Win Big in the Gardeners World Prize Draw

You could be in with the chance to win big in the Gardeners World prize draw with a selection of prizes on offer.  Please take a look below at the prizes on offer and then click on the link at the bottom to enter.
Winners will be notified by the 30th August 2012 by telephone or email.

1st Prize - Farncombe Estate Course

Farncombe Estate is offering a fantastic prize where you can enjoy a short course like the 'Glorious Cotswold Gardens' course or one of the many other courses available at the short course study centre in the Cotswolds.  The prize is valid for 12 months so you can take your pick out of a variety of courses held throughout the year.

Please click here to find out more about Farncombe Estate

To enter the competition please follow this link

Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - Online survey

Cotswolds Conservation Board is working with partners to develop opportunities for sustainable tourism which recognise the present and future needs of the environment, tourism businesses, visitors and the local community.

There are two ways to have your say:

· through a quick online survey

· through attending one of the workshop events during June and July

See below for more information.

Cotswolds AONB Tourism Survey

Tourism is hugely important to the economy of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and the Cotswolds Conservation Board is working with partners to develop opportunities for sustainable tourism which recognise the present and future needs of the environment, tourism businesses, visitors and the local community. This work is forming part of the Board's application for the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas. The aim of the Charter is to increase awareness of and support for protected areas (Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Parks) across the UK and Europe, and to improve the sustainable development and management of tourism within them.

As part of this process, the Cotswolds Conservation Board would like to hear your views on tourism in the Cotswolds AONB. Please therefore take a few minutes to complete the questions in the online survey by following this link - Click here to take part in the survey

In return for your help and participation with this survey, your names will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four family tickets to the 2010 Moreton-in-Marsh Show on Saturday 4 September. Full details, including terms & conditions is available at www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk.

Farncombe Tutors in Midnight Walk fund raiser

The Midnight Walk is an annual event arranged by Sue Ryder to help raise funds for the care that makes a huge difference to the quality of life to people with challenging and complex life limiting conditions. This year they hope the 10 km Cheltenham walk will raise £70,000 through sponsorship towards the £74 million pounds they need to raise annually to continue their standard of care and support. Congratulations to Farncombe tutors Mary Pearson and Sue Pattinson who took part and have so far raised £720 towards their target of £1000. They hope to raise more from their workshop on Sunday 27^th June.

Sue and Mary have also joined the Big Wig challenge which is for local businesses to raise funds and have set their target at £1000.. As this is the 30^th anniversary of Sue Ryder care the overall target is £30,000. Their second fund raising event is a fun, thought provoking workshop “The Power of Enough”. During this interactive afternoon we will be opportunity to explore our expectations and the reality of what we need. Mary will be discussing strategies to boost self confidence and help you feel good about yourself. Sue will produce an incredibly versatile capsule wardrobe from a small case (that is just big enough). Please support this cause, and you will meet other lovely ladies and take away new ideas about yourself and your wardrobe. With the holidays coming it is worth coming just for the packing skills! Further information can be found on www.suepattinson.com/events.aspx

Free gardening advice online with Farncombe tutor Andrew Mikolajski

How green does your garden grow?! A great chance to post some gardening questions to an expert. Throughout the month of February, author and Farncombe tutor Andrew will be hosting a gardening forum on our Facebook page - Gardening advice online with Farncombe tutor Andrew Mikolajski

Farncombe Student Donations for "Walk Free" - thank you !

On Saturday 5 December we had 4 walkers who were doing John O’Groats to Lands End (only 1200 miles) staying at Farncombe. Think for a moment about the weather over recent weeks ……………….! Charlie, Nick, Claudia and Martin are raising money for two charities that work with women and children who are trafficked as slaves and with former child soldiers. Their website is www.walk-free.org.uk

My first job, in 1967, was teaching in Kenya and from 1973 to 1975 I worked for Unicef in the southern Sudan, so those two causes have an immediate pull for me. In addition I am planning to ride 2,500 miles round England via 30 cathedrals for the Family Holiday Association and for Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre when I retire in 2013. I will buy the poor unsuspecting horse in the summer of 2012. So I have some empathy with those doing such things.

We asked the Farncombe students to support Charlie, Nick, Claudia and Martin and to encourage them, I agreed to give an additional 50p for every £1 raised.

I am delighted to say that on 7 December we paid £99 to the charities via the www.walk-free.org.uk website.

Well done Farncombe!

William

Friendship Walk returns to beat breast cancer

It’s back! The Broadway Ring Friendship Walk will return to the Cotswolds next month and Breast Cancer Campaign wants you to step forward for the event and help fund breast cancer research.

Last year over 50 locals took part in the five-mile walk and raised £2,200 to help Campaign continue funding research into breast cancer. This year, the charity is hoping more walkers will lace up their walking boots for the countryside stroll starting at Farncombe Estate in Broadway on Sunday 4 October.

Local Walk Champ, Mary Franklin, from Witney, Oxfordshire has organised walks for Breast Cancer Campaign since 2006 and has so far raised over £7,500 She said: “Each year we’ve had a really great turnout with lots of people raising much needed funds for research into this disease. The walk takes place during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month so it’s an ideal time for men, women and children to come together, wear pink and support the charity, while taking in the beautiful sights of the Cotswolds.”

Sarah England, Events Executive for Breast Cancer Campaign, added: “Sadly this October, 3,800 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed. Although 80 per cent of women diagnosed today will be alive in five years time, Campaign is committed to improving these statistics by funding innovative world-class research, so please help us get a step closer to beating breast cancer by taking part in this walk.”

Registration for the walk, which starts at 10.00am, is £5 and all walkers will receive a medal at the end. Everyone is encouraged to dress in pink and to raise sponsorship for taking part.

To sign up or for more information, please contact the Events team on 020 7749 3700 or visit www.friendshipwalks.co.uk

Last chance to help shape the landscape of the London 2012 Olympics

Last chance to help shape the landscape of the London 2012 Olympics

On 31 July 2009, the RHS Olympic Park Great British Garden Competition will close to entries, meaning that if you want to win the chance of designing a garden for the London 2012 Olympics, you only have a few weeks to enter.

London 2012 has joined forces with the RHS to offer two budding gardeners the opportunity to help design a garden that will sit within the new Olympic Park in east London.

This garden will be a chance to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, our heritage as a nation of gardeners and the unique qualities found in Britain’s domestic gardens. We are looking for two winners, a young person (age 16 and under) and an adult, to help create a space that makes visitors to the park feel like they are wandering through someone’s garden.
The modern Olympic movement was founded by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894, after he was inspired by a visit to the Much Wenlock Olympic Society in Shropshire. To commemorate the Olympic link to the British Isles, we would like you to explore the possibility of incorporating a Pierre de Coubertin oak tree into your design idea.

This competition is open to everyone except professional garden designers. All we ask is that people either draw, paint, computer design or create a collage design idea for their garden on an A4 sheet of paper, and accompany it with a short explanatory note. The garden will measure a quarter of an acre (about a quarter of a football pitch) in size.

Read a copy of the terms and conditions or download an application form.

Top tips to think about when designing a garden

• Firstly, think of the Big Idea. What is the overall idea for your garden? Is it to celebrate a sense of national identity and diversity, the Olympic and Paralympic values or something else?
• Secondly, decide what the purpose of the garden should be. How should the garden be used? A space for relaxation, child play or a place to excite the senses?
• Thirdly, what is the style of your garden? Do you draw your references from pop culture or traditional garden designers? Is there a colour theme you would like to draw on?
• Fourthly, what plants and features do you want to include? How will you use the garden to showcase British plants? Do you want to include a water feature or commemorative tree in your design idea? Could you use recycled materials for your features?

The entries will be judged on the following criteria

A design idea that:

• Demonstrates the unique qualities of Britain’s domestic gardens
• Is forward looking and celebrates the UK’s favourite pastime of gardening
• Will leave a legacy for future generations to enjoy
• Celebrates the Olympic and Paralympic Values and the Much Wenlock Olympian Society, in particular exploring opportunities to include one or more Pierre de Coubertin oak trees in the design idea.

The closing date for the competition is 31 July 2009. Six finalists will be shortlisted by a panel of judges and then put forward for a public vote on the RHS website in September 2009. Winner will be notified in October 2009.

Read a copy of the terms and conditions or download an application form.

Ticket offer for the last ever Royal Show 7-10 July

The Royal Show is the UK's leading agricultural show which is proudly organised and presented by the Royal Agricultural Society of England. Held over four days, welcoming over 100,000 visitors, the Show prides itself on being one of the best events of its kind, celebrating and showcasing all aspects of food, farming and rural life. Come and enjoy a fantastic day out in the country; we promise you'll be spoilt for choice with what to see, do and try!

Visit http://www.royalshow.org.uk/ for more info.

Think Food and Farming is pleased to offer you a special rate in recognition of your support. Simply call the ticket hotline on 0844 5811400 and quote ORGS09 to get your tickets for just £10 for an adult ticket and £5 for a child!

(Standard prices £15 advance tickets or £18 on the gate)

Ashton under Hill Open Gardens Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2009

Ashton under Hill Open Gardens Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2009

Over 1400 visitors came to our 31st annual event in 2008, from as far afield as Japan, Canada and Holland, as well as many places much nearer to Worcestershire. They shared two days of beautiful, warm sunshine with us, enjoying the village and the gardens which were open for viewing. Many people said they particularly appreciated the variety of gardens on display, and the warmth and friendliness of their welcome.

Gardens for Gardeners

Our theme in 2009 is Gardens for Gardeners, emphasising that what you will see in Ashton are gardens designed and maintained by enthusiasts, facing all the usual challenges of climate, location, soil, and of course the same garden pests! You can be assured of a warm welcome from our gardeners who will be happy to talk to you about their gardens, their choice of plants and shrubs, and their successes and failures. This year we will have 24 gardens open, from small vegetable and cottage flower plots to large landscaped gardens on the lower slopes of Bredon Hill.

Refreshments and Plant Sales

When you feel the need for rest and relaxation you will be able to enjoy some quality refreshments: lunches from 12:30pm, cream teas, afternoon teas from the WI or the full menu in our village pub, The Star. There will also be the opportunity for you to buy a wide selection of quality plants, and we continue our theme of exhibitions and displays in the village church with Images of Ashton, a pictorial and audio-visual look at events and activities in the village from times past to the present day. There will also be displays by the Cotswolds Wardens and the Hereford and Worcester Master Composters, as well as a Picture Treasure Hunt for children.

Admission Prices Held

Gardens are open from 1.00pm to 6.00pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission to the event remains at just £4.00 per person, children free, and Saturday tickets are valid for Sunday. Free use of the special bus service throughout the village is included, allowing you time to see all of the gardens at your leisure. There’s also ample free parking for cars and coaches.

Discount for Group Bookings

We are pleased to offer group discounted tickets at £3.50 per person for a party of 10 or more, booked in advance by Friday 29 May. To find out more, including photos of previous events, please visit our website at: www.ashtonopengardens.co.uk.

Contact details:

Telephone: 01386 881778
Fax: 0870 762 1557
Email: marketing@ashtonopengardens.co.uk

Cotswold Midnight Walk - Friday 26th June

Wanted!

2,000 women for the girls’ event of the year

Girl power will be the order of the night when the Cotswold Midnight Walk sets off at midnight on Friday June 26th in Cirencester. Last year 1,200 women took part and raised £120,000 for Cotswold Care Hospice. This year the charity is aiming for 2,000 women to make it the biggest Midnight Walk in Gloucestershire. Scores of men are also needed to act as volunteers and marshals on the night.

Entry is £10 and details are available from events manager Vicki Hayward on 01453 886868 or email vicki.hayward@cotswoldcare.org.uk or log on to www.fancyagirlsnightout.com.

Women must register in advance of the event.

Open Farm Sundays 2009

When & where -


4th March - Balliefurth Farm, Grantown-on-Spey, Highlands
5th March - Aik Bank Farm, Calthwaite, Penrith, Cumbria
11th March - Hardwick Park Farm, Doe Lea, Chesterfield, Nottinghamshire
12th March - Manor Farm, Kelfield, Nr York, Yorkshire
17th March - Overbury Farms, Overbury, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
18th March - Rectory Farm, Great Easton, Market Harborough, Leic'shire
24th March - West Craigie Farm, South Queensferry, Edinburgh
25th March - Blagdon Farm, Seaton Burn, Newcastle, Northumberland
30th March - Kenniford Farm, Clyst St Mary, Exeter, Devon
31st March - Collings Hanger Farm, Prestwood, Great Missenden, Bucks
2nd April - Manydown Company, Wootton St Lawrence, Basingstoke, Hants
6th April - Shotford Hall Farm, Harleston, Norfolk
7th April - College Farm, Grange Road, Duxford, Cambridgeshire
16th April - Reed Court Farm, Marden, Tonbridge, Kent
17th April - Boyton Farms, Warminster, Wiltshire
21st April - Hill Farm, Sound, Nantwich, Cheshire
22nd April - Osbaldeston Hall Farm, Osbaldeston, Blackburn, Lancashire
28th April - Caerlan Farm, Penrhiwfer, Tonypandy, South Wales
29th April - Cannon Farm, Llanerfyl, Welshpool, Powys, Wales


Programme -


1.45pm Arrive
2.00pm Open Farm Sunday farm Walk covering top tips and guidance -
- Feedback and lessons learnt from 2008
- Generating interest and publicity
- Avoiding jargon, handling tricky questions and awkward visitors
- Activities to make your event memorable
- Making it safe, insurance, bio-security, toilets and hand washing
- Charging, first aid, disabled visitors, wet weather plan
4.20pm Tea and cake
4.30pm Finish


If you would like to attend a workshop, register your event, order your free pack or know more about Open Farm Sunday please visit www.farmsunday.org <http://leaf.everysite.co.uk/glue/rpc/click.aspx?2RRVTHNXTS.7OX3AKWS7TPNY,http://www.farmsunday.org> or telephone LEAF on 02476 413911

The 2009 competition is open for entries

The 2009 competition is open for entries...

The Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is beginning its annual search for the best and most astonishing images from around the world, whether they come from the wildest places on Earth or urban gardens. With the bar being raised each year, the 2009 competition promises to be bigger and more inspiring than ever before.

‘This is the greatest and most prestigious competition for wildlife photographers anywhere in the world. It raises the profile of wildlife photography and provokes a wider awareness of wildlife conservation. It is not just professionals who are successful – amateurs of all ages have won awards in the competition many times. In recent years the judges have been particularly impressed by the standard of images being produced by many young people.’ Mark Carwardine (Chairman of the judges)

The winning photographer will be presented with £10,000 at an awards ceremony at the Natural History Museum, London, in October. Each category winner receives £500 and every runner-up £250. Special Award winners receive £1,000.

How to enter

• visit our website to enter online, for revised rules and category definitions and the Chairman’s foreword and insider tips.
• images must be digitally captured or scans of transparencies
• original transparencies, or the original capture as it was recorded by the camera will be requested, and must be supplied if an image reaches the final round of judging
• translations of the rules are available online in Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish
• online entry fee: £20
• postal entry fee: £27 (CDs only)
• closing date for online entries: Friday 27 March 2009
• closing date for postal entries (CDs only): Friday 20 March 2009

National Awards to be presented at Cotswold Dry Stone Walling competition

The contest, which takes place at Prestons Folly, Broadfield Farm near Tetbury on Sunday 5th October is run by the Cotswolds Conservation Board in partnership with the Cotswold branch of the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain.

Competitors will have the chance to enter one of four classes: class one - professional, class two - amateur, class three - novice and class four - beginner pairs.

Organiser, Mark Connelly from the Cotswolds Conservation Board said:

"This years event is exciting because it has an added dimension to it in that it encompasses the Dry Stone Walling Associations Annual Anniversary Walling Championship, which is being held to celebrate the organisations 40th Anniversary. The event will see national finalists competing for awards that have been donated by the patron of the association, His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales".

May Half Term Family Friendly Walks in the Cotswolds

Million year old fossils, strange fungi and the secrets of a Cotswold farm are all waiting to be discovered during the May half term break.
The Cotswolds Conservation Board is providing a programme of ten short family strolls across the AONB, which are designed to provide families with the opportunity to get out and about over the school holidays.
“The walks will provide an ideal opportunity for families to find out more about the countryside around them and to enjoy the summer colours in the Cotswolds” said Dave Scott, one of the Cotswolds Conservation Board’s 340 Voluntary Wardens.
The strolls are ideal for younger members of the family and will cover short distances at an easy pace. Each walk focuses on a particular theme, such as wildlife or woodlands, which walks leaders will discuss with the public along the route.
It is all part of a wider walks programme that can be found in the Cotswold Conservation Board’s newspaper, The Cotswold Lion.

The Alan Titchmarsh Show

The Alan Titchmarsh Show is looking for three contributors for an upcoming item - a lady in her 20’s and 50’s and a gentleman aged 35-40. Each must have a rural background and be in need of a makeover.

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen will be fronting the item and it will be an excellent opportunity for somebody to sample the very best in ‘rural chic’. This item will be in next Tuesday’s programme (19th February) and it will be a day event.

Please contact Ashley Kilminster (Researcher, The Alan Titchmarsh Show) on 020 7074 0577 if you are interested in participating.

Breast Cancer Campaign Friendship Walk from Farncombe Estate 1 June 2008

A Cotswold Classic
Date: Sunday 1 June 2008
Venue: Cotswold Conference Centre, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12
Meeting place: Farncombe Estate, Cotswold Conference Centre, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7LJ
Timings: 9.30am registration 10am walk starts 2.30pm walk finishes
Distance: Eight miles
Registration fee: £5 (This walk is only suitable for children 12 years old and over accompanied by an adult)

Rolling hills, panoramic views, a country churchyard and lunch in a bustling market town make this walk a Cotswold Classic. Discover what makes the Cotswolds so special when you join this 8-mile walk through the Cotswold countryside. Enjoy views across to Broadway, (the ‘jewel of the Cotswolds’) and as far as the Malvern Hills and trek along some of the National Trails Cotswold Way. Stop for lunch in picturesque Chipping Campden and enjoy the chocolate box characteristics of the town. After lunch you’ll climb up to Dover’s Hill before embarking on a down hill ramble back to the conference centre. For anyone wishing to experience England at its best then this is the walk for you.

For further information or to register please contact:
Elizabeth Cook 020 7749 3700 friendshipwalks@breastcancercampaign.org

Through a Carpet of Bluebells

Enjoy walks through woods carpeted with bluebells and learn a little about the history of the landscape

In April and May join our day walks or weekend breaks to explore Wychwood forest, the Oxfordshire Cotswolds and the Cotswold Edge, visiting unspoilt villages, lunching in country pubs and the enjoying the company of fellow travellers.

At the same time learn how the natural landscape was formed and how the people have left their mark on the landscape. From the barrows of the Neolithic people, to the Saxon ridge and furrow and 20th century golf courses see how nature and history have moulded the English countryside - and all best seen on foot.

For more details go to www.walkthelandscape.co.uk

The 2007 Asparagus Festival - Stay at Farncombe

The Evesham Asparagus Festival draws to a close on Sunday 3rd June in the gorgeous village of Bretforton. Bretforton is a short 10 minute drive from Broadway and events centre around The Fleece Inn - a "quintessential village pub" owned by The National Trust. The church Asparagus auction takes place on Sunday, and for Garden lovers it is also Bretforton Open Gardens Day.

We can help arrange return group transport to Bretforton for a small fee. Please let us know if this is of interest. Parking in Bretforton village can be restricted at busy times.

After a fabulous day in Bretforton return to Farncombe for a 3 course evening meal and overnight B&B from only £58.50 per person.
To register interest in this offer please visit the Farncombe website & complete the enquiry form. www.FarncombeEstate.co.uk/Asparagus

Year of the Cotswold Garden

Gardening, and garden visiting is a passion of the British, as a growing number of specialist TV programmes and magazines bear witness.

2007 will be an important year for England’s gardens and Farncombe have a number of events you may find of interest. You will also find plenty of other events listed at www.EnjoyEngland.net

Glenfall House Gardening Weekend

Thursday 12th to Sunday 15th April 2007

Does the idea of spending a weekend working in beautiful gardens appeal?
Whilst enjoying the gracious house with its special atmosphere, renowned welcome and good cooking, you would help maintain the landscaped grounds. The development of the grounds and gardens is supervised by the Gardens Committee with the support of the Friends of Glenfall House, and we would like to offer others the chance to help in this peaceful place.
The weekend will be ideal for both novice and experienced gardeners.
Residential and non-residential places available.