Celebrat<strong>in</strong>g Forty Years! This year Heart of the Country Village is celebrat<strong>in</strong>g its fortieth birthday! For those who haven’t visited yet, Heart of the Country Village is a shopp<strong>in</strong>g village… with a difference! It is a perfect day out, with cloth<strong>in</strong>g and gift and home decor shops, restaurants, a children’s soft play and luxury services <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g hair dress<strong>in</strong>g, beauty and dog groom<strong>in</strong>g. But what makes Heart of the Country special is that, although only two miles from <strong>Lichfield</strong>, it is nestled <strong>in</strong> peaceful countryside, away from the hustle and bustle of big retail parks. Sheltered from the road by a thick hedge, and boast<strong>in</strong>g a natural woodland where children can roam, the courtyards are full of trees, flowers and greenery. Once a work<strong>in</strong>g farm, Heart of the Country has been home to the Stubbs family for over forty years. In 1984 Lesley Stubbs swept out the pig barn and opened her first shop sell<strong>in</strong>g eggs, honey and dried flowers. Lesley's Canadian <strong>in</strong>fluence saw her <strong>in</strong>troduce North American Folk Art to the shop, which grew <strong>in</strong>to the famed Three French Hens. One shop became two with the addition of Paul Martyn Furniture, spearheaded by the visionary Paul, utilis<strong>in</strong>g an old tractor shed to renovate p<strong>in</strong>e furniture. This was the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of the respectful conversion of the red brick barns <strong>in</strong>to workshops, eateries and shops and throughout, the Stubbs’ have been careful to protect the traditional features of the build<strong>in</strong>gs, preserv<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>tegrity of the traditional farm build<strong>in</strong>gs such as the thresh<strong>in</strong>g barn and the red-brick stables. Today, Heart of the Country Village is a symbol of last<strong>in</strong>g success, home to a variety of longstand<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>esses. Run by the sons of Lesley and Simon Stubbs and their wives, it offers unique items, skilled craftsmanship, and friendly service. A recent addition is the development of the Village woodland, a natural sanctuary complete with fairy doors and two friendly pigs. This green space welcomes visitors of all ages, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g well-behaved dogs, to enjoy time <strong>in</strong> nature. Throughout the year, the Village hosts a variety of special events, such as the Step <strong>in</strong>to Spr<strong>in</strong>g celebration <strong>in</strong> March and the Scarecrow Festival <strong>in</strong> October. These events embody the Village's spirit of joy, creativity, and togetherness, draw<strong>in</strong>g visitors from near and far to jo<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> the festivities. To mark its 40th anniversary, Heart of the Country Village will be host<strong>in</strong>g a Big Birthday Party on Saturday June 8th, 10-5pm. The celebration will feature fun games, artisan stalls, face pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g, delicious street food from our eateries, live music, and more. Additionally, the event will support the Birm<strong>in</strong>gham Children's Hospital. Heart of the Country Village would like to <strong>in</strong>vite everyone to jo<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> the celebration with its family of retailers and restaurateurs. F<strong>in</strong>d Heart of the Country at A38 South Sw<strong>in</strong>fen, London Road, WS14 9QR. W<strong>in</strong> Tickets to Johns’ Boys Welsh Male Choir Experience the unforgettable sound of Johns' Boys Welsh Male Choir as The Brita<strong>in</strong>’s Got Talent semi-f<strong>in</strong>alists perform <strong>in</strong> the stunn<strong>in</strong>g sett<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>Lichfield</strong> Cathedral on 20th July. Johns’ Boys Welsh Male Choir from North Wales is one of the most decorated British male choirs <strong>in</strong> history. The choir has won numerous choral competitions and <strong>in</strong> 2019 became the first British Male Voice Choir to w<strong>in</strong> the prestigious Pavarotti ‘Choir of the World’ prize. The choir has gathered millions of new followers s<strong>in</strong>ce appear<strong>in</strong>g on the live shows of Brita<strong>in</strong>'s Got Talent and was described by Simon Cowell as “A brilliant choir - I love them!” Johns’ Boys br<strong>in</strong>gs a groundbreak<strong>in</strong>g, modern twist to the traditional Welsh Male Voice Choir. Don’t miss the breathtak<strong>in</strong>g covers of Calum Scott’s Biblical and Harry Styles’ Fall<strong>in</strong>g plus modern twists on wellknown classics, like their stunn<strong>in</strong>g take on the famous Welsh hymn tune ‘Calon Lan’. We’ve got a pair of tickets (2 tickets) to giveaway to attend this <strong>in</strong>credible event. To be <strong>in</strong> with your chance of w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g, simply correctly answer the follow<strong>in</strong>g question, and send it along with your details to the email or address below. Where will Johns’ Boys perform <strong>in</strong> <strong>Lichfield</strong> <strong>in</strong> July? a) National Memorial Arboretum b) <strong>Lichfield</strong> Cathedral c) <strong>Lichfield</strong> Garrick Theatre The choir recently appeared on The Royal Variety show and have also released their debut EP ‘Biblical’ which went straight to number one <strong>in</strong> the iTunes Classical charts. 12 To enter, just send your name, contact details and answer to Welsh Mail Choir Competition at competitioncitylife@gmail.com or post your entry to <strong>Citylife</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Lichfield</strong> Ltd, PO Box 7126, <strong>Lichfield</strong> WS14 4JS by the clos<strong>in</strong>g date of 22nd <strong>May</strong> <strong>2024</strong>. One entry per household. Multiple entries will be disqualified. No cash equivalent. Please note you must be 18 or over to enter. All entrants’ <strong>in</strong>formation is processed <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e with GDPR Data Protection Regulations and our Privacy Policy (available at citylife<strong>in</strong>lichfieldltd.co.uk). Full t&cs on page 50.
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