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SEVEN DAYS OF SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE
>> Wednesday
The Woodland Trust is holding the Hargate Forest Festival today. As well as activities such as learning woodwork, fire-lighting skills and archery, there will also be plenty of fun to be had exploring this stretch of local woodland, which is in full beauty now thanks to all its autumnal leaves turning. The event runs from 10am to 3pm and costs £1 per person to enter.
The People’s Theatre Company puts on their charming production of Don’t Dribble on the Dragon at the Assembly Hall at 2.30pm. The story, based on the book of the same name by Steven Lee, sees toddler Tom having lots of problems with his constant dribbling, which is threatening to ruin his relationship with his cool older brother – until a secret dragon steps into help him courtesy of some magic! Tickets are priced £11 for adults and £9.50 for children. www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
All week, Bewl Water is hosting a Spooktober Kids Club, which promises to be great – and just a little bit scary! So if you’re stuck for childcare or want to treat your children to a day or two of non-stop activity then this is the perfect solution.
It’s aimed at children aged five and upwards, who can enjoy a range of amusements, including water safari, treasure hunting, Halloween-inspired games and Ranger Car Experiences. It’s a must do this half term. The half day club, which runs from 9am to 1.30pm, costs £19.99 per child, while the full day one, which runs until 5pm, costs £29.99. For more, visit www.bewlwater.co.uk
>> Thursday
Today and tomorrow sees the second half of the Half Term Forest School taking place at Grosvenor and Hilbert Park. This event is open to children aged over seven, and the range of activities on offer will be practical, fun and include things like making camping mallets and pirate swords out of wood, and learning lots of tips on how to survive the wild. Tickets cost £35 per child. To book, or to find out more, email:Â steff.dagorne@tunbridgewells.gov.uk
The Pantiles Decorative and Fine Arts Society (PDFAS) will be meeting at Holmewood House School at 7.45pm for an evening’s lecture entitled Sicily: The Kingdom of the Sun. The group regularly holds meetings and discussions which cover everything from painting, textiles and ceramics to gardening and music. PDFAS current annual membership subscription is £45. Visitors pay £7. For more information visit www.pantilesdfas.org.uk
Angela Carter’s classic story The Company of Wolves is being staged by theatre company Burn the Curtain in Bedgebury Forest. Their version of this dark and dramatic collection of stories, based on folklore and fairy tales, will be acted out around the pinetum, and audience members will follow either a walking or running route for three or five miles where the story will be performed by two different troupes. The event starts at 7pm each evening until Saturday, and visitors are requested to wear appropriate attire for the route and weather. www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury
>> Friday
During half term there’s plenty to keep your little – and larger – ones amused over the course of the week. The National Trust properties in our area have lots going on, including the pumpkin trail at Emmetts Garden, which is on daily until Sunday and promises to be lots of fun thanks to all the eerie clues that have to be found. See www.nationaltrust.org.uk/emmetts-garden
The Play and Display exhibition is currently on at Sissinghurst Castle. Featuring a range of paper cards and toys, the collection shows how popular and charming paper dolls, model theatres and puppets have been over the centuries. Normal National Trust admission charges apply. See www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst
The Hop Farm fireworks display is on tonight and tomorrow. This popular event literally lights up the sky thanks to the huge array of rockets, Catherine wheels and bangers that are let off to celebrate Halloween and November 5th. Tickets cost £8 per person in advance or £12 on the gate. Under-threes go free. Visit www.thehopfarm.co.uk
The Violet Jive will be at the Spa Hotel this evening from 8pm playing a variety of jazz standards and contemporary numbers. You can enjoy dinner until 9.30pm, or simply sit and sip a drink. See www.spahotel.co.uk
>> Saturday
From 2 until 4pm there will be a Halloween children’s party at the Hub in Grosvenor and Hilbert Park. Organisers will put on an afternoon of fun face painting, activities and games to celebrate this spooky seasonal event, and children are encouraged to come along dressed as pumpkins, ghosts, witches or ghouls.
From 7pm, there will be a bonfire and fireworks display in Rusthall. Now in its 38th year, this free community event includes a musical band, with majorettes leading visitors up to the main bonfire on the common by torchlight.
Professor Brian Cox is coming to town for an evening of ‘high science’. His talk at the Assembly Hall will delve into the complicated concepts of cosmos, space and time – making them easier to decode and understand. He will be joined on stage by Radio 4 presenter and journalist Robin Ince for a special Q&A session. Tickets cost from £30 and are available through the box office.
To get you in the mood for Halloween, the Mercure Hotel at Pembury invites you to a ghostly feast with the Addams family. Morticia, Gomez, Uncle Fester and Lurch will meet and greet their ghoulish guests before serving up a series of comedy sketches followed by a three-course meal and disco. To book tickets, which cost £38 per person, email:Â events@mercuretunbridgewells.co.uk
>> Sunday
The London Ballet Company performs Olympic Dream, their take on the games in Brazil this summer, at 2.30pm at Trinity Theatre today. As well as reflecting its history through the medium of dance, this unique piece of theatre also charts the story of this year’s athletes, from their individual journeys to Rio to how they trained and ultimately performed. Tickets cost £8 and are available from Trinity’s box office.
The Magic of Kentish Opera continues this evening at the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks. It’s a collection of famous operatic extracts which includes work by Mozart (The Magic Flute) and Gounod (Romeo and Juliet) performed by a group of professional soloists, who sing these famous foreign works in English. Robyn Sevastos conducts and Terry John Bates directs this magical montage of music. Tickets start from £15 and can be booked by visiting www.stagsevenoaks.co.uk
>> Monday
Older ones can be spooked one final time this All Hallows’ Eve by Grimm’s Scary Halloween Tales, which is on every day until next Sunday at Groombridge Place. It’s an event inspired by some of the Grimm brothers’ most ghastly stories, with witches and ghouls acting out extracts of some of their classic stories, and also includes pop-up eateries, fire pits and ghost boat rides. Tickets cost £14.95 per adult and £10.95 per child. A family ticket is priced at £45. Visit www.groombridgeplace.com
>> Tuesday
Wealden District Council will be bringing their Coffee, Cake and Computers digital skills event to Crowborough Community Centre. Running from 10am to 2pm, it aims to get those lacking in computer skills online and learning all about the digital world. The event is free and volunteers will be on hand to give one-to-one support. To pre-book an appointment for up to 30 minutes, call 01323 443322.
Bridget Jones’s Baby has two screenings at Trinity Theatre today, at 2pm and 8pm. If you didn’t catch this box office hit, which sees Renée Zellweger’s eponymous character moving on from the failure of her ‘happy ever after’ relationship with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), earlier this summer then this hilarious feelgood comedy is a must-see. Tickets are priced from £8.
PICK OF THE WEEK:
Bateman’s, Burwash
East Sussex
Open Daily from 10am to 5pm
The Wild Garden is the focus of autumn colour at Bateman’s, with a range of stunning ornamental trees and shrubs to enjoy in their glorious gardens. The family home of Rudyard Kipling is also renowned for its wonderful orchard, which turns vibrant shades of red, green and auburn as the apples, pears, plums and greengages ripen.
Their Halloween activities this year include pumpkin carving, apple bobbing and minibeast hunting. For more information visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans
