Living Crafts Festival comes to Cirencester Park this year for a three day arts & crafts extravaganza over the late May Bank Holiday weekend.

Saturday 29 May – Sunday 30 May – Monday 31 May 2021.

Opening hours: 10 am to 5 pm. Advance Ticket Cost: adult £9, senior £8, child £5.

Venue Address: Cirencester Park. Access via Stroud Road at postcode GL7 6JT.

For nearly 50 years, Living Crafts have been celebrating British crafting excellence, and this year they will be welcoming in their newest festival to the family, Living Crafts at Cirencester Park to showcase even more designers, with many craftspeople coming from The Cotswolds and the South West of England.

Living Crafts festivals offer visitors more than just a craft show, the festivals are a celebration of the UK’s finest designer-makers, with workshops, entertainment and craft experiences that offer a fun and creative day out for all the family. Showcasing and retailing an inspiring range of design, arts and crafts, from handmade jewellery, to unique gifts and artisan home wares.

Visiting the festival gives you the opportunity to meet master craftsmen and women and a new generation of talented British designers. There will be original designed British craft to buy, you can watch master craftsmen and women demonstrating their skills or even have a go at making your own masterpiece in one of the workshops. Get creative and try everything from chocolate making and marbling to stone carving and willow weaving.

The event will be buzzing with workshops, some are drop-in sessions you can join on the day others can be pre-booked via www.livingcrafts.co.uk. All you need is a love of crafts! Whatever your skill level, everyone from the complete novice to the more creatively inclined can make a masterpiece in the have-a-go workshops. They are led by friendly experts in a fun and relaxed setting with all tools and materials supplied.

And for those just out for the day, be sure to visit the artisan food producers in the Food and Drink Pavilion. Take your pick from coffee & cakes, cream teas from the Vintage Tea Tent, wood fired hand made pizzas, or just grab a well deserved Pimms or G&T and relax with the festival vibe while you listen to jazz and swing bands in the sunshine.
For more information and to buy your tickets visit www.livingcrafts.co.uk.

In the summer of 2017 we went to beautiful Brockencote Hall near Kidderminster in Worcestershire. We came went there for afternoon tea, the sun was shining, there was not a cloud in the sky and it was the perfect day to experience this stunning hotel.

Wonderful grounds

The grounds of Brockencote Hall, an immaculately maintained lawn and beautiful surroundings, also include a lake which is the perfect place to experience birds and fish from the side. We saw a heron that looked like he lived there and lots of ducks. The kids loved it – they had a great play before we went inside.

Afternoon tea inside and out

Brockencote Hall is a beautiful hotel, inside and out. And with the sun being so kind to us today, we opted for afternoon tea outside on the terrace with the field and trees as backdrop. We did have to re-think this decision on account of the bees loving the jam a little too much and Noelle being petrified of the little terrors, so we actually ended up inside after just a few minutes. Inside or out, Brockencote Hall is one of the most perfect places to have a traditional afternoon tea experience.

First class service

As in all the hotels in the Eden Hotel Collection, staff at Brockencote Hall offer only the best in service. We were treated so well by all the staff, our every wish was being catered for, even when an unsuspecting bee had found it’s way inside to our jam pot and Noelle had a near melt-down, the lovely bartender came to her rescue and even made sure no bees were harmed in the making of this perfect afternoon tea experience.

Rich Veuve Cliquot Afternoon Tea

The afternoon tea at Brockencote Hall is absolutely delicious and among the very best we’ve had (and we’ve had a few!) in the Cotswolds and anywhere. But it was made even more special with the addition of a sweet glass of Earl Grey tea-infused bubbles from Veuve Cliquot. The afternoon tea we had today was a ‘Rich Veuve Cliquot’ afternoon tea, so included a glass of the sweetest bubbles with a hint of Earl Grey. Wonderful, unlike any afternoon tea experience we’ve had before.

Now you…

So wonderful was our afternoon tea at Brockencote Hall that we rushed home afterwards so we could write this article and share it all with you. Now do yourself a favour and get booked in at Brockencote Hall, there is always a good break and offers to be had.

We’re lucky to live in beautiful Worcestershire with all the woods, green areas, river banks and receational grounds. On warm, sunny days we love getting out an about and we often bring playing balls, bats and fun games alongside a nice picnic when we go out to play.

If you’re anywhere near Evesham and Pershore, a super little spot is the river area by Avon Meadows by King George’s Way. There’s great parking, walking routes and a large lawned area that’s great for all kinds of ball play.

Do note that while there is parking here, this is not a recreational ground with facilities.