The Windsor Fringe Festival 2019

Posted: Sat 21 September 2019 at 08:54

On the eve of the UK’s second oldest Fringe Festival’s opening, the excitement spreading through the local art, music, dance and comedy scenes is reaching a boiling point. Beginning Friday 20th September through to Sunday 6th October the event has plenty to offer from award-winning musicians to acclaimed artists and awesome dance performances, there’s sure to be plenty of fun for all the family.

windsor fringe, accommodation windsor ltdSet up by Nicola Brooker 48 years ago, when she thought the Windsor Festival, which centred on Classical music, was both too stiff and too expensive. The fringe continues to this day, continuing to provide cheaper (but no less fantastic) artistic experiences, celebrate the diverse range of artistic talent and provide a platform for local, young artists to promote themselves.

The fringe kicks off with its Launch party in the Loading Bay Café (Kardleton House, Vansittart Estate, Windsor SL4 1SE). The evening begins with live performances by the 4Motion Dance Studio and Ronnie & Patrick Johnson. Then at 8 the night switches to an extended party with DJ Steve Nash where he will show off his extensive vinyl collection. The evening is fuelled by drinks donated by Windsor and Eton Brewery and Darvilles of Windsor Teas, and gourmet chips from The Chipysmith.

Saturday sees the Lucky Dog theatre Company performing Red Balloon; An endearing story of a young boy who lives in Paris and his “friendship” with the titular inanimate object. Based on the award-winning short film of the same name, this is sure to be a fan favourite, as all Lucky Dog productions have been since there first fringe in 2013. In the evening at the same festival, Award winning jazz singers Claire Martin and Ian Shaw will be performing their “a century of song” performing fan favourite songs, from old war songs to modern classics and everything in between. To book tickets to these please see https://www.oldcourt.org/sales

Windsor Fringe Festival, Accommodation WindsorWalking tours seem to be the theme of Sunday with one from the Windsor guild hall, detailing the day to day trivialities of living in historical, Victorian Windsor. If this doesn’t take your fancy, try picking up a free map from Brewhouse Yard and take a tour through Eton College’s collectors trail. See the history of one of England’s most prestigious schools. For the Younger children there’s Wander Tales, the imaginary adventure through best loved stories. Kids are actively encouraged to express themselves through movement, sound and play during the performance.

If you’re not a wanderer you can settle in at the Loading Bay Café for Vegan & Vinyl, a feast of vegan treats provided by Livity Kitchen and sound tracked by the DJ’s Reggae, Afrobeat and Jazz. Harry house refills will also be there to offer solutions to single use plastic.

PGA Championship 2019 Moves to September

Posted: Sat 7 September 2019 at 10:31

The BMW PGA Championship 2019 is scheduled to begin on the 18th September 2019 at one of England’s most beautiful and historic courses, the West Course at the Wentworth Club. This is the tournament’s first year being hosted in chilly September, after moving the tournament from its usual May run time in order to avoid scheduling conflicts. The tournament gets played over 5 days, with an extra day for practising –  a day that fans can also attend. The winner will walk away with a cool $1.7 Million and the runners up will fight for a share of the rest of the $9.25 Million prize pool.

PGA Tour Accommodation WindsorThe front runner for the tournament looks to be Justin Thomas. The American is coming to the tournament following his 10th tournament win at Medinah Country Club. Other notable contenders for the purse include Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, previous winner Francesco Molinari, Henrik Stenson and Alex Noren.

The tournament is also host to a few performances from some big names. Rudimental will be performing on Saturday Afternoon, and Ann-Marie will be performing on Sunday. That’s not the only treat; If you’re lucky enough to own a BMW or a Mini you will receive free parking for the day!

Windsor is a great place to stay if you are planning to visit the tournament, being just a short drive away. There are lots of lovely bars and restaurants to enjoy your evenings, slightly further away from the massive crowds the tournament is sure to bring.  Check out our short term accommodation in Windsor!

Call us on 01753 833747 or book online at www.accommodation-windsor.co.uk

 

The Royal Windsor Horse Show’s biggest year yet

Posted: Wed 22 May 2019 at 14:00

horse show windsor, accommodation windsor ltdThe Royal Windsor Horse Show was bathed in early sunshine this year.  The show was bigger than ever, setting record numbers for attendance and competition.  This meant Windsor was bustling from the Turf to the Thames.  Since its humble beginnings in 1943 the Windsor Horse Show has grown to over 140 unique events and attracts many from the horse world. Her Majesty’s annual visit to the show saw her present awards to winners of the Team Jumping and Grand Prix events.  With a backdrop of the vast Windsor Great Park, the show was a beautiful spectacle for competitors and visitors alike.  Whether they received their awards from the Queen or not, huge congratulations to all winners of events at the show.

queen windsor horse show 2019Even if the range of equestrian events isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of other attractions.  Set in the historic Home Park, the horse show has created a shopping village for event goers to enjoy. Plenty of hand-crafted gifts, tailoring, clothes and home-wares for all the show goers to enjoy as well as delicious homemade food and a vast selection of beverages to enjoy on the day or to take home.  Just a short walk away from Peascod Street shops there is plenty of diversity for any shopper.  The dates for next year’s event have been locked in for 13th May to the 17th May 2020 so be on the lookout for tickets when they become available.

windsor dog show 2019If you missed out on the event this year or are looking for another reason to get out in the sunshine with your pets, the Windsor Dog show is coming soon.  Taking place on the 27-30 June, the show looks to be following the horse show’s record numbers.  Starting this year, the dog show is open to all breeds of dog so competition is set to be stronger than ever.  The show allows visitors to bring their dogs to spectate, which should make this a fun day out for all the family

If you’re not enticed by the dog show competition then see our post on upcoming festivals in the Windsor region.

images courtesy of @windsorhorse and rawpixel.com

 

 

Windsor region hosts a fantastic line-up of festivals this year

Posted: Sat 9 February 2019 at 13:30

There’s a lot to love about living in or visiting Windsor and its fantastic line-up of annual festivals is one of them.  Here, we take a look at some of the best festivals in the area to enjoy with family and friends throughout 2019.

Let’s Rock the Moor

This 80s music festival is great fun for all the family and takes place in May each year.  Now on its 11th year, Let’s Rock the Moor offers a great line-up of acts and welcomes the whole family to enjoy a musical day out in Cookham.

Maidenhead Festival

The second of the festivals coming our way this year is Maidenhead Festival.  Held over the weekend of 20-21st July, this free festival is touting itself as ‘THE place to be this summer’.

The best thing about this community festival is its family friendly atmosphere. There will be plenty for the kids to get up to, including side shows, stall, fairground rides and a beach to play in. For adults there’s fantastic food and drink and live music and entertainment throughout the weekend. Most of the fun takes place at Kidwells Park but events pop up all over the town.

Festival of Food and Wine at Ascot Racecourse

Come September 2019, anyone visiting Windsor can pop along to the world-famous Ascot racecourse for a racing weekend with a difference. This four-day event takes over the racecourse transforming it into a treat for the tastebuds, as well as for anyone who enjoys a great glass of wine. There will be over 100 stalls selling food from all over the globe for racegoers to enjoy. What’s not to like about that?

Windsor Festival

This autumn festival promises to be as popular as ever this year. With events taking place all over Windsor, making the most of our spectacular venues, such as Windsor Castle, the Guildhall and the Old Court Arts Centre, there should be something for everyone during event.

Events tend to take many forms, including guided tours, open houses, talks and exhibitions, with representatives from many areas of the arts coming along and sharing their thoughts, perspectives and experiences over the fortnight.

Windsor Fringe festival and the Spring Leap are both linked to the main windsor festival but take place at other times of the year.  They both offer an eclectic programme of arts events in and around the town.

Cliveden Literary Festival

The people of Windsor love Cliveden which is both a National Trust property and a country house hotel.  Once a year, at the end of September, it plays host to a popular literary festival, which prides itself on being fun and accessible, as well as appealing to hardcore literary fans from all over the country.

School children explore Windsor Great Park and Roald Dahl connection

Posted: Tue 5 February 2019 at 12:32

A group of school children have been invited to Windsor Great Park’s Cumberland Lodge to explore the recently discovered connection between the building and the Roald Dahl book The BFG.

Back in 2016 the University of Wales Press carried out some research on Dahl. It came to the conclusion that the house given to the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) at the end of the book was in fact Cumberland Lodge.

At the end of the much-loved novel, Dahl describes how the Queen gives the BFG a house in Windsor Great Park in which to live. It is described as having “tremendous high ceilings and enormous doors.” The researchers found that Dahl’s own chidlhood home in Cardiff was called Cumberland Lodge and that he had visited the Lodge just a few years before the book came out.

In celebration of the link between the Lodge and the BFG some 20 children from the Royal Windsor School visited the lodge with an expert in children’s literary, Dr Ann Alston of the University of West of England.

The lodge is now used as an educational charity that is intended to encourage social progress and challenge the causes of social division. It runs various events throughout the year, some of which are open to anyone who wants to join.

Visiting Windsor this June? Tickets now available for the famous Garter Day

Posted: Tue 5 February 2019 at 10:58

Members of the public and those visiting Windsor in June this year are encouraged to apply for tickets to watch the Order of the Garter Procession, which takes place on 17 June.

Garter Day is the day each year when new Knights and Ladies are added to the list of 24 Knights in the Order of the Garter by the Queen in an official ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The ceremony and procession date back hundreds of years and is full of pageantry and heraldry – a must for anyone hoping to experience the most traditional aspects of the British Royal Family.

Anyone wishing to apply for tickets to watch the display from St George’s Hill inside the precinct of Windsor Castle must send in their application by 1 March.

The whole process begins on St George’s Day (23rd April) when it is announced whether there are spaces in the Order of the Garter, which include 24 Knights, as well as senior members of the Royal Family and, of course, the Queen herself. The highlight for onlookers tends to be the procession of the Queen and the 24 knights all dressed in velvet robes and plumed hats.

The Order of the Garter was first established by King Edward III around 700 years ago. Men and women can now both join the Order and some notable current Knights include former Prime Minister Sir John Major and Mervyn King, the former Governor of the Bank of England.

The Royal Borough suggests the best proposal locations around Windsor

Posted: Sat 2 February 2019 at 14:16

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has released a list of the best places to propose across the region.

The official Royal Borough blog writers have been hard at work researching some of the most enchanting and romantic places to pop the question, and they have come up with a list of 12 locations, corresponding to the 12 months of the year.

If you’re looking for a sheltered place to propose around Valentine’s Day, when – let’s face it, it might be rather rainy, the blog suggests the Sounding Arch at Maidenhead Railway Bridge. The bridge was designed by none other than Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the Sounding Arch is named for the amazing echoes heard underneath it.

As we move towards spring, the suggestion for May is the Punch Bowl at the Valley Gardens in the Great Park. The blog states: “The Gardens are at their height of colour and interest in April and May with an unrivalled display of rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias.”

If you’re looking for a the ultimate romantic activity during which to pop the questions,  the blog suggests a carriage ride around the Great Park in August. Windsor Carriages operates horse drawn carriage rides around the Great Park throughout the high season.

Check out the rest of the blog for the other inspirational suggestions.

Radio 2 writing contest final to be held at Windsor Castle

Posted: Thu 31 January 2019 at 13:57

Radio 2 presenter Zoe Ball has announced that the live final for the station’s ‘500 Words’ short story competiton will be held at Windsor Castle this year.

The 500 Words contest was first created by presenter Chris Evans in 2011 and has since attracted huge numbers of entries from children aged between 5 and 13. Many schools across the UK take part in the contest and the decision to host the live final at Windsor Castle has caused much excitement.

Ball said: “I’m so proud and excited to be launching 500 Words 2019. It is incredible what Chris Evans has achieved since he first created it back in 2011. I encourage all of our younger listeners to delve deep into their imaginations, and perhaps it could be you heading to the live final at one of the world’s most iconic buildings, Windsor Castle, in June!”

Oxford University Press is supporting the contest and providing support to schools who are taking part, to help them encourage pupils to enter. Last year there were some 134,000 entries.

The launch of the contest on Radio 2 involved three schools taking over the playlist between 7 and 9am. Famous writers Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Charlie Higson will be judges for the contest and were on hand at the live launch to offer writing tips to interested youngsters.

Entries to the short story writing competition must be in by Thursday 8th March and the final will take place at the Windsor Castle on Friday 14th June.

Visiting the UK: Top British Touring Itineraries

Posted: Tue 29 January 2019 at 13:02

There is no end to the sightseeing opportunities when visiting the UK – so where do you begin? We’ve put together a list of the top touring itineraries to help you get the very most of your trip.

 

The Best of the West Country

England’s south-western corner is affectionately known as the ‘West Country’ and is famous for its coast and its warm weather – as well as local delicacies such as cider, fudge and Cream Teas.

Start your trip at Land’s End – at the far tip of Cornwall, perhaps visiting the beautiful artsy town of St Ives on your way North. The Cornish coast is awe-inspiring and the countryside is majestic, dotted with abandoned tin mines. Another Cornish must-see is the rugged beauty of Bodmin Moor, where Daphne DuMaurier set her famous smuggling novel, Jamaica Inn. You can visit the Inn itself and even stay the night – if you’re brave enough!

Continue your tour through Devon, taking in the wonderful coastal towns along the way, many of which offer a traditional English seaside experience, as well as a more modern take on British beach holidays. Dartmouth and Lynton and Lynmouth are all great options, the latter of which has a fabulous cliff railway offering stunning coastal views.

While in Devon, you might want to try the famous Cream Tea. Both Cornwall and Devon lay claim to having invented the tea comprising scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. To this day, they will argue over whether the jam or the cream should come first.

Somerset is the next port of call on your itinerary, but you can include Dorset if you have time – it is, afterall, another stunning county with wonderful cliff-top walks and fabulous towns such as Weymouth and Lyme Regis. In Somerset you must visit the iconic Georgian town of Bath to take in some of the most jaw-dropping period architecture in Britain. Then move onto the vibrant dockside city of Bristol, with world-class culture and an incredible music and arts scene.

 

London and the Home Counties

No trip to the UK would be complete without visiting London – one of the most culturally significant, historically important and cutting edge cities in the world. Take in the South Bank for an exciting walk alongside the Thames; visit the East End where old and new rub alongside each other creating an exciting atmosphere; and walk through the Square Mile, which positively drips with a sense of history and importance.

Once you’ve had enough of the Big Smoke, it’s time to take in some of its surrounding locations, such as royal Windsor, the home of the Queen’s favourite residence, Windsor Castle. Staying in Windsor is a great option as it’s well located for tours around Berkshire. Oxfordshire, Greater London and Surrey.

Windsor is surrounded in beautiful parkland and countryside, not to mention the Thames meandering it’s way through the town and towards the higher ground at Oxford. A visit to Oxford is another must for anyone wishing to experience the very best of British history. The University of Oxford is still very much the centre of everything that takes place in this great city and you can’t move for atmospheric, beautifully maintained buildings, bright young things and traditional English pubs with roaring fires. In the summer, there is riverside dining and punting at Cherwell and Thameside walks at Iffley and Binsey.

To top off your London and Home Counties itinerary, why not take in the countryside of South Oxfordshire and the cobbled streets of Henley-on-Thames for a taste of a quintessential market town in action. This buzzy, high-brow little place hosts the annual Royal Regatta, where world-class rowers battle it out to race down the Thames while onlookers sip champagne under weeping willows.

Northern highlights

To enjoy the very best of Northern England and Scotland you’ll need to cover some serious ground. Fast trains run throughout this region and it’s easy to hop from Manchester or Liverpool to Glasgow or Edinburgh within a day.

Despite being relatively closely located, Manchester and Liverpool are very different cities. Liverpool is extremely quirky and, in a similar way to Bristol, has its routes around the docks and attracts a creative itinerant crowd. Music rusn through Liverpool’s veins and you can still visit the Cavern Club and listen to live bands playing all day every day in the pubs and clubs around the centre.

Manchester is far more urban and polished. While being a very well-turned out city, it also has incredible independent businesses, cafes, restaurants, shops and studios. Make sure you take in the canal area and the Northern Quarter, with its vibrant bar scene and quirky shopping.

As you move North, either by road or by rail, you’ll notice the landscape changing. Scotland is stunningly beautiful. The highlands are the gem in Britain’s crown and to miss the opportunity to visit this region would be a crime. Even if you’re not into walking, just drive around and you’ll see what we mean.

Edinburgh is the obvious location to stay over when visiting Scotland, with its historic castle and the wondrous Arthur’s Seat looming over the greystone townhouses that make up the city centre. It might rain, but hey, who cares!

 

A Celtic Tour

Visitors to Wales will usually head straight to the mountains and Snowdonia offers some dramatic and eye-popping scenery for anyone looking for walking, climbing or even Skiing opportunities.

As well as the mountains, Wales has some adorable coastal towns, such as Tenby, St David’s and Mumbles. All of these can be incorporated into your itinerary as each is so very different from the next. Around Mumbles is the beautiful Gower Peninsula, which boasts some of the UK’s best and most secluded beaches. If you are lucky enough to be in South or West Wales on a warm sunny day – head to the beach, as it won’t be crowded!

Cardiff and Swansea are both major cities on the Southern Coasts of Wales, each offering plenty for visitors. Cardiff has a thriving nightlife scene and is a popular destination for shopping and big ticket concerts. Swansea is a smaller city with a recently rejuvenated waterfront area, complete with the incredible National Waterfront Museum, which celebrates the role the water has played in South Wales over the years.