Farncombe Events - perfect for your group!

We have now introduced our Farncombe Events part of the business to the world wide web. Take a look at our brand new website www.farncombeevents.com.

The website has been designed to provide detailed information to group event organisers, from clubs & societies, open courses, AGMs or retreats.

With 11 dedicated meeting rooms and 89 ensuite bedrooms we consider Farncombe to fit the bill for any event you may be organising!

So why not take a look and see how we can help. For more information visit our website or call Elizabeth on 01386 854215.

Your chance to win a fantastic break in Worcestershire for you and your family

Your chance to win a fantastic break in Worcestershire for you and your family with Destination Worcestershire.

The Prize Draw will close on November 19th 2010 for your chance to win

£200 Voucher to use against a Course with Farncombe Estate
Family Tickets for a Santa Steam Special at Severn Valley Railway
Family Tickets for a Santa Safari at West Midland Safari Park
£50 Voucher for Fusion Brasserie, Stoulton, Nr Worcester
Family Ticket to Witley Court & Gardens (English Heritage)
Family Tickets for Ice Skating at Webbs, West Hagley
Family Ticket to Hidcote Manor Gardens (National Trust)

For more details visit Autumn Prize Draw

Three Choirs Festival 7-15 August

The Three Choirs Festival, held each year since the early eighteenth century, and rotating between the three great cathedral cities of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford is one of the world’s oldest classical choral music festivals. This heritage has long established the Festival as a firm fixture in the British music calendar and a must-visit for lovers of the great choral works from across Britain, Europe, America and Australasia.

The festival returns to Gloucester this August with an excellent line up. Each festival provides an attached Festival Club, traditionally run by the “Friends” of the home festival, which provides a central social venue for audience and performers alike, as well as food and drink in a welcoming and hospitable atmosphere.

For more details see http://www.3choirs.org/

Sunday Lunch menu - book online now

Free Open Day – Sunday Lunch Menu 12 September 2010

£14 per person

Bookings being taken online now



Roasted Tomato & Beetroot Soup with Chive Crème Fraiche & Garlic Croutons Confit Duck Leg Pancake filled with Cucumber & Spring Onion served with Honey & Thyme Salad & Hoi Sin Dressing


***


Roast Gloucestershire Beef served with Yorkshire Pudding, Horseradish Sauce & rich Gravy Pan Fried Salmon Fillet on a Bed of Tomato & Chorizo Fondue with a Basil & Black Olive Oil Butternut Squash & Sage Risotto with Balsamic Reduction

All served with a selection of fresh Vegetables and Potatoes


***


Treacle Tart served with Custard (V)

Blackberry Delice

Lunch at 12.30

Lunch at 1.30

POW Funding Explained

Wychavon District Council is hosting an evening for all local activity providers including sports and arts clubs, youth and uniform groups and other community organisations to explain POW (Positive Opportunities Worcestershire) funding in Worcestershire.

It will explain what POW funding is, what it can be used for and how as a club or organisation you can get involved.

POW is a government funded project to help children and young people try new activities that will help them at school and in life. The funding is for children and young people whose families may find it difficult to pay for activities or who are in care. It can be spent on activities offered at school or other places, like leisure centres or sports / arts clubs.

The workshop will be held on Monday 21st June from 7.30 – 9 pm at Wychavon District Council in the Committee rooms.

If you would like more information about this event, please contact Emma Gardner on 01386 565182 or email emma.gardner@wychavon.gov.uk

And to find out more about POW, please visit the County Council Website www.worcestershire.gov.uk

The Fleece Inn Asparagus Festival Day

This year The Fleece Inn will host its annual Asparagus festival day on bank holiday Monday, May 31st. Opening times are 11am – 4pm and visitors to the festival will include Morris dancers, a traditional farmers market, Agricultural demonstrations and cookery demonstrations among many others.

The festival brings thousands of visitors to the Vale of Evesham every year and creates amazing press opportunities for the area. It is the biggest annual event at The Fleece Inn and a brilliant opportunity for various crafts and local produce to be displayed and sold to the general public.

Craft stalls for the day are £35 and availability is limited so please ensure you complete your application form in good time. Full payment for the day is requested once your position has been confirmed. The deadline for applications is March 10th 2010.

If you would like to find out more information regarding the British Asparagus Festival please visit www.britishasparagusfestival.org.

Should you have any other enquiries please do not hesitate to contact Nigel Smith or Sadie Hughes at The Fleece Inn.

01386 831173

sadie@thefleeceinn.co.uk

www.thefleeceinn.co.uk

Bear Pit Battle at The 3 Counties Show, Malvern

Three Counties entrepreneurs have the chance to take the bull by the horns, enter the 'battle arena' and sweat it out in pursuit of a cash prize and some invaluable business advice to boot!

The Three Counties Agricultural Society is running its second 'Bear Pit Business Competition' on the first day (Friday 19 June) of the Three Counties Show, and is keen to hear from individuals or firms less than two years old who want to compete for £1000 and expert support and mentoring. The Bear Pit is a 'Dragon's Den' style initiative, run in conjunction with Herefordshire Rural Hub, and will be held in the Show's Rural Business Pavilion, which is supported again by Business Link. Five finalists will present their cases to a discerning judging panel, who will be on the lookout for dynamic businesses which best serve the rural community through innovation and sustainability. Application forms are available from Cathy Meredith at the Herefordshire Rural Hub on 01432 870033, email: meredithc@hct.ac.uk

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

It isn't too late to Vote for Your Favourite Worcestershire Tourism Business!

Destination Worcestershire brings the first ever awards aimed at the tourism industry to the county celebrating the diversity of Worcestershire's tourism offer.

There are four Worcestershire Awards and you are invited to vote for your favourites, the categories include:

• Best Worcestershire Breakfast
• Eat & Drink Worcestershire
• Worcestershire Awareness
• Worcestershire Nights

Closing date for entries is Monday 20th April 2009

he winners will be put forward for regional and national award schemes and also receive a commemorative plaque and a vocational prize of their choice such as training in marketing or financial management.

More information on Worcestershire Welcome Awards

PARISH MUSIC

Parish Music concerts resume on 28th February with a recital by the Oriel Singers in Overbury, followed by

Saturday 4th April 2009 8pm St Barbara’s Church, Ashton under Hill

Jessica Thomas, violin, and Ashok Gupta, piano, are two talented young musicians studying at Clare College, Cambridge. Their programme includes Beethoven’s Spring Sonata, the Brahms violin sonata no 2 in A major and JS Bach’s Gavotte en Rondeau from the Partita no 3 in E major.

Jessica is in her fourth year, studying for a B.Mus. She is also a Choral Scholar. She has participated in the University Instrumental Award Scheme, which exists to promote the performance of chamber music.
Ashok is in his second year at Clare, reading Music. He regularly performs with and conducts the college Chapel Choir, and recently composed a Jazz Mass for them. While a pupil at Dean Close School, Cheltenham, he gained his ABRSM Diploma in 2004 and became Young Musician of Gloucestershire in 2005.

Saturday 16th May 2009 8pm St Nicholas’ Church, Teddington

Trio Ébano makes a welcome return to Parish Music. The group last played for us in November 2004 shortly after their leader, flautist Nicola Shorland, had become Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year. She continues to be a dedicated chamber musician and has acquired an interesting collection of flutes, some of which she will demonstrate at the concert. The programme will also include solos for flute (Debussy’s ‘Syrinx’) and clarinet (‘Tricolour Capers’ by Eric Mandat), duos for flute and clarinet by Rutter, Elgar and Villa-Lobos, and trios by Shostakovich and Mozart.

Nicola is joined in the current ensemble by clarinettist Lucy Tugwell and bassoonist Hannah Wrieden. In 2006 Trio Ébano took their music to Singapore where they performed with the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, and gave recitals and led workshops in various schools. All the members of the trio value teaching as part of their portfolio. Nicola originally learnt by the Suzuki method with Susie Alington and is now herself an accredited Suzuki Flute teacher.

For more details visit www.ashtonunderhill.org.uk/organisations/music