Surrey Homes | SH97 | February 2023 | Education Supplement inside

Notebook
Top spin
Let’s go
Be mine!
This year’s unravel festival – held at
Candle-lit dinners, atmospheric music and elegant
Farnham Maltings on 24, 25 and
rooms await you this Valentine’s Day at Leeds
26 February – is set to be extra
Castle. Arrive from 3pm, where the Castle Footman
special, marking the festival’s 15th
will welcome you both and show you to your room.
anniversary, celebrating all things
Delve into the Castle’s rich history as you are escorted
yarn making, from knitting and
on an after-hours tour, admiring its lavish interiors
crochet to spinning and weaving.
and stunning surroundings. From here, enjoy
Held over three days, unravel
a chilled sparkling reception in the Library
welcomes makers and creatives for a
ahead of dinner. The ultimate romantic
unique community craft experience
night away. Booking essential.
with opportunities to participate in
leeds-castle.com
a special community project, watch live
demonstrations and browse the beautiful works
on display. At the heart of the festival is the curated
marketplace which showcases independent producers and hand
dyed yarns, hailing from across the UK, Europe and beyond. International
exhibitors include Rauwerk, a Munich based yarn shop, Urth Yarns from
Istanbul and Black Isle Yarns from the Highlands. Visitors will recognise leading
names from the knitting fraternity and have the chance to discover new
emerging hand dyers and designers. Tickets are £12 (plus online booking fee)
in advance or £14 on the door. Festival and workshops tickets are now on
sale and available from Farnham Maltings website. farnhammaltings.com
WILD
Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, has launched
a brand-new family programme, Nature Heroes, to inspire
budding young adventurers in its spectacular 535-acre
biodiverse site. Launching in February half-term, young heroes
will embark on an intrepid adventure every school holiday, with
the option to sport their very own superhero cape, available for
purchase online or at the Visitor Centre. The self-led mission
encourages young explorers to get hands-on and protect the
environment, discovering the secrets that plants, wildlife and
fungi hold, with the chance to earn a beautifully embroidered
badge. Kicking things off in February half-term
will be the Bird Buddy badge, as budding
ornithologists can join an interactive
trail to discover different bird
species and their habits. Add-on
activities include creating a
bird feeder and a fun birdsong
workshop. On 16 and 17
February, visitors will be able
to watch the mesmerising
birds of prey flying display
from Horsham-based
Huxley’s Birds of Prey
Centre. Find out more
info at kew.org/wakehurst
LOOK FORWARD: JUMP FOR JOY
Jump racing at Sandown Park reaches its peak
this March! Join in on Saturday 11 March for Betfair
Imperial Cup Day, one of their feature meetings
in 2023. With a day of high-quality racing and
entertainment on the cards, this is a day not to be
missed. Can’t join them then? Book your place
at the bet365 Jump Finale instead, one of the
biggest racing days in the British calendar. Watch
on as Champions are crowned and the racing
on track is second to none. Tickets start at £28.
thejockeyclub.co.uk/sandown/ to find out more.