What's on this week
Newburytoday.co.uk's news and events from West Berkshire and beyond
Thursday, August 18:
Thatcham & District Philatelic Society, What Do I Collect (philatelic or otherwise)? Memorial Hall, Bath Road, Thatcham, 7pm
Home Birth Support Group meeting, The Wellbeing Centre, 6 Pound Street, 8pm to 9.30pm. Support for expectant parents considering homebirth and an opportunity to meet other parents who have done so, as well as health professionals.
A £1 donation is kindly requested. For information, call Claire Bushell on 07919 128966
Newbury and Thatcham Hard of Hearing Club, Fair Close Day Centre, Newtown Road, 7pm to 9pm. Monthly meeting includes guest speaker Dinah about pets as therapy. Contact Philip Davies (01635) 36830
Trendy Tudors, Newbury library, 10.30am to noon. Discover the creative and crazy world of Tudor fashion. Make your own Tudor head-dress or hat and find out what Tudor children wore. Free activities for children aged five to 10 years. Children must be accompanied by an
adult. (01635) 519900
Blood donation session, The Community Centre, Glendale Avenue, Wash Common, 1.15pm to 3.30pm and 4.15pm to 7pm. New donors are welcome. To book an appointment, visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 123 23 23.
Friday, August 19:
RSPB, Wash Common library, 10.30am to noon. Make a wildlife badge or a dragonfly. Free. (01635) 35252
RSPB, Thatcham library, 2pm to 3.30pm. Make a wildlife badge or a dragonfly. Free. (01635) 866049
Newbury and District Transport Group talk by David Wilder about local buses, Bayer House, Strawberry Hill, 7.30pm
Let's Go Batty, Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham, 8pm. Dave Endicott from the Oxford bat group is bringing his rescue bat Belinda, a real character and star of every event she attends. Dave is a mine of bat-related information and will help with identification, and answer all your
questions. £4.50 per person, booking essential. (01635) 874381
Saturday, August 20:
A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Vyne, Basingstoke, 7pm. Tickets £16. Contact 0844 249 1895
(and Sunday) Berkshire 4X4 Show, Mereoak Lane, Grazeley, Reading,10am to 5pm. Raising funds for Starlight Charity, for terminally-ill children. Tom & Tilly, fire display in the main arena, 4x4 off road clubs, trade stands, children's attractions, fun fair, monster truck and hover craft
rides, food & drink, heavy scammel trucks, and we have a brand new monster truck coming to the show and a top monster jam driver from the USA. Info & bookings tel. Steph Awbery on 07990667503 open to any motor/bike clubs. Pay on gate adult £10, child under 14 free, OAP £5. www.berkshire4x4show.co.uk
(and Sunday), Royal County Game Fair, Mapledurham House, Mapledurham, 9am to 6pm. With demonstrations, competitions and activities going on throughout both days, there is something of interest for everyone. Admission charges apply. www.royalcountygamefair.co.uk
(and Sunday) Open Garden for NGS, Littlecote House Hotel, Hungerford. Beautiful setting around Grade I-listed house with views of the Kennet Valley over lawns and parkland. Herbaceous borders, rose and herb garden, clipped yew and box hedging, fruit trees, unique stumpery. Carp pond and large selection of hanging Saturday, baskets and planters. Admission £4, sorry no children
Sunday, August 21:
East Woodhay Silver Band, Victoria Park Bandstand, Newbury, 3pm to 5pm
One-of-a-kind accordion + Yamaha keyboard, afternoon concert, Aldermaston Concert Centre, The William Penney Theatre entrance through AWE West Gate, 3pm. Varied selection of light-entertainment music all created and played live by professional accordionist John Romero.
Ample free car parking, bar and restaurant open from noon, interval tea and biscuits plus raffle, £6.50 at the door, no membership required. For information Phone Sylvia Bowsher (0118) 971 2220 or Gerry Prince on (0118) 983 5010
West Berkshire Ramblers, meet at Rushall Manor Farm, Bradfield, grid ref SU 583723, 10am. Fairly flat four-mile walk via Bradfield and along the River Pang to Bradfield College. Leisurely
pace. Bring a drink and a snack. Leader Fred C, (01635) 281621
West Berkshire Ramblers, meet in the parish car park at Hurstbourne Tarrant, grid ref SU 385528, 10am. A 10-mile walk to Binley and St Mary Bourne, following part of the Test Way;
an undulating walk with good views. Bring food and drink for the day, although a pub stop for a drink is possible. Leader Anne S, (01635) 846650
Breast Cancer Care's Bike Blenheim Palace – a festival of cycling, includes The Brompton World Championship, a 20km time trial and a new Pink Ribbonride. www.blenheimpalace.com,
0800 849 6500
Open Garden for NGS, Littlecote House Hotel, Hungerford – see Saturday for more details
Royal County Game Fair, Mapledurham House, Mapledurham – see saturday for details
Berkshire 4X4 Show, Mereoak Lane, Grazeley, Reading – see Saturday for details
Monday, August 22:
Circus Stars, Newbury library, 11am to 12.30pm. Have fun and try out your circus skills. Free drop-in event on the library forecourt (inside if wet) with diabolos, scarf juggling and plate
spinning. (01635) 519900
Summer Dance Week, New Greenham Park and Market Place, Newbury, 10am to 4pm. Join NCDC on this ever-popular dance week. Five days of intensive dance workshops at New Greenham Arts culminating in a public performance at The Corn Exchange on Friday, August 26, 7pm. (Suitable for ages nine to18). This event is raising money for NCDC, a non-profit making organisation providing dance opportunities for young people and adults, More information from Debbie Camp (01635) 255159
(to September 4) Native Species Fortnight, Living Rainforest, Hampstead Marshall. Explore British animals, including birds, butterflies, bats, bees and other bugs, and the native plants which they rely on for food and habitats. For detailed programme of Explore Conservation
summer events, visit www.livingrainforest.org/visit/events
Tuesday, August 23:
(to October 27) 60th birthday of The Country Wife, made for the Festival of Britain in 1951, National Needlework Archive, The Old Chapel, Main Street, New Greenham Park. Opening Hours Tuesday to Friday and first Saturday of the month, 10am to 4pm. An exhibition of memories, events and workshops. info@nationalneedleworkarchive.org, octc@live.com, (01635) 38740
RENEWAL Community Project river dipping in Turnpike, Riverside Community Centre, Rosemoor Gardens, 1.30pm to 3.30pm. A chance to identify wildlife in the river and
Turnpike Meadow using Smartphones and interactive keys. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Free event, essential to book. More information Lesley Atkinson (0118) 9305335 or
www.renewalproject.org.uk
West Berkshire Ramblers, from the B4009, turn west towards Curridge. Park along the road, east of the Bunk Inn, grid ref SU 492721, 10am. The route of both walks is north to the
gravel pits and south to Fisher's Lane. The shorter walk will be at a leisurely pace. Leader Roy Ba, (01635) 40720
History Storytime, Theale library, 10.30am. Learn how to write your name in hieroglyphs. (0118) 930 3207
Animal Kingdom Live Show, Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham, times vary, each session 45 minutes. Martin Rapley brings along a variety of animals to demonstrate the amazing differences between reptiles, with lizards and snakes, mammals, with a harvest mouse, birds with Tiny the miniature cockerel, amphibians, with a frog toad and salamander, insects, with a praying mantis and stick insects, and arachnids, with a emperor scorpion and Mexican red knee tarantula. £4.50 per person, booking essential. (01635) 874381
Trendy Tudors, Hungerford library, 10am to noon. Discover the creative and crazy world of Tudor fashion. Make your own Tudor head-dress or hat and find out what Tudor children
wore. Free activities for children aged five to 10 years old. Children must be accompanied by an adult. (01488) 682660
Wednesday, August 24:
West Berkshire Ramblers, park and meet in the car park of Didcot Town FC, grid ref SU 526909, 1.30pm and 4.30pm. Two different walks from the same starting point. Leader Roy Bu,
(01235) 816763
Fabulous Felt, Shaw House, 11am to 3.30pm. Learn the art of felting and create your own fabulous piece of felt to take home. No need to book, just drop in. Activities are suitable for 4+,
with some adult assistance, adult carers need to accompany under-15s. Free activity but admission charges to Shaw House apply. (01635) 279279, www.shawhouse.org.uk
Afternoon teas, St Mary's Church, Aldworth, 2.30pm to 4.30pm. See The Aldworth Giants and soak up the history of this church and village on the edge of the Ridgeway. (01635) 578177
Children's Wolfy Picnic, UK Wolf Conservation Trust, 11am to 1pm. Take a walk with the wolves, then spend some time making some special treats for them. Bring a picnic to enjoy
while watching the wolves. £15 per person. No more than two adults per group. (0118) 9713 330, www.ukwct.org.uk
