoldmines 01558 825146

Tantalise the taste buds at the West Wales Food Festival - 2-3 May

What: A star-studded line-up of top chefs from all over Wales and the best food Carmarthenshire can offer – that’s the mouth-watering menu for the second West Wales Food Festival. Taking place over the May Day bank holiday, the event also boasts the biggest local produce market in west Wales with more than 50 local food and drink producers offering tastings and demonstrations. And what’s more, this year’s festival has a distinct family flavour, the Lord Foster designed Glass House will house the festival’s Children’s Zone with dedicated cookery classes for all ages – from make-and-bake sessions for the little ones to SOS Cookery Classes for students.

Where: National Botanic Gardens of Wales, Llanarthne

Cost: Entry costs £8.00 for adults, £6.50 for OAPs and £4.00 for Children (5-16). Under 5s enter free and family tickets (for 2 Adults and up to 4 children) are also available for £19.50.

For more info: http://www.westwalesfoodfestival.com

LOOKING AHEAD…

Get your hiking boots on for the Llanelli Festival of Walks - 28 - 31 May

What: Amble through the Welsh countryside with the Llanelli Ramblers who organise this Spring Bank Holiday festival that attracts hundreds. There are 18 different walks and a variety of coast and countryside routes to choose from, taking walkers into Brecon Beacons National Park , the Gower Peninsula, along Millennium Coastal Path, past bronze age circles, Roman camps, Norman castles and even into Dylan Thomas country. And if your boots aren’t just made for walking, there’s a Festival Party complete with a live band on the Sunday night, so you can dance the night away too.

Where: Those taking part in walks using the train should meet at Llanelli Station. All other walks start from the Selwyn Samuel Centre/Leisure Centre Car Park, Llanelli.

Cost: £15 per adult (for one walk a day), children coming with their parents are half price

For more info: http://www.llanelliramblers.org.uk/

Get down to the beats at Beach Break Live – 14 to 18 June

What: Beach Break Live is an award winning boutique beach-side music festival that officially marks the start of the summer. Combining a killer line up, frivolous fun and an unrivalled vibe as 17,500 group together to celebrate the arrival of the sunny season. The first acts to be announced include Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Plan B, The Futureheads and Daisy Dares You, and the festival promises to offer all the usual tomfoolery too, from Thai style beach parties and sand castle building to parkour, burlesque and the world’s biggest pyjama party.

Where: This beach-side bonanza takes place at Pembrey Country Park which boasts 500 acres of epic wood lined parkland nestled behind the dunes of the award winning Beach Cefn Sidan Sands and surrounded by 2,000 acres of forestry. The beach is recognised as one of Europe’s finest with eight miles of pristine sands set against the spectacular backdrop of the Gower Peninsula. But this is no ordinary park, there’s also plenty of adrenalin thrills on offer from a 130 metre dry ski slope, the longest toboggan run in Wales and Go Ape tree courses to death slides, Zorbing and horse riding on the beach.

Cost: Early bird tickets start from £74 (with camping)

For more info: http://www.beachbreaklive.com/tickets/182

Get nautical at the Burry Port Maritime Carnival – 3 July

What: Take all the family along for a day of carnival capers. A nostalgic extravaganza, harking back to the carnivals and fairs of yesteryear but with a 21st century twist - all in the stunning setting of Carmarthen Bay. Drive yourself giddy on the fun fair rides, marvel at the 3sixty mountain bike display team as they show of their skills. There’ll be dancing aplenty too with live music throughout the day.

Where: Marina Fields in Burry Port.

Cost: Free

For more info: 01269 590258

Have a wizard time on the Merlin Bike Ride – 4 July

What: Perfect for hardcore cyclists as well as those just looking to get into the sport, The Merlin Bike Ride is a magical tour of Carmarthenshire’s mountains, countryside and coastline and consists of four separate rides: Towy, Druid, Cothi and Merlin. Towy, a new 23 mile loop, is perfect for the younger or older rider as it doesn’t require a high level of fitness; while at 104 miles and with a very big hill to boot, Merlin is not for the faint hearted!

Where: Headquarters for all rides are at the National Botanic Garden of Wales

Cost: £25

For more info: http://www.merlincycletours.co.uk

WHITSUN HALF-TERM NEAR THE SEA, CORNWALL £545 FOR FOUR
Available for the late May half-term Whitsun week in the North Cornwall village of Morwenstow, made famous by its legendary 19th century vicar, is a charming 13th century, thatched and detached listed cottage for four. Several fields back from the sea and just 200yds from the village pub, Sunshine Alley was recently upgraded but without losing any of its character; the low lintels, thick uneven cob walls and exposed ceiling beams all remain intact. The little gem of a cottage is priced at £545 for a week’s stay from Friday 28th May. For details call 01647 434063 or look and book online at http://www.helpfulholidays.com/ searching for ref P53.

CHILDREN EAT FOR FREE AT BROWNS BAR AND BRASSERIE THIS SUMMER!
Wondering where to take children this summer for a spot of R&R? Whether dining with the whole family or wanting to meet with friends, take your little angels along to Browns Bar and Brasserie for lunch where children can eat for free*.

Families are still struggling with the financial strain even in the summer holidays. Many are choosing ‘Staycations’ around the UK in favour of going abroad but still, dining out can prove expensive. Browns Bar and Brasserie venues are located around the length and breadth of the country, meaning this offer can help families on holiday, visiting relatives or just popping out for lunch.

On Monday to Thursday from 12pm to 4pm, with every main meal purchased, families can receive a complimentary children’s meal. Choose from the following:

• Flatbreads with Tomato & Mozzarella or Garlic, Rocket & Parmesan

• Roast Pepper, Vine Tomato & Butternut Squash Salad

• Simply Grilled Chicken Breast served with a mixed salad

• Browns Fish & Chips

• Tomato Penne Pasta

• Smoked Fishcake with mixed leaves

• Browns Burger with chips

On Sundays from 12pm to 4pm, families can enjoy a traditional English Sunday Roast with this offer. Children will receive a complimentary Sunday Roast*, meaning families can buy two meals for as little as £7.95. Choose from one of three fantastic dishes.

• Rib of Beef with cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables

• Half Chicken with cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables

• Loin of Pork with cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables

These offers are available at the following Browns Bar and Brasserie sites:

• Bath

• Brighton

• Bristol

• Cambridge

• Edinburgh

• Leeds

• Oxford

• Windsor

• Butlers Wharf - SE1

• Covent Garden - WC2

• Islington - N1

*Children's Menu will be complimentary for one child per adult eating a main course. This applies to under 12s when eating from the children's menu. Additional children will be £4.95 each when choosing from the children's menu. This offer will end on 26th August, 2010.

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