Birmingham & West Midlands' Travel App

Broadway Tower, Broadway, Worcestershire. ©AP

I love Britain's West Midlands in the heart of England, especially patchwork fields, walking trails, history, castles, villages, gardens, all things Shakespeare and the glorious countryside. My heart skips a beat whenever I see the sinuous outline of the Malvern Hills (the Sleeping Dragon) and to walk on them is magical. 

But in researching and developing my travel App, Birmingham & West Midlands, I've also channelled some family roots that are firmly planted in the heart of the industrial Midlands.

These include Quarry Bank, Brierley Hill and Dudley in the industrial Black Country where you'll find the fascinating Black Country Living Museum – think Peaky Blinders and much more. Also Coventry, a recent City of Culture.  

Food? Yes, I'm a fan of the countryside's fresh produce, farm shops, great pubs, lively cafes plus the brilliant multicultural cuisine of Birmingham. Artisan distilleries, craft breweries and vineyards are outstanding in this region. I love Morgan cars, too! 

Morgan Roadster, Morgan Motor Company, Malvern. ©AP

Foodie Ludlow in Shropshire is a great place to visit, especially on market days, while the entire Welsh border country is dreamy and atmospheric – perfect for country drives and exploring. 

My App dives into industrial heritage, leads you to vintage transport collections so symbolic of the Midlands, as well as many specialist museums, energised with interactive displays and dynamic exhibitions.  Some such as the Almonry (below) are significant buildings and treasure troves in themselves, recording fascinating local history including the destruction of Evesham's great abbey.

In England I am based close to Evesham, the North Cotswold village of Broadway and just a stone's throw from Stratford-upon-Avon.  I love the black and white architecture and thatched cottages of the Midlands as well as the honey-coloured stone houses of the Cotswolds. 

The Almonry, Evesham.©AP

I'm also a short drive from  Coventry, now emphasising its heritage with landmarks including the Telegraph newspaper building repurposed as hotels and accommodation, as well as heritage walks, the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum and the Coventry Music Museum. Coventry Cathedral has a very special place in my heart – my father was born in Coventry and loved the old cathedral, so sadly destroyed. 

Meanwhile, Birmingham has been busy regenerating its city centre with impressive buildings such as The Cube, home to Hotel Indigo Birmingham and Marco Pierre White's Steakhouse, Bar & Grill (think modern comfort food and champagne). Dishoom Birmingham promises Irani/Bombay fusion, all welcome. Bakeries and cafes reflect the mix of influences and there's fine dining, too. Vegans and vegetarians, so often neglected in the past, can travel and eat well.

The Cube, home of Hotel Indigo Birmingham.©IHG Hotels

The Library of Birmingham, affectionately called the 'Wedding Cake' opened in 2013 and is one of centre's signature buildings, while the Bullring & Grand Central shopping centres combine to create the largest city centre shopping complex in the UK. The Jewellery Quarter is historic but it's also the home of 100 or so diamond dealers and jewellers, also cafes, bars and restaurants – multicultural Birmingham really loves its food!

The Library of Birmingham.©Visit Birmingham

The Garrick pub, Stratford-upon-Avon.©AP

I might be the only one to think this, but I'm quite taken with the echoes I see in the Library of Birmingham's decorative exterior patterns and those of The Garrick pub in Stratford-upon-Avon, thought to be the oldest in town. Shakespeare himself may well have imbibed at the Garrick as it is very close to th recently re-vamped New Place where he lived in his later years until he died. Of course Stratford-upon-Avon is a key Midlands' attraction, with much ado about Shakespeare and the beautiful houses associated with him and his family including Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Shakespeare's Birthplace. 

Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Shottery, Stratford-upon-Avon.©AP

Major Rivers in the Midlands include the Trent, Tame, Avon, Severn and Wye (forming the English/ Welsh border for much of its length) and the area is linked by a network of canals built to carry freight at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Canal boat holidays are a rewarding way to travel through the countryside and right into the heart of towns and cities including Birmingham, Stourport-on-Severn, Stoke-on-Trent, Stratford-upon-Avon, Upton-upon-Severn. 

The Hatton Flight of locks, Warwickshire.©AP

Canal boat on the River Avon.©AP

And those castles, gardens, villages and stunning views? I've a real feeling that many people are craving a comforting sense of place and history right now and the West Midlands delivers. Visiting English country gardens in their many seasons is one of life's pleasures ...

Bourton House Garden. ©AP

... as is standing on vantage points such as the Malvern, Shropshire and Cotswold Hills to admire the patchwork fields and views across middle England. Broadway Tower is just one of my favourites.

Please download my Travel App to enjoy much more of the West Midlands, plan a trip, see the sights.

Link: 

Birmingham & West Midlands

Published by TouchScreen Travels.

My thanks to all who have helped me including the West Midlands Growth Company, Visit Britain, local businesses and attractions, PR and marketing companies, friends, family and associates and, especially, TouchScreen Travels.

Slingology – the new art of Raffles' Singapore Sling cocktail, now refreshed with craft ingredients and sustainability

Recently enjoying an extensive restoration, Raffles Hotel Singapore has gone to great lengths to retain the ambience and service so loved by its devoted clientele while appealing to those who are yet to experience its charms. Cosy social spaces and courtyards, new restaurants and bars are all part of the recipe along with treasured venues including the Long Bar, the mention of which triggered a fond memory.

The Sling at the Long Bar. © Raffles Hotel Singapore

My last visit to the hotel a few years ago was to attend an intimate, luxurious wedding reception in a private dining room. Between copious intriguing courses I was whisked away on a tour of some timber walkways framed by arches. My guide (a fellow wedding guest) hurried me along and I lost a heel from one of my slingback shoes on the way – I planned to return in daylight to look for it but that didn't happen. Despite my not being well-heeled, we all had a last drink in the Long Bar after the reception dinner. Inevitably, the group decision was that a Singapore Sling would make up for my loss!

Star of the Long Bar 

It's too late to retrace those exact steps now, but happily the Long Bar remains, complete with the iconic Singapore Sling now revitalised after its own makeover. Using craft ingredients, the cocktail's taste has been refreshed to suit modern palates while the use of ecoSPIRITS makes it more sustainable and environmentally-friendly.

New delivery for the Singapore Sling. ©Raffles Hotel Singapore.

Adding to its accolades, the Singapore Sling has become the forerunner for Raffles Hotel Singapore in its move to reduce single-use waste and the carbon footprint. Working with Proof & Company and patent-pending ecoSPIRITS technology, key ingredients Widges Gin, Luxardo Cherry Sanque Morlacco and Ferrand Dry Curaçao are delivered to Long Bar in patent-pending ecoTOTETM format, saving tens of thousands of glass bottles each year. 

Single-use plastic straws have been replaced with biodegradable versions made with potato starch. Also furthering the sustainability profile, the Luxardo Maraschino Cherries and Long Bar exclusive Scrappy’s Spiced Plantation Bitters are shipped in low-waste formats, eliminating several thousand kilograms of packaging waste. Estimates using the ecoSPIRITS Carbon Calculator, developed by consulting firm Deloitte, the Singapore Sling saves the equivalent of 200g of CO2 emission per serving.

Under the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program, Raffles Hotel Singapore is planting one native tree in the Kalimantan or Sumatran rainforest for every 25 Singapore Slings ordered, leaving a permanent legacy of carbon reduction and reforestation of endangered wild areas. Discover Raffles Hotel Singapore’s contribution through the live digital forest.

ecoSPIRITS©

Cocktail in Disguise

Originally created in 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese bartender at Raffles Hotel Singapore, the Singapore Sling cleverly disguised a cocktail as fruit juice. Why? Etiquette required that ladies shouldn't consume alcohol in public, so their choice of beverage was limited to tea and fruit juices. Ngiam Tong Boon saw an opportunity, creating a cocktail that looked like a fruit juice but was actually infused with gin and other liqueurs. It was a hit!

He used pineapple and lime juices for a tropical flavour and cleverly masked it in pink with grenadine syrup to give it a feminine flair, leading people to think it was a socially acceptable drink for women. Today the Sling continues to delight and inspire with its rich heritage and now a fresh taste. It's also the subject of a new Slingology cocktail bar collaboration in Singapore.

 

More about Raffles Hotel Singapore: 

raffles.com/Singapore

Long Bar

Source: Press Release 

The Forelle Ensemble plays its way through NSW/ACT in Austrian "Schubertiaden" style.

How lovely is this? Celebrating 200 years of an Austrian musical tradition, the Forelle Ensemble is currently travelling through NSW/ACT in the spirit of Franz Schubert whose Lieder (songs) were played to small groups of friends in intimate musical soirees that became known as "Schubertiaden”. The Forelle Ensemble will perform 10 concerts, taking listeners on a musical journey to Austria in Bowral, Canberra, Albury, Young and the gorgeous setting of the Hunter Valley's Winmark Wines.

Forelle is the brain-child of James Armstrong, winner of the ‘Austria Scholarship’ granted by Sydney Youth Orchestras and Austrian National Tourist Office. Visiting Vienna and Salzburg in early 2020, James fell in love with Austrian chamber music, especially the music of Franz Schubert. 

 

The Forelle Ensemble.©

To honour Schubert and as a reference to one of the composer’s most famous chamber music pieces ‘Forellenquintett’ (Trout Quintet), James Armstrong formed the Forelle Ensemble with four fellow students of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Members include Lilly Bennett (double bass), James Armstrong (violin), Angela Shin (cello), Estelle Shircore Barker (piano) and Aisha Goodman (viola).

The first documented Schubertiade took place 200 years ago in 1821 and the term still refers to intimate concerts and festivals around the world, in all kinds of settings. Most famous is the Schubertiade Festival in Austria's Alpine province Vorarlberg with around 80 events and 35,000 visitors annually, making it the biggest Schubert Festival in the world. 

Musicians Schubertiade, Bregenzerwald, Vorarlberg. (Bregenzerwald Tourism, Christopher Lingg.)

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to play this beautiful repertoire of Schubert’s music. We can reimagine it in the sense that we are performing music which was composed in the Austrian countryside and we are bringing it to the countryside here in NSW and ACT.”, says James Armstrong. “The works on the program are very colourful, each in their own way, to the extent that I imagine each piece as a postcard of Austria. The music intimately reflects the landscape and lifestyle - from the elegant and lavish decor of Viennese salons to the striking snow-capped Alps and lush green fields of the countryside. Schubert’s music illustrates these settings so sublimely.”

“James Armstrong stole the hearts of the Viennese with both his incredible talent as a young violinist but also with his curiosity and interest in Austrian classical music and culture during his time in Vienna early last year,” says Astrid Gruchmann-Licht, Director of the Austrian National Tourist Office in Sydney. “This year we were delighted to find out that James wanted to share his passion for Schubert - and for Austria - with Australian audiences in regional NSW and ACT and we partnered with the Forelle Ensemble to bring this project to life. I view it as a true collaboration and love the idea of an Australian Schubertiade”. 

James Armstrong performing Chamber Music at Hotel Sacher, Vienna, above, and enjoying beautiful Vienna, below. (ANTO, Marion Carniel.)

 

Tour Dates 

Friday 11th June, 6.30pm: Schubertiade Opening Concert, Sydney 

Sunday 20th June, 2.30pm*E: St Jude’s Church, Bowral 

Wednesday 23rd June: Residence of the Austrian Ambassador, Canberra 

Thursday 24th June: Hausmusik event at private residence, Albury 

Friday 25th June, 7.00pm*E: St Matthew’s Church, Albury 

Saturday 26th June: Hausmusik event at private residence, Young 

Sunday 27th June, 12.00pm*: Ballinaclash Orchard and Cellardoor, Young 

Tuesday 29th June, 6.00pm*E: Young Regional School of Music, Young 

Friday 2nd July, 6.00pm*E: Winmark Wines, Hunter Valley 

James Armstrong  with Astrid Gruchmann-Licht, Director of the Austrian National Tourist Office in Sydney, at a Viennese Kaffehaus. (ANTO, Marion Carniel.)

* Public events: tickets and more information are available on Eventbrite (E) or via the venue website

Winmark Wines

Austria information

Source: Austria National Tourism news release

Amara dining opens to non-residents at Spicers Sangoma Retreat, Blue Mountains, NSW

Here's exciting news for those in search of exclusive dining experiences – Restaurant Amara at Spicers Sangoma Retreat in the Blue Mountains is now taking a small number of outside bookings. So now you don't have to be an in-house guest to experience the highly creative degustation menus by head chef Will Houia, but you'll wish you were!

Restaurant Amara

Amara - Eggplant taco shell, smoked mushroom and pea flowers

Amara is the Zulu word for grace and the restaurant's philosophy is to provide a graceful dining experience, drawing on an ecosystem of local producers and sustainable on-site practices reflecting the natural bushland surrounds. 

Amara - King Edward potato, marigold, sage and basil

Amara - Squid confit stuffed with chicken and tarragon mousse, fennel, chicken broth

The daily seven course dinner degustation menu and five course lunches on Friday to Sunday are all based on the freshest organic and seasonal  produce available within 100km of Sangoma, including the Hawkesbury region. Amara's ‘Harvest Menu’ shared lunch concept, offered on Monday to Thursday, focuses on one succulent protein and four of the freshest organic vegetables, mostly sourced from local friends at Harvest Farms, followed by dessert.

Amara - Milk skins, hazelnut praline, smoked ice cream, raspberries, dulche

Chef Will Houia prefers traditional cooking techniques with charcoal and fire and the use of controlled dehydration to prepare fruit and veggies, as well as indigenous ingredients to add subtle layers of flavour.  Why not stay for a week and have Will cook for you every day?

Amara - Head Chef Will Houia

Restaurant Amara, Spicers Sangoma Retreat

70 Grandview Lane, Bowen Mountain NSW 2753

Amara dining only guests - an intimate fine-dining experience by appointment

Dinner - 7 course degustation. 7 days 6pm-9pm $125pp

Lunch - 5 course degustation. Friday to Sunday 12.30pm-2.00pm $105pp

Lunch – Harvest Menu. Monday to Thursday 12.30pm-2.00pm $85pp

Please advise any dietaries at the time of booking

In-house guests dine 7 days

Breakfast, Harvest Menu Lunch Mon-Thurs & 5 Course Lunch Fri-Sun, 7 Course Dinner

• RESERVATIONS  | Ph 1300 352 190
• AMARA 
• SANGOMA 
• EXPERIENCES 

Spicers Sangoma Retreat, Blue Mountains, NSW

Photos courtesy of Restaurant Amara, Spicers Sangoma Retreat, Blue Mountains.

Oh, Barmah! Tales from the riverbanks of the mighty Murray River (Dhungala) in Yorta Yorta country

We're in Victoria's Sun Country region at Barmah, looking at maps showing off-road tracks, significant wetlands and camping spots along Dhungala, the Murray River, Australia's longest and the third longest navigable river in the world. With or without the impressive statistics, this particular area is quite simply stunning, too good not to share. 

Dhungala, the mighty Murray River. (Image ©AP)

This is an assignment that's brought us to the wider region without a fixed prior plan and it's a luxury to go as we please, choosing accommodation to suit. Barmah, the only Victorian town north of the Murray (I still haven't worked that out!) is on our radar as it is beside the river with a connecting bridge to NSW.  The Barmah Bridge Caravan Park has cabins and the kind owners give us the spotless Cockatoo cabin a short walk from both the riverside and the Barmah Hotel –  we're just in time for dinner at 6pm. The hotel bar/dining room has historic photos around the walls and it seems that bushranger Ned Kelly played cards here. We're masked up because of Covid – maybe cause for a philosophical discussion with Ned here?

There's hardly anyone about as the VIC/NSW border only opened the day before we arrived so we're beating the crowds, lucky to find this place to stay ahead of what is shaping up to be a huge weekend for camp grounds and accommodation along the river. Nine hours' drive from Sydney via Wagga Wagga and along back roads through plains of golden wheat fields – it's been long day reaching the heartland of Yorta Yorta country, but there's still time to wander by the river at dusk, to the tune of a cacophony of corellas!

Pre-dawn we're heading in to the Barmah National Park where the Barmah-Millewa river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) forests meet the Moira and Barmah Lakes systems.  There's movement in the trees and a group of brumbies appears, ghostly shapes blending effortlessly into the setting, as do the kangaroos and emus we see along the way. The brumbies have had a reprieve from the planned muster the following weekend, cancelled due to Covid. The heritage listed Muster Yards stand empty. 

Tracks to the left lead to flooded areas but we hope to drive the loop road without incident. No such luck, the road ahead is closed, even to our rugged 4x4 with an intrepid driver! Backtracking we follow loops and turns to the river, where camp sites beckon and the idea of settling in to camp for a few nights is extremely tempting. There are huge trees and everywhere a sense of calm, as if every part of this place is sacred and protected, which it obviously is. There are canoe and shield trees, scarred trees, markers, cooking mounds and ceremonial and burial grounds. Signs for an interpretive walking track from the Dharnya Aboriginal Centre (closed) help visitors focus on details it would be easy to overlook, such as how the burls on the huge river red gums are formed.

Brumbies and burls. (Image ©AP)

Self-guided trails. (Image ©AP)

Still looking for the lake system we try several tracks, finding car parks on the edge of the river but still no lake. Parts of the forest are flooded, the dark waters reflecting the trees in a mesmerising fashion, like a mystical/magical film setting. Backtracking again we follow another side road and find a large group of fishermen poised to launch their boats. This is Barmah Lake and it's sensational, the river widening, lined with beaches and reed beds, reflecting the clouds from its calm surface. 

Stunning Barmah Lake. (Image ©AP)

Following tracks back beside the river we pass named points that are obviously favourite camping spots, a few occupied with campers looking decidedly happy and relaxed. No doubt they'll have the luxury of time to experience the fascinating features of these significant freshwater wetlands, recognised under the international Ramsar convention and home to around 550 plant species, more than 200 species of birds including Superb Parrots, mammals, frogs, native fish, turtles and much more. 

Reluctantly we leave the park for our next location at Moama in NSW opposite the historic VIC river port of Echuca. Our choice for the next two nights is a yurt at the eco-friendly Talo Retreat, the glamping section of the large Moama on Murray Resort offering, the Talo Retreat video says, an experience you will never forget. Biking and canoeing are options or just lazing, swinging in a hammock, looking out for parrots and kangaroos. But there's no relaxing for us today as we must be elsewhere and leave as the place fills up with a film crew and two media groups. Luxury glamping facilities are among the future plans for the resort, we're told.

Yurt at Talo Retreat. (Image ©AP)

Barmah Hotel. (Image ©AP)

After a busy couple of days we're due to head north again, but somehow we're drawn back to the Barmah National Park and happily there's a vacancy for one more night at Cockatoo cabin! I'm not sure why I feel so elated but we'll have another opportunity to enjoy the great bacon and egg rolls at the Barmah Post Office/store and it's like going home for a meal again at the Barmah Hotel, experiencing that timeless sense of reality that country Australia has to offer if you can slow down a bit and tune in to the surroundings. It's all so uncomplicated, very simple and very real. 

Back on the tracks, driving through the river red gum forest beside the Murray, we again experience the sense of peace and presence and an atmosphere of wellbeing that will definitely not be forgotten.

All words, photos and video © Alison Plummer. 

The annual World Wetlands Day on 2 February celebrates extraordinary places like this. https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2245

Up close: http://www.kingfishercruises.com.au

Sandstone springwatch 2020, Wollombi Valley

Patersonia sericea. ©AP

People often ask about our place in the Australian bush in the Wollombi Valley. In contrast to my beloved English cottage garden, this wide treescape with its soaring sandstone ridges and deep valleys is a little harder to explain, especially when I talk about the plants.

Sandstone cliffs, our place. ©AP

While the wider view is fabulous, hidden here in the woods are treasures that are often hard to spot. I've been cataloguing the native plants and wildlife here since we came in the 1990s, always particularly excited about orchids and the beautiful carpets of Patersonia (flag irises) that appear in spring.  I have a ton of reference books, but some of the plants come in many varieties ... !

The irises like certain parts of the property and knowing if they are flowering takes a little guesswork – they like a warm sunny morning so it's not hard to harness the energy and take off for the 30-minute walk around the ridge to see if they are flowering. I thought the anomalies between one area and another were solely the shade or the soil, then I realised there were two varieties. The first to show is Patersonia glabrata, usually standing shoulder-to-shoulder on tufted stems, but razed to the ground by a very hot fire (aided and abetted by the dropping of incendiaries!) three years ago this spring. While the ground is still barren, the irises have re-appeared and I hope will thicken out to cover the hillside as before. This is the first of the 2020 season - a little early?  They are on a very sheltered, north-facing sandy slope. I don't think it is Patersonia fragilis as that's rare.

Patersonia glabrata, Leafy Purple Flag. ©AP

The top block is flat and the irises bloom later there. On closer inspection in other years I found that they are a different type, patersonia sericea. These aren't out yet, but hopefully soon. Note the tufted stem:

Patersonia sericea.  Photo: October 2016. ©AP

Meanwhile  I've seen tiny Pterostylis – greenhood orchids again for the first time since our fire. Over the years I've seen several different varieties and they are notoriously similar so difficult to pin down. As a friend said, they resemble little triffids and it's hard to think of them as orchids. These have little 'waists' and are green and white.

Pterostylis, Greenhoods, July 2020. ©AP

Next to erupt throughout the bush has been the Hardenbergia vine, a vivid purple people pleaser, seen here blooming over a burnt area that's still struggling to recover even after three years.

Hardenbergia. ©AP

There are more plants in bud and the birds are gathering. So thrilled to have seen the white goshawk again today for the first time for years! Also spied this Wonga vine, Pandorea pandorana:

Pandorea pandorana, Wonga vine. August 2020. ©AP

Shamba Barn – shades of Wolf Hall!

Shamba Barn, Upton St Leonards

This hideaway holiday cottage is part of the atmospheric, 400-year old Bond End Farm at Upton St Leonards near Painswick, Gloucestershire. Dating from Tudor times, this is just the place for anyone wanting to immerse themselves in history – coinciding with the huge new wave of interest in the Tudors fuelled by the BBC's compelling new drama series, Wolf Hall. Henry V111 himself is said to have dropped in to Bond End Farm, adding yet another dimension!

http://www.homeaway.co.uk/p1611714

App update 'Stratford & West Midlands: As You Like It'

Updated my West Midlands app and looking at new places to eat for the next round ... Dormy House has all-day dining at The Potting Shed so I am heading there next...

Great Days Out on the A49 – Stokesay Castle, Ludlow Food Centre, Church Stretton, Long Mynd

Stokesay Castle ©AP

Loving Stokesay Castle, near Craven Arms on the A49, in Shropshire, one of my favourite counties. Stokesay is a wonderfully preserved fortified manor near the Welsh border with a delightful timber-framed gatehouse .... beautiful. Adults £6.20,open 10-5pm daily until 3 November 2013, then weekends,10-4pm except Christmas and New Year. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stokesay-castle

Stokesay Castle Gatehouse ©AP

Stokesay Castle is near the luscious Ludlow Food Centre which now has a separate cafe and plant centre. Find it on the A49 between Hereford and Shrewsbury in the village of Bromfield. www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk


But that's not all..The lovely town of Church Stretton is 8.2 miles from Craven Arms on the A49, a gateway to the Long Mynd meaning "Long Mountain" or Mynydd Hir in Welsh. The Long Mynd is a heathland plateau between the Stiperstones range, the Stretton Hills and Wenlock Edge and has steep valleys and escarpments. Drove up the very narrow road (single track with passing places, probably not for the faint-hearted), for the reward of heather in bloom and wonderful views.

The Long Mynd above Church Stretton. ©AP

The Long Mynd. ©AP

Time to head the Jaguar F-type to Polperro ...

Polperro: image supplied.

I'm in the mood for a crab sandwich and Cornwall is calling. Polperro, near Looe, was a childhood favourite (although I did get lost on the beach at Looe, aged three). Now I'm told that Polperro and surrounds has been designated  an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ in an area of Heritage Coast and is a walker’s paradise with coastal walks and inland footpaths through valleys, forests and beside  estuaries and rivers. To the east is Talland Bay which has its own beach café, rated as one of the top 10 beach cafes in Cornwall. To the west along the coastal path are Lansallos, Lantic Bay and Polruan. Jaguar F-type? In my dreams. Crab sandwich? Eminently achievable – I'll let you know ...
More info: www.polperro.org and www.lovepolperro.com

Plolperro harbour: image supplied.

RSC costume exhibition 'In Stitches'

 

‘In Stitches’ at the Royal Shakespeare Company

In Stitches <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Stratford-upon-Avon-In-Stitches-at-Royal-Shakespeare-Theatre/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2730310&amp;feature=5103&amp;campaign=4461> , a new free costume exhibition at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, celebrates the fascinating costume making skills of the Company.   Visitors have an exclusive chance to see rarely displayed costumes from RSC productions produced over the last 60 years.  The 35 hand-crafted costumes were all made in Stratford and worn by some of the country’s best loved actors including Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Ian McKellen, Antony Sher, Juliet Stevenson, Patrick Stewart and David Tennant. Open daily from 10am and running throughout 2013. 

Enjoy a summer of Jaguar at the Heritage Motor Centre!The Heritage Motor Centre is celebrating the iconic Jaguar with a number of themed family activities <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Stratford-upon-Avon-Summer-Holiday-Activities-at-Heritage-Motor-Centre/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2730200&amp;feature=5117&amp;campaign=4461> . Visitors can take part in special events and activities celebrating the car’s history, design, brand and racing pedigree.  Activities include Jaguar themed Art and Craft Thursdays, the chance to view iconic cars from the Jaguar Heritage Collection, as well as talks and family tours. In addition, every Tuesday is Lego Technic day, where children can design, build and test their own Lego Technic machines.  The infamous Artist in Residence, Ian Cook of PopBang Colour <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Stratford-upon-Avon-Painting-with-PopBangColour-at-Heritage-Motor-Centre/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2730200&amp;feature=5108&amp;campaign=4461> , who paints using remote controlled cars, is back by popular demand on the 13, 14 & 15 August. Children can have a go at creating their own works of art using remote controlled cars and car parts. 

Step in the footsteps of Jane Austen at Stoneleigh AbbeyWalk in the footsteps of Jane Austen at Stoneleigh Abbey and see the portraits of some of her ancestors. The Abbey is playing host to a special Jane Austen evening <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Kenilworth-Tea-With-Jane-Austen-at-Stoneleigh-Abbey/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2700280&amp;feature=1013&amp;campaign=4461> on Tuesday 13 August. Guests will be given a tour of the West Wing by a guide in period costume followed by a glass of wine and canapés at the riverside Orangery.  Tours take place at 7pm, 7:45pm, and 8:15pm and must be pre-booked through the ticket office. Tickets cost £14 per person. 

More things to do around Stratford-Upon-Avon
Source: Marketing Aloud

Listen to live music at the Shakespeare Houses!
Music will be in the air at Mary Arden’s Farm and Hall’s Croft this summer with concerts for all musical tastes. The award-winning folk band ColvinQuarmby will headline ‘Folk on the Farm’ <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Stratford-upon-Avon-Folk-Concerts-at-Mary-Arden's-at-Mary-Arden's-Farm/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2730849&amp;feature=1016&amp;campaign=4461> at Mary Arden’s Farm on the 24 & 25 August.  The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Stratford Folk Club are planning a whole weekend of concerts with activities for the family at the working Tudor farm. The line-up for the Hall’s Croft season of music in the garden <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Stratford-upon-Avon-Concerts-in-the-garden-at-Hall's-Croft/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2730178&amp;feature=1018&amp;campaign=4461> (26 August - 7 September) includes: Silly Songs of Shakespeare, an Edinburgh Festival style review featuring different styles of music, Shakespeare Trio, 12 sonnets set to original contemporary folk music, Amicantus – rising regional stars in the choir world, workshops for children with Escape Community Arts and Japanese drumming as featured in the current production of Titus Andronicus. The grand finale will be a thirties Style Garden Party with lively jazz from The Swing Museum.

Take in a major art exhibition at Compton Verney
Compton Verney will premiere a major exhibition from 13 July – 22 September from Turner and Constable: Sketching from Nature <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Stratford-upon-Avon-Turner-and-Constable-Sketching-from-Nature-at-Compton-Verney/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2730145&amp;feature=5066&amp;campaign=4461> , which includes approximately 60 works by Turner, Constable and their contemporaries, including John Sell Cotman, John Linnell and Francis Danby. These works from the Tate collections provide a unique exploration of the art of oil sketching in the landscape rather than in the studio, which became fashionable in the late 18th and 19th centuries. This is a rare opportunity to see extraordinary works that have not been seen together before.
 

Experience Sculptural works at Coughton Court!
See a stunning outdoor exhibition of sculptural works <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Alcester-Sculpture-in-the-Gardens-at-Coughton-Court/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2730156&amp;feature=1048&amp;campaign=4461> at the award-winning Throckmorton Family Gardens at Coughton Court from 31 July - 6 September. Over 250 pieces of sculpture have been carefully selected from a chosen list of over 60 national and international artists. A wide array of mediums will be on display from traditional marble, wood and bronze to more contemporary forms of expression such as water, ceramics, polystyrene and rubber. Some are figurative, others abstract, some kinetic, others evoking the sense of time standing still.

 Release your MAD inventor at The Mechanical Art & Design Museum
Situated in Stratford-upon-Avon, The MAD Museum <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Stratford-upon-Avon-The-MAD-Museum/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2752420&amp;campaign=4461> houses over 100 interesting, witty and bizarre exhibits filling over two floors.  Robot arms, marble runs, swirling lasers and quirky clocks, The MAD Museum offers a curious concoction of inspiration, education and entertainment for the entire family! Running from 20 July – 1 September is The MAD Museum’s Summer Competition.  Upon entry into the museum, visitors will be handed a competition sheet full of hands-on activities including a treasure hunt with puzzles and games to take home. Crack the secret word hidden in the treasure hunt to be in with a chance to win crazy MAD goodies. Visitors will also be entered into a draw to win a big bag of bonkers MAD gifts!
Have a pirate summer at Tudor World!Tudor World will be having a Pirate Summer <http://www.falstaffexperience.co.uk/page.php?linkid=5&amp;sublinkid=197> ! Each young pirate will be given a treasure map to find all the contraband afore the other pirates and will receive some bootie at the end. Visitors can search for their quarry using the new torches to explore the exhibits; smell some of those nasty aromas of Elizabethan England; try on hats or write a secret message using a quill as well as find out what happened to Lucy, the little girl who worked in the tavern.  Visitors can also see some of the summer shows in the Elizabethan theatre area, where they could be punished for their pirate-loving ways! 

Ready your steeds for the Grand Medieval Joust at Kenilworth Castle!
Experience the sights, smells and entertainments of an authentic Medieval Joust <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Kenilworth-Grand-Medieval-Joust-at-Kenilworth-Castle-Elizabethan-Garden/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2700710&amp;feature=1101&amp;campaign=4461> celebration from the 13 – 14 July as the Castle springs to life.  Jousting on horseback and armed with a lance, the knights will fight to prove their power and chivalrous skills. Visitors will be able to meet them and discover the secrets of their armour and weaponry. Raphael Historic Falconry will show their birds of prey in the ‘mews’ and visitors will also have the opportunity to wander around a medieval encampment to meet some of the knights’ entourage, and enjoy a medley of music and dance. With breathtaking displays of skill, entertainment and capers, this family day out promises an unrivalled way to experience the fun and thrills of medieval amusements.

 Experience a Victorian Weekend!
Join the re-enactors in Victorian costume and play croquet on the lawn at Hill Close Gardens <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/Warwick-Victorian-Weekend-at-Hill-Close-Gardens/details/?dms=13&amp;venue=2730530&amp;feature=1013&amp;campaign=4461> in Warwick on Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 August. Hear stories about the Victorian garden owners and the Victorian plant hunters who helped shape how the gardens look today. Discover what the Victorians liked to cook and how they preserved their food. Enjoy an exhibition of unusual antique garden implements. Learn the Victorian language of flowers and how to make a Tussie Mussie, a small bouquet to present to a loved one.

For accommodation <http://www.shakespeare-country.co.uk/where-to-stay/thedms.aspx?dms=1> , special offers and more information visit the official website: www.Shakespeare-Country.co.uk <http://www.Shakespeare-Country.co.uk>  or call Shakespeare Country on 0871 978 0800.

British artist Jim Lambie takes over Pearl Lam Galleries Hong Kong

Image: Pearl Lam Galleries

Image: Pearl Lam Galleries

HONG KONG, 16 April 2013 

Internationally acclaimed Scottish artist Jim Lambie takes over Pearl Lam Galleries Hong Kong with a major exhibition, The Flowers of Romance opens to the public tomorrow. The exhibition showcases site-specific installations, which give an overview of Lambie’s creative output over the last decade, displaying a mixture of dynamic new works alongside iconic masterpieces from his oeuvre. Lambie’s work is a charged synthesis of colour, line and space, which he employs to challenge viewers’ perceptions. The Flowers of Romance, titled after an early British punk band from the 1970s and studio album by Public Image Ltd released in 1981, represents a unique opportunity to see a number of key works from Lambie’s career which reference popular culture and music. 

....

Pearl Lam Galleries is dedicated to encouraging cultural exchange between the East and West, bringing important Western artists to a new audience in Asia as part of its exciting programme. Jim Lambie’s installation works directly engage with the exhibition space whilst demanding the participation of the audience. As the phenomenon of interactive installation art grows in Hong Kong, Pearl Lam Galleries is once more at the forefront of breaking new boundaries in the Hong Kong art scene.  

“We are delighted to have Jim Lambie’s first solo exhibition in Hong Kong. He is a dynamic and inspiring artist whose energy is pure creativity. I look forward to exposing this artist to the recognition he deserves in Hong Kong and hope that his vision will inspire our visitors as it has done me over the last decade.” Althea Viafora-Kress, International Gallery Director of Pearl Lam Galleries, April 2013

Extract from press release: Erica Siu and Veronica Chu / Sutton PR Asia 

http://www.pearllam.com/