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Events PREVIEWS
Belgrade Mela
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Sat 21 June
South Asian arts, artists and art organisations
are here celebrated with a diverse programme
of events and activities. The oneday,
open-to-all event features yoga, workshops
in Giddah and Bhangra dancing,
Bollywood dancing and an opportunity to
learn how to play the dhol. An abundance of
artisan crafts stalls, food stalls and activities
for children also feature, as does an art exhibition
exploring the journey of South Asian
communities who came to Coventry in the
1940s and ’50s. In
Nafees
the evening, some
of Coventry’s finest
South Asian talent
takes to the stage
in the theatre’s
main arena for a
two-hour showcase
that features special
guest Nafees
and dhol drummers
Masterclass.
Droitwich Spa Festival
Various locations, Droitwich Spa,
Worcestershire, Fri 20 June - Sun 6 July
Building on the success of its 2013 debut,
this year’s Droitwich Spa Festival promises
another ‘fantastic’ programme of gastronomic
offerings, as well as music and arts events.
The ecclectic offer ranges from a food and
drink festival featuring demonstrations, stalls,
entertainment and Great Junior Bake Off in
the town centre (21 June). Historic tour and
afternoon tea at the Chateau Impney Hotel, a
Live Music Showcase and Cheese and Cider
Festival (28 June), and Friar Street Festival of
Culture and Music - a carnival style event
featuring dance, music and much more - at
the Old Cock Inn (29 June). For a full itinerary
of what¹s happening throughout the seventeen-day
event, visit www.droitwichspafestival.co.uk
Upton Food And
Beer Festival
Upton-upon-Severn, Fri 27 - Sun 29 June
Imagine being able to eat and drink your
way around the Three Counties without having
to travel the distance...
Well, that’s pretty much what you can do at
the brand new Upton Food And Beer
Festival (FAB). With plenty to tantalise the
tastebuds, the three-day event features
more than one hundred artisan stalls selling
an abundance of mouthwatering delights.
There’s also a Master Class marquee featuring
tastings and talks, an interactive cookery
workshop in the Eckington School, a FAB
Bake Off organised by the Women’s
Institute, and a chilli-eating competition run
by the Clifton Chilli Club. If the latter is up
your street, then chances are you’ll also be
looking for some liquid refreshment - and
what better way to find it than by sampling
the beer-tasting sessions and tutorials on
offer from international beer judge and
expert Melissa Cole.
A programme of entertainment over two
stages, a tug-of-war competition, crafts, face
painting and a Punch & Judy show for the
kids means this debuting festival has the
makings of a great family day out.
Medieval entertainers the Knights Of Middle
England this year provide one of the highlights
at Warwickshire’s biggest one-day
agricultural event. Comprising professional
horsemen, stunt riders and performers, the
Knights bring the historic sport of jousting
into the twenty-first century with a professionally
compered, action-packed show that
comes complete with a ‘rocking’ soundtrack.
Other attractions at the 2014 event include a
Countryside Area, featuring birds of prey displays,
gun dog scurry and trials, a have-a-go
clay shoot, air rifle shooting and archery sessions.
The Sheep Show, meanwhile, promises
to provide humorous educational entertainment
with a difference, courtesy of dancing
sheep! Other attractions include displays
of farm machinery and classic cars, rural
crafts, a shopping area, information about
bee-keeping, trade stands and an abundance
of children’s amusements.
World Of Park
And Leisure Homes
Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire,
Fri 6 - Sun 8 June
If you’ve ever dreamed of having your very
own little bolthole to which to escape, or the
freedom to travel whenever you want, World
Of Park And Leisure Homes is well worth a
visit. A dedicated show for park homes and
holiday lifestyle, the three-day event features
the latest models and designs from most of
the UK’s major manufacturers, caters for a
variety of budgets and is free to attend. The
show also provides information on hundreds
of parks across the UK and beyond.
Kenilworth Show
Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, Sat 7 June
Jousting Day
Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove,
Sat 14 - Sun 15 June
All the thrills and excitement of a traditional
jousting tournament will be present and correct
at Bromsgrove’s award-winning Living
History Museum this month. In addition to
experiencing the site’s static attractions,
which span seven hundred years of history,
visitors can also tour the camps and meet
the knights, the ladies and the soldiers, not
to mention the odd miscreant or two...
The Bus Stop Over
Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire,
Fri 13 - Sun 15 June
An established event on the VW calendar,
The Bus Stop Over offers three days of highquality
entertainment both on and off the
track. Resident DJs from Retro
Discos/Weluv80s will be playing throughout
the weekend, while live bands catering for all
musical tastes feature in the site’s main hall.
Acoustic sessions in the bar area are a new
addition for 2014 - and to ensure football
fans don’t miss out on World Cup action, the
Premier Bar will be showing the England vs
Italy game on its large screen. On-track
action includes the sure-to-be-fun Wacky
Races, with the event also featuring plenty
for youngsters to enjoy.
www.whatsonlive.co.uk 59