Open from the end of July – You’ll have great fun finding your way through the puzzle of pathways
Returning for another fabulous summer season the maize maze is a must to try. Navigate your way through a labyrinth of pathways with lots of dead ends and u-turns.
Meet with friends or family for a traditional Summer Afternoon Tea at Derwen College’s Garden Cafe from 12th to 28th August.
The college, near Oswestry, will be serving up an elegant selection of traditional afternoon tea treats at the Garden Café this summer.
Enjoy a delicate assortment of finger sandwiches. Then indulge in freshly-baked scones and cream with Derwen’s home-made jam, followed by home-made cakes and pastries and an unlimited supply of tea and coffee. All for just £8.95 per head.
Eat in the cosy café or make the most of the sun in the Garden Café’s outdoor space before enjoying time at the College’s Garden Centre and Shop and beautiful Walled Garden.
Huge family event. Over 30 balloons launched from the town centre. Fantastic spectacle. Night glow is main attraction. fairground, food producers, entertainers
Diesel Gala at Cambrian Heritage Railways
Matt Billing who makes Ascension Cider in Sussex is a keen hot air balloon pilot and is sponsoring the Oswestry Balloon Carnival flyers this year. We will be having a small cider festival in The Bailey Head with a range of his cider, perry an flavoured ciders during the festival. All ciders will be £3.60 a pint.
Welcome to the Sweeney’s Fourth Annual Gin-Fest – August 24th & 25th. Come and meet the exhibitors on the Saturday & Sunday, sample their wares and buy a bottle of your favourite (1-6pm). A plethora of Live Music both days. Street food and our wood fired pizza’s will be in full flow….. Various Gin Bars will be open around our grounds and in the Exhibitors room. For those that are not partial to Gin we have a fully stocked bar in the hotel. Don’t forget the fireworks to close the night on both Saturday and Sunday!
Tickets are priced according to date and include entry to the Sweeney, a Gin on arrival and all entertainment
All Gin and mixers are priced at £5.00. Cocktails will be individually priced.
Our Sponsor this year is our Locally made Gin Henstone!
Antiques and collectibles fair, we hold it the last Sunday of every month. Cambrian House Emporium Oswestry.
Industrial Diesel Gala at Cambrian Heritage Railways 25-26th August
ALMoS ANNUAL GRAND RE-OPENING AND JEWELLERY EXTRAVAGANZA!
Guaranteed smiles!
Industrial Diesel Gala at Cambrian Heritage Railways 25-26th August
Come and join The Wild Craftist in our beautiful Grand Valley, where he will be giving you the chance to make your very own troll to take home with you.
A day of meeting the birds and have a go handling experiences with Shropshire Falconry and their amazing birds of prey.
Our biggest event of the year, again over three days. Every operating engine will be in use. Traction engines, steam cars and lorries, a model railway exhibition, demonstrations and trade stands, and a shuttle bus to the associated Llanfair Garden Railway Show up the hill at Llanfair High School.
Oswestry Antique and Collector Fair is situated in the heart of Shropshire at Oswestry Showground which is a 36 acres site with THREE LARGE exhibition halls in a prime position on the A495. You can except to find an array of outdoor and indoor stalls selling an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage, collectables, architectural salvage, mid century or simply that decorative items.
Oswestry Antique & Collectors Fair regularly see’s 200 stalls of experienced dealers from all over the country and has been a regular on BBC’s bargain hunt in the past.
The fair is affordable, dog friendly with free parking and free entry for children. This is a great day out for all the family to be enjoyed whatever the weather!
Oswestry Antique and Collector Fair is situated in the heart of Shropshire at Oswestry Showground which is a 36 acres site with THREE LARGE exhibition halls in a prime position on the A495. You can except to find an array of outdoor and indoor stalls selling an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage, collectables, architectural salvage, mid century or simply that decorative items.
Oswestry Antique & Collectors Fair regularly see’s 200 stalls of experienced dealers from all over the country and has been a regular on BBC’s bargain hunt in the past.
The fair is affordable, dog friendly with free parking and free entry for children. This is a great day out for all the family to be enjoyed whatever the weather!
New Bar & Bistro and Bargain hunt will be joining us on the 31st August & 1st September!
Admission: £3.50 per person
£2.50 over 60’s.
Under 16’s FREE (must be accompanied by an adult)
Opening times:
TRADE ONLY : Sat Only – 7:30-8:30
PUBLIC: Sat & Sun -8:30-4:00
Classic Car display at Oswestry Station.
Living History Weekend – exact details to follow shortly but The Beaufort Companye portrays the household of a retainer to the Dukes of Somerset and the Beaufort Family during the late 15th Century, specifically the period known as the War of the Roses. Our aim is to bring to the public a new and exciting interpretation of the period via our authentic and interactive portrayal of medieval military and civilian life
Hermon Folk launches the new season with an electrifying performance of the sensational young bluegrass band Midnight Skyracer. Most recently, the band became the first UK-band to gain recognition in the prestigious International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Awards with a nomination for Best Band as well as a nomination in the instrumentalist category. Look forward to a night of breath-taking music presented by leading musicians of the new generation in bluegrass, and bring along your dance shoes – if you dare!
“You can’t fail to sit there open-mouthed at the astounding dexterity of the playing, which is brilliant even by championship-standard bluegrass standards – for there’s sensitivity in shading and dynamic balance too alongside and inside the high-octane note-spinning virtuosity.” – Folk Radio UK
“Midnight Skyracer has all the vital components to compete with other bluegrass outfits not only in the UK but also on an international scale.” – Northern Sky
“This is a band and this is an album that can go toe to toe with anything on offer from bluegrass’s spiritual home on the other side of the Atlantic.” – **** RnR Magazine
“A conflagration of a debut bluegrass album: hot stuff” – **** Songlines
Midnight Skyracer has been tearing up the UK bluegrass and folk scene since their inception less than two years ago. Right from the start their all-star line-up and exciting live performances have sent them racing skywards at an astounding pace. All band members are no strangers to bluegrass and folk audiences and have been active within other bands such as The Carrivick Sisters and Cup O’Joe, also here raking in rave reviews and award nominations. February 2018 saw the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Fire followed shortly afterwards by their BMAM Awards nomination. In just over a year of performing they have racked up an impressive number of major festival slots including Cambridge Folk Festival and Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, completed a tour of Germany and Switzerland as well as two UK tours.
Midnight Skyracer plays music that is praised by the press for combining the traditional and contemporary to great effect in a repertoire that features bluegrass classics alongside original compositions.
An exciting night of music ahead not to be missed!
Midnight Skyracer Line-up:
Leanne Thorose – vocals, mandolin
Tabitha Agnew – vocals, banjo
Eleanor Wilkie – bass
Laura Carrivick – fiddle, dobro, harmony vocals
Charlotte Carrivick – guitar, harmony vocals
More about the band:
www.midnightskyracer.com
www.facebook.com/midnightskyracer
www.twitter.com/midnt_skyracer
www.instagram.com/midnightskyracer
How to pay/book
👉1. www.hermonchapel.com
👉2. Ticket link 👉https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hermonchapel/t-mkeerz
👉3. 01691 662 196
👉4.Visit us on Chapel street SY11 1LF
Live Stand-up is back at The Hermon. Prepare yourself for a wild night of laughs with some of the best acts on the scene. This month we have…
After a short break for August, comedy is BACK at The Hermon and features North Shropshire’s 3rd best
badger-based entertainer, Mr Badger. He’s on the comeback trail after his BBC troubles and is currently wowing audiences across the UK.
Support comes from pro comedian Craig Deeley, ex Butlin’s redcoat Shaun Messer, Canada’s finest Brad Bryans and your guest MC for the evening, Craig Dixon from Laffin Chimp Comedy.
How to pay/book
👉1. www.hermonchapel.com
👉2. Ticket link 👇
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hermonchapel/t-mkrxyr
👉3. 01691 662 196
👉4.Visit us on Chapel street SY11 1LF
Calling all music fans! Join much loved radio broadcaster and TV presenter Mark Radcliffe as he talks about his new book Crossroads and takes us on a personal journey picking out those moments which changed music history.
Working closely with community supporters The Qube, Oswestry Markets host a charity market on the Bailey Head aimed at raising important funds and awareness for a wide number of local charities. 9am until 3pm
Free events for Heritage Open Days at Cambrian Heritage Railways. More details soon.
MODAL JAZZ is not only a great way to learn jazz improvisation but a fantastic way to learn improvisation of any kind, whether that’s in funk, blues, fusion or beyond! HOWEVER, THERE IS ONLY ONE PROBLEM: With all the information and ideas out there, including the strange names of the modes themselves, it can get quite confusing and we can easily lose the love for a solo over the complexity of theory.
With this Modal Jazz workshop we can break down those complexities in an easy to digest manner with a practical approach in a group/band setting.
This three-part course is designed for all instruments and voice and comes with a free handy booklet for you to reference in your future practice and development. Don’t worry if you can’t make all three workshops, as there will be something for everyone in each session to take away for your journey in modal music.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL COVER OVER THE THREE SESSIONS INCLUDE:
– history of modal music
– singing/hearing the modes
– a bit of theory…
– developing nice soloing ideas
– harmony and rhythm with modal tunes
– learning some modal tunes by ear in a band
– ’Hip’ ideas and secrets
WHO CAN ATTEND?
This course is aimed at instrumentalists and vocalists at the beginning/intermediate stage of their development. Some basic reading is helpful but not essential. The booklet will contain music in Concert, Bb, Eb and TAB for your future reference.
WHAT’S THE COST?
Each session is 2.5 hours long with a break and costs £12 for individual sessions or SAVE A LITTLE when you BOOK ALL THREE SESSIONS IN ADVANCE FOR £32!
Whatever option suits you best, prior booking is advisable.
TUTOR: Barry-Bazmatron Edwards Bmus(hons) Jazz
Barry has studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire (2002-2006) under the guidance of well-established educators and performers in their own right. Hans Koller, Dave Cliff, Phil Robson, Gene Calderazzo, Mike Williams to name just a few. He also recorded various albums with prominent improvisers on the U.K. scene such as Mark Sanders, Paul Dunmall and Philip Gibbs.
How to pay/book
👉1. www.hermonchapel.com
👉2. Ticket link 👉https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hermonchapel/e-drkkxp
👉3. 01691 662 196
👉4.Visit us on Chapel street SY11 1LF
Whittington Castle Car Boot Sale. £5 per car if you are selling items – free entrance to visitors to the sale. Cars from 8.30am onwards. No need to book just turn up and staff will show you where to set up and collect your fee. Sorry no trade stands. Dogs on leads are welcome. Tearoom will be open selling hot drinks and bacon baps etc.
Free events for Heritage Open Days at Cambrian Heritage Railways. More details soon.
Welcome to all Lords & Ladies, Free Men & Peasants We are The House Of The Black Star. We serve under the banner of the Black Star, House of Fitzwarren, Protectors to the Fitzwarren family. We are a medieval re-enactment society covering Historical period of 1240 to 1350 and it is our primary goal to provide accurate combat displays as well as a glimpse into the life of a medieval household.
The Blanket Boy follows a young clown leaving his family home. Alone and confused, he tries to understand how to function in our society as a not-so-grown-up grown-up. with some help from his new friends (you) The Blanket Boy will embark on an adventure of comical discovery of what it means to become an adult. When you think of Clown, don’t think of a man adorned in makeup whilst wearing large shoes and baggy pants, that may or may not haunt your dreams. Think more along the lines of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat, or Rowan Aktinson’s Mr. Bean. The Blanket Boy is a show of Dru’s quality research into the world of laughter and brings together all of his training and experience over the last 3 years to make you, the audience, laugh.
“Blanket Boy is a solo modern-absurdist clown piece, looking at what it means for a boy to become a man. The strange journey to manhood is told through the eyes of the 18-year-old performer Dru Cripps with the aid of his drill and blanket. Blanket Boy has a strong use of physical comedy due to the intentional lack of verbal communication and is perfect for anyone interested in the topic of identification. The performance involves fresh levels of audience participation, Improvisation and the creative use of a Blanket and Drill to express the shows underlaying themes of acceptance, vulnerability and doubt.”
As seen on The Greatest Dancer, BGT and Judge Romesh.
“Excellent comic timing” – Egg People (liverpool)
“Perfect awareness of the audience”
“Comical pushing of performance boundaries” – The Actor’s Space (Barcelona)
“Surprising, he was funny, no?” – Philippe Gaulier (London and France)
“Blanket Boy” (a modern-absurdist clown piece) looks at what happens when a young clown is thrown out of his family home with a hand full of daft objects, his comfort blanket and a desire to find out where he belongs in this strange world.
“Blanket Boy” has a strong focus on physical comedy, fresh levels of audience participation, risky amounts of Improvisation and the creative use of everyday household objects (E.g. hats, drills and blankets)
More about Dru:
Dru is an Actor, Dancer and Clown who graduated at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts college, with the highest attainable qualifications. For five years Dru has been a regular appearance on the streets of Edinburgh for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival performing clown street shows and Improvised theatre venue shows. After graduating, he went on to train in ‘Clown’ with the world renowned Philippe Gaulier, at the Trestle Arts centre in St. Albans and then later on in France. Philippe Gaulier (renowned clown guru who trained the likes of sacha baron cohen) found Dru “Not Awful, suprising”.
Wanting to do better, Dru went to Barcelona where he trained at The Actor’s Space on an intensive Art of Comedy Course, When returning to the UK, Dru worked with The Egg People, a street theatre company at Hope Street Limited, Liverpool and up in glasgow formulating his show with two clown mentors as a part of Surge’s “Special Pitch” which enabled him to perform his show to several large Glaswegian audiences, made up of 200 industry professionals.
Throughout this time Dru has performed comedy related performances and taught at university’s, festivals and theatre companies in various locations in and around wales. Most recently Dru has just returned from Etampes, France, where he has once more been training under Philippe Gaulier, this time, Philipe was laughing at Dru and saying “he is funny no? It is good what you do!, it’s like pure clown” a great improvement.
How to pay/book
👉1. www.hermonchapel.com
👉2. Ticket link 👉https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hermonchapel/t-qkzoll
👉3. 01691 662 196
👉4.Visit us on Chapel street SY11 1LF
National initiative to open as many historical places as possible to the public for free. Oswestry has a wide number of interesting activities including archaeological digs, St Oswald’s tower, market activities, the Town Museum and the Park Hall trenches etc. Go to www.oswestrytownmusuem.co.uk for further details.
N-Ex-T (New Experimental Tones)! For this collection of concerts we have drawn inspiration from the underground scene and publications such as The Wire. N-Ex-T explores the adventurous nature of live performance through the mediums of composition, improvisation, motion, sound manipulation as well as the abstract visual and avant-garde. This month we have…
Bell Lungs
A compelling live performer, the music of multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer bell lungs encompasses influences from psychedelia, jazz, noise and folk to create a nuanced sound world that draws on natural cycles, environmental disaster and the microcosmic aspects of relationships.
Using instruments such as electric violin, omnichord, bouzouki, saz, harmonium, santoor, field recordings, electronics and guitar, her kaleidoscopic vocals were deemed “elemental” by cult arts critic David Keenan of The Wire, and her music “genius…or as pretty damned close to that elusive quality that you can get without having yet passed the test of time…” by Terrascope.
She is known for her experimental approach, and frequent collaboration with poets, scientists, kinetic sculptures, artists, dancers, film and theatre-makers, and has performed in the UK, USA, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Italy, favouring venues common and uncommon, including Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre, a former hospital for horses, a Napoloeonic fort, a transport museum, a completely round wood-panelled room, a double-decker bus, a Tudor house, monastery ruins, 12th century churches, a disused grain silo in Buffalo, NY, and a hydroelectric power station buried deep inside a granite mountain.
She has appeared on BBC Radio 6 (Stuart Maconie’s Freakzone, 2018), BBC Radio 3 (Late Junction, 2017) and BBC Radio 4 (“Master Rock”, 2015), and performed at Edinburgh International Science Festival 2019, Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art (2018), Fort Process (2018), Swansea International Festival (2018) and Edinburgh Art Festival (2017).
Bell Lungs plays acoustic violin, assorted sound-makers and vocalises in Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra.
How to pay/book
👉1. www.hermonchapel.com
👉2. Ticket link 👉https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hermonchapel/t-xxykpo
👉3. 01691 662 196
👉4.Visit us on Chapel street SY11 1LF
A Heritage Open Weekend at Llanfyllin’s historic Workhouse, Y Dolydd, with a Food Fair on the Sunday. A chance to see one of Britain’s best preserved Victorian workhouses, under restoration by a community trust and home to a range of creative enterprises. The focus for 2019 is on the restoration of The Master’s House, and visitors can see an example of traditional slate roofing at ground level as well as the new cupola that will soon crown the roof. Local harpist John Browne plays on both days: guided tours and exhibition by young local artists. Bookshop and Workhouse History Centre open with film and family trail. On 15 September the Food Fair will showcase the best in locally produced food and drink with a wide range of produce and street food. Cookery demonstrations throughout the day. Live music in the afternoon by the Oswestry Jazz Orchestra and local musicians. Open studios including model railway, leather work, textile upcycling, artist. New escape room open.
Spend the day with friends visiting 9 pubs dotted around the Shropshire countryside, without worrying who’s driving! Hop on and off buses that arrive every 30-45 minutes at each pub between 11am and 10pm. Start and finish at any pub on route. Sample locally brewed ales, tasty food and soak up the atmosphere.
Free events for Heritage Open Days at Cambrian Heritage Railways. More details soon.
On 14th and 19th September, the college invites visitors to delve deep into the fascinating 92-year history of the college.
These free events will delve into the college’s archives to find out more about the influential people who made their mark over nine decades, from founder Dame Agnes Hunt to the present day.
Find out about how the college has changed from founding, through war time to being an Outstanding college for young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Then enjoy refreshments in the college’s on-site Orangery Restaurant of Garden Café.
Events during the Heritage Open Days in WEM include:
Open Day at Whitchurch Road Cemetery. [Sat & Sun];
History of the Methodist Church, Conacher Pipe Organ and the Millennium Chapel/Mortuary. [Sat am];
History of the Talbot Hotel, Shrewsbury & Wem Brewery [Sat am];
History & Dendrochronology of the Castle Hotel [Sat pm];
Guided Tours & Walks:
Wem Parish Church, War Memorial, Church Hall, Union Buildings, Castle Mound. [Sat & Sun pm];
Chapel St. including the Cemetery, British School. [Sat pm];
Reminiscence Session: shops and industrial Wem in the C20th, including video memories of the Kynaston Ballroom. [Sun pm]
Also Drop-In sessions and displays [Wem Library & ChurchHall] on the history of Wem
The Cambrian Railways Museum exhibits memorabilia associated with the railway system operated by the Cambrian Railways Company and its successors, together with other items of railway interest.
Housed in a former goods depot constructed in the 1860’s, it tells something of the history of a railway system that in its heyday extended to almost 300 route miles largely in Wales, stretching from Whitchurch in the east to Aberystwyth in the west and from Pwllheli in the north to Brecon in the south
The Hermon welcomes back Kate Allan for more monthly singing sessions, offering the chance to share your singing voice with others to make music together.
For beginners, here’s an opportunity to find your singing voice (yes, it’s there!) in a supportive group.
You might be a confident singer who wants to get away from the written page and see what comes from the group in the moment.
And for songwriters or anyone who would like to start making songs, this is a great way to open yourself up to fresh ideas and break the mould.
In a circle, starting with gentle body and vocal warm-ups, we take any note, sing it together and then invite some of the group to add another note until we’ve built a chord, listening carefully to ourselves and each other.
Then we can:-
create and develop a rhythm
explore the different sounds we can make with our voices
vary the pitch (high, low), the sound, the speed and the volume
add some body percussion eg clapping, foot tapping
come up with new ideas as a group as we go
build confidence in and awareness of our own and other people’s voices
All this happens and develops very instinctively as our intuition, creativity and innate musicality come to life.
If you’ve never heard yourself sing freely, this is the chance to find that freedom in a judgement-free, natural way.
The sessions are facilitated by Kate Allan, an experienced freelance singer songwriter and singing for health practitioner whose clients include the NHS, Severn Hospice and other health care providers.
You can find out more about Kate at:-
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-allan-4a219234/
How to pay/book
👉1. www.hermonchapel.com
👉2. Ticket link 👉https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hermonchapel/e-rjdggk
👉3. 01691 662 196
👉4.Visit us on Chapel street SY11 1LF
First built in the 19th century for the Oswestry and Newtown Railway, Oswestry South signal box was operational for over 100 years. Unlike much of the neighbouring railway infrastructure, it escaped demolition but was stripped of its contents and equipment and remained a shell for many years. Recently Cambrian Heritage Railways volunteers have spent countless hours refurbishing the structure and sourcing and installing appropriate equipment. Although there is still much to do it is now in a position whereby members of the public are able to visit and see just how a signal box operated
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.
Star of Heritage Opera – North West England’s professional touring opera company- Sarah Helsby Hughes, will be joined by others singing your favourite operatic music in a brand new gala concert, taking you on a fabulous tour of the operatic world.
Arias and duets by Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini, and numbers from the lighter side of music, including Gilbert & Sullivan and Rogers and Hammerstein.
