Homefront Heroines is a two year Heritage Lottery Funded project exploring the lives and roles of the women of World War One. Told through digital stories, poetry and craft work, the exhibition is a culmination of the research uncovered.
Join us for an evening with the award winning and bestselling nature-writer, John Lewis-Stempel, as he talks about his new book Still Water: The Deep Life of the Pond.
The Pond. Nothing in the countryside is more humble or more valuable. It’s the moorhen’s reedy home, the frog’s ancient breeding place, the kill zone of the beautiful dragonfly. More than a hundred rare and threatened fauna and flora depend on it. Written in gorgeous prose, Still Water tells the seasonal story of the wild animals and plants that live in and around the pond, from the mayfly larvae in the mud to the patrolling bats in the night sky above. It reflects an era before the water was polluted with chemicals and the land built on for housing, a time when ponds shone everywhere like eyes in the land, sustaining life for all, from fish to carthorse. Still Water is a loving biography of the pond, and an alarm call on behalf of this precious but overlooked habitat. Above all, John Lewis-Stempel takes us on a remarkable journey – deep, deep down into the nature of still water.
Widely regarded as one of the best nature-writers of his generation and twice winner of the Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing we’re delighted to welcome John Lewis-Stempel back to Booka.
Tickets: £5 (redeemable against a signed copy of Still Water). Includes a glass of wine or soft drink on arrival. Tickets available from the bookshop or purchase online (with booking fee).
Come and see Peppa at Llangollen Railway on the 23rd & 24th March 2019. The cheeky little piggy will be appearing at intervals between 10:30am – 3.30pm on both days… don’t’ forget your camera!
Take a train ride to Carrog to see the magic show.
Face painting available at intervals on Platform 1 at Llangollen Station.
colouring sheets available
All the above is included in the ticket price
Join us for a morning with international bestselling children’s author Francesca Simon as we celebrate 25 years of Horrid Henry with the publication of Horrid Henry Up, Up and Away.
Number One for fiendish fun! Horrid Henry is back and naughtier than ever in this brand-new book from Francesca Simon.
Come and see Peppa at Llangollen Railway on the 23rd & 24th March 2019. The cheeky little piggy will be appearing at intervals between 10:30am – 3.30pm on both days… don’t’ forget your camera!
Take a train ride to Carrog to see the magic show.
Face painting available at intervals on Platform 1 at Llangollen Station.
colouring sheets available
All the above is included in the ticket price
A Mothers Day or Easter Treat, For Mum, Aunt, Grandma or a Friend. Wreath and Garland Making along with High Tea at Artisans Lake Vyrnwy. 29th March at 4.30pm and 12th April at 4.30pm. £25 per person. Call Jo on 01691 780416 or Ceri on 01691 870317
On the weekend of March 30th -31st the American Civil War society (ACWS) will be holding this years training event at Whittington Castle in Shropshire come along and see the infantry,cavalry (subject to availability) and Artillery being put through their drill, wander through the authentic living history encampments of the Union and Confederate forces listen for the crackle of muskets as you are taken back to 1861-1865 American Civil War.
Join us for a weekend of living history
Meet the re-enactors in the WW1 Trenches, take a short lesson in the Victorian School, have a go at weaving in the Iron Age Roundhouse and take a tour of the magnificent Welsh Guards Museum in this salute to British History.
Treat your mum or gran to a day out at the beautiful Hawkstone Park Follies over Mothers Day weekend with free admission.
Every mum or gran visiting with at least one paying child will get FREE admission on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st March 2019.
Standard terms and condition of entry apply.
Entrance opens at 10am, last admission at 3pm, park closes 5pm.
3s and Under £0
Child £5.75
Additional adults £8.25
Real Ale Train
6.30pm departure from Llangollen Station
Step on board and soak up the atmosphere whilst enjoying the Real Ales on offer at our well stocked bar.
Double return journey – arrive back approximately 9.30pm.
£18 Advanced ticket price includes a free Llangollen Railway pint glass.
REAL ALE – £3 per pint, Wines and Soft Drink also available
Food will be available to purchase from The Station Cafe + Bar on the evening, along with a BBQ on the platform.
Reserved seating will be provided for parties of eight or more.
It is not advised that children attend this event.
Advanced tickets – £18 per person with a FREE Llangollen Railway Pint Glass
Tickets purchased on the evening – £20 per person
Due to the terms of our premise licence – Passengers are NOT permitted to bring their own alcohol on board the Real Ale Train. Any alcohol brought will be removed from the customer for the duration of the event, the railway reserves the right to refuse admittance if the request is not complied with. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.
**UPDATE: Bookings now only available for late afternoon or evening**
Come and celebrate Mothering Sunday at
The Station Grill on Sunday the 31st of March 2019.
To book a table contact us on 01691 828478
We look forward to seeing you.
Treat mum to a scrumptious Mother’s Day three course meal and The Orangery Restaurant.
£14.95 per person – includes a free gift for mum!
Booking essential, please call 01691 661234 ext 213 or email: bookings@derwen.ac.uk
Cream Tea in the Garden Cafe
£3.95 per person
To book please call 01691 661234 ext 226 or email: bookings@derwen.ac.uk
Treats at the Garden Centre
Pop in to the Garden Centre to pick up some gifts and treats for Mother’s Day – including beautiful bespoke hampers.
The annual Derwen Sponsored Walk is also taking place on 31st March this year. For further information please visit the event page.
Treat your Mother and enjoy a relaxing 3 course lunch carefully prepared by our team of chef’s in our Paddock Suite… It is also being served in Wilson’s Bar & Restaurant…
An afternoon tea menu is also available.
Treat your mum or gran to a day out at the beautiful Hawkstone Park Follies over Mothers Day weekend with free admission.
Every mum or gran visiting with at least one paying child will get FREE admission on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st March 2019.
Standard terms and condition of entry apply.
Entrance opens at 10am, last admission at 3pm, park closes 5pm.
3s and Under £0
Child £5.75
Additional adults £8.25
We are happy to announce that here at the Centre on Mothering Sunday we have Elizabeth Edward Photography Ltd joining us with a pop-up photography studio, to capture those special Mother’s Day memories with pictures printed for you to take home! The photo sessions will be based within the artisan workshops between 10-4pm on Sunday 31st March Elizabeth Edward will be discounting pictures whilst here, take home a printed and mounted 6X8 photo for £5 or 3 pictures for £10. Availability is limited, booking is not required. Each session is limited to groups of no more than 4. If you would like further information, contact Elizabeth Edwards Photography direct on their Facebook page.
Be our guest this Mother’s Day! We are inviting mums to enjoy a day out on Mothering Sunday when accompanied by another full-paying visitor. This free entry offer includes Blists Hill Victorian Town, Coalport China Museum, Jackfield Tile Museum, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Museum of The Gorge and Enginuity.
At Blists Hill, where life over 100 years ago is recreated by costumed characters, you can treat mum to a delicious Victorian High Tea in the Club Room. Tuck into assorted finger sandwiches and enjoy a selection of delicious cakes, including lemon drizzle, fruit loaf and ginger parkin, along with your choice from the selection of Twining’s teas or Fairtrade coffee. Pre-booking is essential at 01952 435948 and an additional charge applies.
Sponsored walk in aid of funding for Derwen College.
Why not treat the special women in your life on Mothers Day
Take a return trip through the beautiful Dee Valley
Enjoy an afternoon tea with a selection of finger sandwiches, assorted sweet treats, (with tea or coffee)
and a glass of bubbly.
Adults £32.00 each Children £17.00 each
Don’t miss this participatory and wide-ranging discussion on women’s lives, reflecting on the changes in the UK since the right to a parliamentary vote was first granted to some women in 1918.
The session is lead by Helen Pankhurst and will be informed by findings from her book ‘Deeds Not Words: The Story of Women’s Rights, Then and Now.’
Helen Pankhurst CBE is an author, women’s rights activist and international development practitioner.
The great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst, leaders of the British suffragette movement, Helen carries on the legacy.
Join writer and journalist Kate Spicer as she talks about her life-affirming tragicomic memoir Lost Dog, a tender true story of one woman and her dog, both lost and rescued by love.
Kate Spicer is a middle-aged woman trying to steer some order into a life that is going off the rails. When she adopts a lurcher called Wolfy, the shabby rescue dog saves her from herself. But when the dog disappears, it is up to Kate to hit the streets of London and find him. Will she save him, as he has saved her – or will she lose everything? Trying to find her dog tests her relationship, and her sanity, to its limits – and gets her thinking about her life, and why things have turned out as they have for her.
Lost Dog is a book like no other about both the myth of modern womanhood, and the enduring mystery of the relationship between human and canine. Come and hear Kate and Wolfie’s heartwarming story and meet Wolfie too!
Tickets: £5 (redeemable against a signed copy of Lost Dog). Includes a glass of wine or soft drink on arrival. Tickets available from the bookshop or purchase online (with booking fee).
Join Erin Kelly, the bestselling author of He Said She Said, as she returns to Booka to talk about her gripping new suspense novel Stone Mothers.
You can’t keep the secret.
You can’t tell the truth.
You can’t escape the past…
Marianne grew up in the shadow of the old asylum, a place that still haunts her dreams. She was seventeen when she fled the town, her family, her boyfriend Jesse and the body they buried.
Now, forced to return, she can feel the past closing around her. And Jesse, who never forgave her for leaving, is finally threatening to expose the truth.
Marianne will do anything to protect the life she’s built; the husband and daughter who must never know.
Even if it means turning to her worst enemy…
But Marianne may not know the whole story – and she isn’t the only one with secrets they’d kill to keep.
In Stone Mothers, Erin Kelly has written another cleverly crafted and thrillingly addictive novel full of unexpected twists and turns. Following the success of He Said She Said we’re delighted to welcome her back to Oswestry!
Tickets: £5 (redeemable against a signed copy of Stone Mothers). Includes a glass of wine or soft drink on arrival. Tickets available from the bookshop or purchase online (with booking fee).
A Mothers Day or Easter Treat, For Mum, Aunt, Grandma or a Friend. Wreath and Garland Making along with High Tea at Artisans Lake Vyrnwy. 29th March at 4.30pm and 12th April at 4.30pm. £25 per person. Call Jo on 01691 780416 or Ceri on 01691 870317
Time Bandits, Renaissance and traditional music from various countries with modern and period instruments
Llangollen Railway are having a 1940’s weekend
Go along to Coalport China Museum, near Ironbridge during the Easter school holidays from 13 to 28 April and join floral-themed ceramic family activities.
Young artists can decorate a money box, fridge magnet or paper plate with spring flowers such as daffodils, tulips and bluebells using quick drying paint. The daily sessions take place from 11am – 1pm and again between from 1.30pm – 3.30pm. Afterwards explore the museum’s many galleries.
The ceramic painting activities carry a charge of between £1 and £4 per item plus entry while the paper activities are included in your admission fee. You can take your finished items home with you on the day.
One of the 10 Ironbridge Gorge Museums, Coalport China Museum is open from 10am until 4pm. A great value Annual Passport Ticket allowing multiple visits into all 10 museums can be bought at the entrance or online in advance saving 5%; individual entry tickets are also available at each museum. Activities will vary from day-to-day and some additional costs will apply.
Join Vicky as she reads from her nature books
A welcome return for this amazing duo!
The only outfit in the UK to have picked up National Awards in both blues and country music categories. The duo, Rob and Sarah Skinner, both multi-instrumentalists originating from South East England, now residing in Ontario Canada; play a mix of folk, rock, country, bluegrass and blues. Sarahs soprano saxaphone playing is sublime. If you missed them last time make sure you see them this time.
Tickets £10 in advance from
https://www.birchmeadow.org.uk/live-music/
Join us for an evening in the company of Costa award winning author Jess Kidd as she talks about her enchanting Victorian detective novel Things in Jars.
London, 1863. Bridie Devine, the finest female detective of her age, is taking on her toughest case yet. Reeling from her last job and with her reputation in tatters, a remarkable puzzle has come her way. Christabel Berwick has been kidnapped. But Christabel is no ordinary child. She is not supposed to exist. As Bridie fights to recover the stolen child she enters a world of fanatical anatomists, crooked surgeons and mercenary showmen. Anomalies are in fashion, curiosities are the thing, and fortunes are won and lost in the name of entertainment. The public love a spectacle and Christabel may well prove the most remarkable spectacle London has ever seen.
We were big fans of Jess Kidd’s debut novel ‘Himself’ and her follow up ‘The Hoarder’. Now we can’t wait to welcome Jess to Booka and introduce us to the fearless Bridie Devine!
Tickets: £5 (redeemable against a signed copy of Things in Jars). Includes a glass of wine / soft drink on arrival. Tickets available from the bookshop, or purchase online (with booking fee).
Who’s ready to experience the glorious magic of the Easter, with a visit to the Easter Bunny!
Walk through the enchanted wood, hunting for golden eggs to exchange for chocolatey treats in the Easter bunnies burrow. Not only that, but the Easter bunny will have a special golden ticket for you to claim a fabulous stack of Easter pancakes to enjoy in the Café.
£6.50 per child.
Dates:
Wednesday 17th: 10am – 2pm
Thursday 18th: 10am – 2pm
Friday 19th: 10am – 2pm
Wednesday 24th: 10am – 2pm
Thursday 25th: 10am – 2pm
Friday 26th: 10am – 2pm
If you are arriving in more than one vehicle please contact us to notify.
Childrens rides, free prizes, story telling, entertainment, competitions, family fun
Plant Hunters’ Fairs: plant fairs that are different and special Come rain or shine our fairs are the place to find great value, top quality, traditionally grown plants for every type of garden. Nurseries coming on Good Friday 2019: Bridge Farm Plants from Derbyshire: interesting and unusual perennials ChickenStreet from Shropshire: grasses and herbaceous perennials for naturalistic plantings Hall Farm Nursery from Shropshire: Wide range of perennials and herbs. RHS Gold medallists including Chelsea Gold Jurassicplants Nurseries from Denbighshire
collection of food and craft stalls from around the County
Watch for Easter eggs along the line and check them off a list. Children receive a handsome chocolate egg on arrival at Llanfair. Take a selfie with the Easter Bunny.
The Easter Bunny will be visiting the railway on the 20th to 22nd April. Watch for Easter eggs along the line and check them off the list. All travelling children receive a handsome chocolate egg on arrival at Llanfair Caereinion.
Our yellow timetable operates during this event.
Normal fares apply for this event.
Do you want to know more about Oswestry? Hear about our history as you wander around the town with one of our local guides, listen to myths and legends as you stroll through the parks and alleyways of our border market town – then come on a guided tour.
We have regular tours of Oswestry Town every Saturday at 11am from Easter to the end of September. These start from the Visitor & Exhibition Centre and last for about 1 hour. They are suitable for all. There is no need to book, just turn up at the Centre. The cost of the tour is £2 for adults and 50p for children.
Fundraising evening.An Evening of Country, Pop, Swing & Rock n Roll Music at the Church House Welshpool 7.30pm. Admission £10 to include ploughman’s supper & pudding. Bring your own drinks. Music by “One of a Kind’s” Mark Jones and “Country Pride’s” Glyn Jones.
Watch for Easter eggs along the line and check them off a list. Children receive a handsome chocolate egg on arrival at Llanfair. Take a selfie with the Easter Bunny.
Watch for Easter eggs along the line and check them off a list. Children receive a handsome chocolate egg on arrival at Llanfair. Take a selfie with the Easter Bunny.
Peep! Peep! Thomas the Tank Engine is back at Llangollen Railway Station for a Day Out With Thomas.
A Day Out With Thomas event now travel to CORWEN.
This fun-filled event offers children and their families the opportunity to take a ride with Thomas, meet The Fat Controller and enjoy trips on Thomas up and down Llangollen Station, you can ride in Rickety and Clarabelle as many times as you like. Take the Big steam Engine to Corwen and then go to Carrog to the puppet show
See Rusty and Dusty… and have some fun
The event, which has been held at Llangollen Railway for many years, is an excellent day out for all Thomas fans and there’s plenty for the whole family to enjoy.
A Fantastically FUN Family Event!
Day Out With Thomas™ is an all day event and gates open at 10am.
To ensure all activities on offer can be enjoyed we recommend visitors arrive before 2pm.
Ticket Prices
Adults £19
Seniors £17
Children £11.50
Family (1 Adult + 1 Child) £27.50
Family (1 Adult + 2 Children) £38.00
Family (2 adults + 1 Child) £41.00
Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) £55.00
Children aged under 2 FREE
Your all day ticket includes:
Brake Van Rides with Thomas & Clarabel at Llangollen Station
Unlimited travel on the Steam trains and Thomas
Access to our Activity room which includes;
Face Painting
Stickers
Thomas DVD screening
Colouring & Craft Workshop
Day Out With Thomas Certificate
Balloon Modeller
Story Telling
Live Story Re-enactments
Puppet Show
A Day Out With Thomas is an all day event, no matter what time you show up, there will always be something to entertain the children. However, we do recommend that you arrive at the station before 2pm to make use of the whole day.
Our Day Out With Thomas event is NOT an event that sells out so we will have tickets no matter what time you arrive at the station. To get the most out of your day please arrive early as the ticket price is the same all day
Living History Encampments, French and Allies. Skirmish each day at 3ish, informal talks, drill displays. The scene is set “With the French advance into Portugal, and in turn the withdrawal of Crauford’s Light Division back across the Coa, the Siege of Almeida has now begun.
