Stargazing in Yorkshire

Stargazing is back on the BBC with the unique Dara O Briain and Prof Brian Cox and there are plenty of local events for us to try our hands at it, maybe even spot an alien or two.

Friday 13th January
Stargazing LIVE 2012
St Peter's School, York
Run by: St Peter's School, tickets are free but must be got in advance.
Astronomy Exhibition from 5.30 pm, including mobile planetarium, exhibitors, followed by Night Sky lecture (7.00 pm) followed by chance to look through telescopes. Refreshments are provided.

Monday 16th January
Water's Edge Visitor Centre, Barton-upon-Humber 6pm - 10pm
Experience night walks, talks and family activities like constellation collages, nocturnal disguises and a starlight quiz! Meet Lincolnshire astronomer Paul Money and get hands on advice from the Lincolnshire Astro Group and the East Riding Astronomers.

Tuesday 17th January
Yorkshire Museum and Gardens, York
BBC Stargazing LIVE 6pm till 9.30
A night of astronomy activities for all the family. Hosted by The Yorkshire Museum and Gardens and the home of Yorkshire's oldest working observatory, your chance to gaze at the stars.

Thursday 19th January
A Telescope is for Life, not just for Christmas
Museum Gardens York 7pm - 8.30
Got a telescope for Christmas? need a helping hand getting it setup and using it? Bring it along and our friendly astronomers will try our best to help.

For more details on these or any of the other events check our the bbc website.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/features/stargazing/

Pantomime Round up in East Yorkshire. He's behind you!!! #Panto #Yorkshire

We are beginning to get in the festive spirit and are wondering which pantomime to go and see this year. Christmas would not be complete without shouting "He's behind you" and getting hit over the head with a boiled sweet.
Let us know if you find any others that are on or have been to see any of them and can recommend them.

CinderellaHull New Theatre
Thursday 8 December - Sunday 8 January
The magic begins on Thursday 8 December 2011 and the festive season would not be complete without a visit to our annual spectacular pantomime.
Back by popular demand the hilarious Chuckle Brothers star in this year’s most glittering and dazzling pantomime of them all – Cinderella.
We’ve sprinkled the panto magic far and wide this year as Cinderella features magnificent costumes, stunning sets and an abundance of comedy along with the most outrageously gruesome ugly sisters you’ve ever seen! One of the highlights of Cinderella is the stunning rags-to-riches transformation of Cinders into Princess Starlight; and her magical journey to the Royal Ball with real life ponies leading Cinderella's carriage!
Costs:£16.00 - £23.00 Contact 01482 300300 to book.

Mother Goose
Junction at Paradise Place, Goole, East Yorkshire DN14 5DL
13th Dec 2011 to 17th Dec 2011
Mother Goose?s life turns upside down when she is tempted to take a magic potion, but with the help of Priscilla, the goose who lays golden eggs, there may well be a happy ending!
Website http://www.junctiongoole.co.uk/ 




CinderellaDriffield Community Centre at Mill Street, Driffield. ,YO25 6TR
26 Dec 2011
Star Struck's 5th Annual Christmas Pantomime in Driffield tells the well loved rags to riches story of Cinderella. Featuring a live band, great costumes and scenery, and a real pony to take Cinderella to the ball in her Magical Coach.

Jack and the Beanstalk The Spa at South Marine Drive, Bridlington, YO15 3JH
14th Dec 2011 to 4th Jan 2012
There will be plenty of slapstick and audience participation with Dame Trott and Daisy the Cow plus all the other essential pantomime ingredients, including dazzling sets and costumes, popular songs and show stopping dance routines.
Website http://www.thespabridlington.com/

Aladdin
Grand Opera House at Cumberland Street, York, YORK, YO1 9SW
9th Dec 2011 to 1st Jan 2012
Steven Arnold (Corrie's own Ashley Peacock) takes the title role, with Opera House favourite Aiden J Harvey returning as Wishy Washy and seasoned Dame Phil Randall taking them down a peg or two as the hilarious Widow Twankey.
Website http://www.york-operahouse.co.uk/ Book Tickets Now

The York Family Robinson at York Theatre Royal St. Leonard's Place, York, YO1 7HD
15th Dec 2011 to 4th Feb 2012
Laugh yourself silly as they encounter dastardly fey pirates and find themselves shipwrecked on No Man's Land (inhabited solely by beautiful girls - well, until they're joined by the dame!)
Website http://www.theatre-royal-york.co.uk/ 

Bonfire and Firework Night Events in East Yorkshire

All these events are happening on Bonfire night Saturday November 5th 2011
Beverley
Bonfire and fireworks display presented by Beverley Lions Club. On the Westwood, fire lit at 7.15pm and fireworks at 7.30pm Free events with a bucket collection. Don't bring your own fireworks or sparklers.

Hornsea Freeport
This year the Hornsea Carnival Committee’s annual bonfire night and firework display will take place on the overflow car park at the rear of the Hornsea Freeport site. Stalls and rides will be on site from 4.30pm. The bonfire will be lit at 6.15pm followed by the fireworks at 6.30pm.
Driffield Rugby Club
Driffield Town Council's annual bonfire and fireworks display is at the rugby ground in Kelleythorpe and starts at 7pm. Free parking, food and bar. No Sparklers. Admission £2 per adult/£1 children aged 5-16, under-fives free.

Cottingham
Cottingham Tigers ARLFC are holding their annual Bonfire and Fireworks Display at The Roy Waudby Sports Arena (The old Hill Top ) entrance at the Total Fitness Gym, Willerby, off the A164.
Fire lit 7.30pm Fireworks display 8pm. Adults £3 Juniors £2 (5 and unders 'FREE')
Don't bring your own fireworks or sparklers.

Dunnington
Dunnington Bonfire and Fireworks, at the field opposite the Dunnington Sports Club. Gates open 5pm with bonfire lit at 6pm and fireworks from 7pm. Live music from local band, The Mothers, plus hot food, beer tent, stalls and fairground.Tickets £7 on the gate.

Malton
Join Minster FM for the Big Bang in Malton and Norton, held at the Langton Road Community Centre in Norton. Enjoy a big bonfire with a great fireworks display plus a children’s funfair, sideshows and refreshments. Entry for adults, £5.00; children £3.00. Go along to support the community and see a great show!  No personal fireworks allowed on site!

Swanland
Swanland charity fireworks at Humberdale Farm, Tranby Lane, Swanland, in aid of local children's charities. Gates open at 6pm on Saturday and the fireworks start at 7.30pm. Admission costs £10 per car or, for those on foot, £3 per adult and £2 per child.

WilberfossWilberfoss Fireworks and Funfair Night, held at Wilberfoss Sports and Social Club on Storking Lane. Entry is £2 per adult £1 per child. Event begins at 4pm with a fantastic 20 minutes of fireworks display from 8pm. Music and BBQ & Funfair.

Seaton Ross
Seaton Ross Firework Display at the Playing Fields. Gates open and BBQ - 5.30pm,  Bonfire Lighting - 6.00pm,  Firework Display - 6.30pm, Parking, Family Disco & Decorated Pumpkin Competion at The Black Horse Pub. Don't bring your own fireworks or sparklers.

Goole
Bonfire Night at West Park, Goole. Start at 6pm with a funfair and stalls. The fireworks finale is at 7.30pm.

Barton upon Humber
Barton Lions' annual firework party at Baysgarth Park. Gates open at 5.30pm with the fireworks display an hour later. Adults pay £3, accompanied children free. Don't bring your own fireworks or sparklers.

Hope you get to go to one of these. It should even stay dry unlike tonight.

Pocktoberfest, Ghost stories at Betty's, Scooters at Bridlington

Tickets are nearly sold-out for both days of Pocktoberfest (Sat 29th & Sun 30th October) There is some fantastic music and some good beer.
Visit the website (see link on the calender of events) for more details.

If walking around haunted castles and abbeys is just too cold for you then Betty's in York is offering you a more civilised option. Ghost stories, whichcraft and folk talkes from the area will be told by candlelight during a two course meal and of course tea and cofee and handmade chocolates. Tickets cost £27.50 Cally Betty's to book.
Bunker 13 is still on at Magna Science Centre. Well worth a visit.

For Scooter fans, the National Scooter Rally is on at Bridlington, there will be lots of scooters, music and loved bands over the weekend.

Heritage Open Days Out for Free

There are lots of Heritage Open days including the excellent Beverley Friary Open Day & Art Exhibition open both Sat and Sunday and Skidby windmill. There are lots of other free sites. Check out the website details of the website on the calendar of events page. The best thing is that places that are not normally open are opened up and they are FREE!!

There is a ‘Porter’s life’ guided tour of Station Hall (National Railway Museum, York) to learn what working as a railway porter was really like. “Meet and greet royalty, wave goodbye to happy holidaymakers and discover how to get the best tips from rich passengers.”
South Cave Farmers celebrates its 10th anniversary, this Saturday (10th Sep) 9am-12noon. Farmers Markets are an excellent ways of getting some great tasting local food. There will also be cookery demonstrations at the next door school.

Have a great weekend.

August Bank Holiday

Why does the August Bank Holiday always seem so precious. It marks the return to school for pupils and teachers alike. For the rest of the working world it is the last Bank Holiday until Christmas, so you have to make the most of it.
There are the usual splatting of festivals this weekend, including the excellent Galtres festival (the other side of York) which is a real ale and music festival. Headlining is the Levellers for those of you old enough to remember them.
This weekend also hosts the last dash of the gorgeous summer fetes. On Monday 29th it is South Cave Show from 2pm at the sports Centre.

For something different, there are some interesting things happening in York.
Revolutionary Fashion at Fairfax house looks at the varied fashion of 1790-1820. Georgian and Regency Fashion, lots of elegant costume drama style dresses.

Further afield at the Moors National Park Centre is an introduction to Bushcraft designed for children over 9. You get to learn how to make a fire without matches and even make your own spoon.
The Moors National Park is well worth a visit as is Whitby. The Folk festival is still on, the final day is Friday.

Have Fun.

Festivals, Antiques Roadshow and Time Travel

Newbald Village Gala is proving to be an exciting mix of a traditional village gala with tombolas, cake competitions, inter pub tournaments and a modern music festival. Vixen 101 FM are there throughout the afternoon and late afternoon into the evening the band Reloaded, rock covers band Freefall and Mike Rogers with Still Waters. The gala starts at 2pm on Saturday 23^rd July.

Want to be on telly? Got something valuable? Antiques Roadshow is coming to the Yorkshire Museum on 28 July between 9.30 and 4.30. Admission is free. Raid the attic and meet Fiona Bruce!!

English Heirtage have a range of Time travellers events throughout the school holidays and they start this weekend at Cliffords tower with a chance to discover medieval etiquette, but more importantly a chance to dress up in regal costumes and hats and sit on a throne. For more details go to the English Heirtage website.



For history and culture Fort Paull is hosting a medieval Hull weekend with some displays of weaponry from the 15^thto the 17^th centuries.

Railway children

Indoors or outdoors? The weather is just so variable, although with Glastonbury and Wimbledon on this weekend it is no surprise that we are expecting plenty of the wet stuff.

At Sledmere House near Driffield is a “Nostalgia Weekend”,  go back in time to the 1940s/1950s and see what it was like in Britain after the war, there’s lots of vintage cars, bikes etc and a model railway exhibition for all the big kids.

For a trip to the cinema with a difference, there is a drive in cinema at Bustardthorpe Field, York, on Saturday (25^th June) they are showing Dirty Dancing, Tickets are £25 per car and can be booked in advance, more details are here.

Railway Children and other fans with love the latest off from NYMR. They are letting children go for free until 1^st July. Full details can be found here. You will need to watch the video and then follow the link. It is just a perfect excuse to go to Whitby, eat fish and chips and buy some freshly smoked kippers from Fortunes.

A week off with the little angels ..... (demons?)

A week to fill - panic not- there is lots to do.

Clifford's Tower in York there is a Tudor Trail, just for the children. Hunt around and see if you can find all of Henry VIII six wives, hopefully complete with all their heads. It's on all week (28 May - 5 June) from 10am to 6pm. Then a spot of retail therapy for the grown ups.

On the North side of York there is a fantastic children's play park, Creepy Crawlies has the usual indoor ball pits and stuff but also a great outside bit with more play areas, some animals and go karts, perfect if the weather is unreliable and does a yummy hot chocolate.

 

Half Term Fun with Horrid Henry! Tuesday 31st May at 10am at Simply Books in Pocklington.

Come along and listen to stories about Horrid Henry.
Make your own drum to really annoy your parents with!
Make a door hanger to keep out annoying brothers or sisters or parents.
Eat enough sweets and biscuits to make you SICK!
Then take home a Horrid Henry book to read when you don’t feel like talking to ANYONE!
£5 per child. Booking essential!

The Hull Museums have come up with some different events....

Wednesday 1st June there are two potentially interesting events for the kids - "Cool Cave Painting" 11am-1pm at Hull and East Riding Museum and "Tailor Your Own Trash" 12 noon - 2pm at Wilberforce. Both should give them chance to show off their creative talents.

Thursday 2nd June  1-3pm- For those that are planning on being the next Alan Sugar at Hands on History Museum there is "Bank on it!" where you can design your own money.


For the artists at Hull History Centre there is session  on Friday 12-2pm where you can create your own Victoria style self portrait.

The seaside has to be visited at least once every holiday. Fish and chips at the harbour and a boat trip, make a great day out. At Bridlington the Pirates ship is perfect as you can even buy pirate flags to wave on the trip.