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iVisit... Cable car flights will resume in Matlock Bath on the 12th April.

The Heights of Abraham will open for the 2021 season on Monday 12th April at 10.00am. Derbyshire’s award-winning* family attraction is launching a special ‘Outdoor Period’ cable car ticket that allows access to the 60-acre hilltop park, two adventure playgrounds, heritage trails, gardens and viewpoints.

The Vista Restaurant, Bar and Terrace Café will be open for take-away, outdoor and terrace dining and refreshments overlooking the spectacular Derwent Valley. New sheltered areas have been constructed for family and friends to meet, relax and take in the views. All picnic sites will also be open, and guests are welcome to bring their own food or purchase picnic goodies, cakes and snacks from the café.

The High Falls, Summit and Tavern Gift Shops will be open for business, inviting visitors to browse sparkling gem stones, blue john jewellery and purchase souvenirs of a day out at Derbyshire’s oldest tourist attraction.

Two important historical landmarks will also be fully accessible. The Victoria Prospect Tower built in 1844 provides sensational open-air views of the countryside, and Tinkers Shaft, a faithful recreation of early mining equipment used to haul lead from the caverns below.

A new self-guided audio trail has been launched to coincide with the start of the ‘Outdoor Season’, inviting guests to learn more about the heritage and history of the Estate by accessing narrations via their own smart phones at 14 locations of special interest throughout the hilltop park.

Nature loving children will be given their own outdoor activity leaflet containing puzzles, a nature trail and I-SPY challenge to test their observation skills during their visit.

Rupert Pugh (Director) said; “We are delighted that our cable car flights are taking off in April and can’t wait to welcome guests back to the Heights. Over the winter we have continued to make improvements to the estate, and I am especially pleased with the new sheltered terraces. It’s only taken 150 years for these to come back into fashion here at the Heights, and I’m sure the Victorians would approve!”

The special “Outdoor Period” will run from 12th April until at least the 16th May. Cavern tours and indoor exhibition areas will remain closed for the time being. Ticket prices will be Adults £14, Children (aged 5 to 15) £10, 4 years and under free.

The Heights has introduced a limited daily capacity to effectively manage social distancing** for the comfort of all guests. Tickets can now be purchased in advance.

iVisit... New RHS awards celebrate blossoming community spirit

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) will celebrate community gardening across the UK through the RHS Community Awards this year.

The new virtual awards replace the RHS Britain in Boom UK Finals competition for 2021 – for the first time in the campaign’s 57-year history - and will see Britain in Bloom groups recognised for their efforts to transform their local areas.

Last year nine in every ten groups* carried on gardening, maintaining our all-important green spaces and harnessing their skills to help others, from growing food to lifting people’s spirits via imaginative planting displays.

Walthamstow Village, London, shared virtual tours of their area, Penrith volunteers grew crops for food parcels and in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, plants and gardening tools were delivered to care home residents.

A total of 63 groups will participate across five categories having been nominated by one of the 16 Britain in Bloom UK regions and nations.

Entrants range from Truro, Britain in Bloom winner in 2018, to groups such as Gosfield, Essex, that are first-timers on the national stage.

Kay Clark, RHS Community Development Manager said: “We’ve been truly inspired by the creativity and ingenuity that volunteers have shown throughout the pandemic, supporting their communities while observing the social distancing rules.

“While we’re not able to run the Britain in Bloom UK Finals competition this year, the RHS Community Awards will shine a light on groups’ fantastic efforts during a challenging time.”

The results of the RHS Community Awards, including the most outstanding entries in each category, will be announced at the end of September with all participants receiving certificates.

iVisit... Live history tour of the Charterhouse from the Square

Charterhouse are delighted that they are once again able to invite you to join one of the Brothers (the residents of the Charterhouse almshouse) for a tour with a full history of the site, with social distancing, out in Charterhouse Square. The Brothers who are amongst our tour guides are very experienced and knowledgeable, and will take you through six centuries of fascinating and turbulent history with many of the perspectives you can see from outside the buildings. To ensure social distance restrictions, tour size is limited to 5 people. Every Thursday morning from 1st April - 27th May

iVisit... Rare mouse deer born at Marwell Zoo

Marwell Zoo have welcomed a new arrival, a rare Javan Chevrotain (mouse deer).

The tiny youngster – one of the smallest hoofed animals in the world – was born to parents Gus and Gwen at the zoo's Energy for Life: Tropical House weighing approximately 370 grams at birth.

Keepers say the youngster is doing well, though their interactions are minimal due to the sensitivity of the species.

Tim Rowlands, Marwell Zoo’s Hoofstock Team Leader, explained: “We separated the male and female two weeks before she gave birth so she would not be disturbed, even by him, mimicking the natural behaviour of the female taking herself away to find a quiet and secure spot to give birth in the wild. All deer species will hide their young until they are older so they will only really come out to feed then hide again.

“There are very few zoos who care for any of the mouse deer species as they are so small in size, very secretive, and nocturnal, so any youngster born is great news for the conservation breeding programme. It’s vitally important that we work to ensure these wonderful animals do not disappear for good.”

In the wild, this nocturnal species is found on the island of Java in Indonesia. They are hunted and traded both as pets and as wild meat. The species is classified as data deficient, partly because there is a lack of information about how many species of chevrotain there are on Java.

When born, the young are the size of a rat and can run and jump soon after birth. The young suckle only occasionally, and only at night.

Marwell is a conservation charity and is facing the toughest challenge in its nearly 50 year history after losing more than £4 million in revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.

To support the zoo, go to the link below

iVisit... Drusillas Zookeepers Read Stories to Animals for World Book Day

Once upon a time at a zoo in East Sussex, Zookeepers read popular children’s books to their animals in preparation for World Book Day. The annual event is being celebrated across the world on Thursday 4th March 2021 and is designed to inspire a love of reading and books in children.

As children all over the globe are getting ready to dress up at home as their favourite fictional characters, Zookeepers at Drusillas Park got into the spirit of things, reading their animals books all kinds of exciting stories!

Drusillas’ Zoo Animal Manager, Mark Kenward, said: “Delivering our animals’ meals in imaginative and unusual ways is part of the zoo’s daily enrichment programme. This ensures they receive a varied and diverse diet, as well as encouraging them to think and work for their food rather than it just being lazily handed to them. This time we hid bits of food around the books to see if it sparked their interest in time for World Book Day!”

“The wallabies were read ‘The Koala who could’, the penguins got stuck into ‘Blown Away’, and the donkeys enjoyed ‘The Wonky Donkey’. Our camels Lofty and Roxy went for something a little different and they read ‘Gigantosaurus’ – a book all about dinosaur roars!”

“The Keepers really enjoyed taking time out to read to them and the animals were certainly more interested in the books than the food!”

Kid the Coati also made herself very comfortable on Head Keeper Gemma’s shoulders to read the ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle.

As well as reading to their animals, Keepers at Drusillas are encouraging their visitors to make the most of the remaining time in lockdown and pick up a book.

Drusillas Head of Education, James Woodward, said: “Reading is a great way to stimulate a child’s imagination! There are so many wonderful books out there, and hundreds of books about animals. They are a really useful learning tool because they teach children about the animals of the world in an exciting and engaging way. Not all learning has to be sitting in a classroom, some of the best learning come from getting lost in the magic of a good book.”

iVisit... Soph The Sloth Gets A New Roommate at Drusillas Park!

Zookeepers at Drusillas Park are excited to announce the arrival of their new sloth, Halina. The beautiful Halina arrived at Drusillas a few weeks ago and has been hitting it off with her new roommate, Sophocles ever since.

Zoo Animal Manager, Mark Kenward, said: “As many of our regular visitors know, we have been looking for a mate for our male sloth Sophocles, or Soph as we often call him for short!”

“We were so excited when Tierpark Zoo in Berlin told us that their female sloth Halina was also looking to find a mate; we knew she would be the perfect match for Soph! Halina is three years old and ready to start a family so we’re very hopeful to hear the slow patter of baby sloth feet in the future! Halina is just the most beautiful sloth and we are so happy to have her as part of our zoo family.”

Sophocles has fallen head over heels in love with Halina, but before they met face to face the two began bonding in a very unusual way…Bizarrely, sloths exchange poo to make friends! Keepers spent the first few weeks of the sloth’s introduction, swapping their poo between their enclosures.

Zoo Animal Manager, Mark Kenward, said: “Exchanging poo with a prospective roommate or partner might seem like an odd idea to a human, but not to a sloth! Swapping stools actually helps the sloths get to know each other and get used to each other. Smell is an incredibly important sense for animals. Poo in particular provides a little parcel of information about the animal who left it. It’s a bit like a postage stamp as to who has been around.”

“This sort of olfactory enrichment gives the impression of another sloth being in the area, and prepares each of them for an encounter. We call this a soft introduction. They learn enough about the other to be comfortable meeting face to face.”

Once the poo swap had run its course, the two sloths were placed next to each other with a mesh divider separating them. Able not just to smell but to see, hear and nearly touch their new neighbour, Sophocles and Halina started to get used to each other.

Zoo Animal Manager, Mark Kenward, commented: “The faeces exchange has been a huge success, it worked really well with our other mating pair of sloths, Flash and Gordon and we are pleased to report the same levels of success with Soph and Halina. The pair seem to be getting on very well indeed.”

Now they are fully settled and happily falling in love, they are living together in a shared enclosure with Drusillas Rodriguez fruit bats and golden lion tamarins.

Zoo Animal Manager, Mark Kenward, said: “We know the public can’t wait to meet Halina, the news of her introduction went crazy on social media, so we are really looking forward to being able to see everyone again and to let you all meet Halina!”

iVisit... Cathedral Christmas Trail

Have you ever wondered why we have Christmas trees or why candles and lights feature so much in our lives at this time of year?

Explore twelve special arrangements, created by the wonderful flower arranging volunteers under Michael Bowyer’s watchful eye, which focus on popular Christmas traditions and reveal their symbolic meanings.

The arrangements, created mostly from foliage and other materials, are to be found throughout the Cathedral - make sure you pick up a welcome leaflet so you can get the best from the trail (and look out for the selfie opportunity in the North Transept)!

iVisit.... A Christmas Carol At Trestle Theatre, St Albans

A Christmas Carol, live on stage for Christmas.

One man, one classic story, every single character (almost)

Just how many characters can one-man play? Can he sing and make jokes at the same time? Join Lamphouse Theatre this Christmas to find out!

Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas, but the Cratchits are full of festive cheer even though times are hard. Can four ghostly apparitions teach Scrooge an important lesson in time for Christmas morning?

With live music, packed full of family fun and side-splitting comedy, Lamphouse’s one-man version of A Christmas Carol will bring you some much needed Christmas cheer!

#@trestletheatre

iVisit... Lichfield Cathedral for Carols Around The Tree

Another Chance to Sing Your Heart Out On Saturday 19 December 2020 at 16:00 there’s another opportunity to join the hugely popular ‘Carols Around the Tree’ service at Lichfield Cathedral. The outdoor service will give ticket holders the opportunity to sing along to their festive favourites around the beautifully lit Christmas Tree outside the Cathedral. Tickets are free and available from the website via the button below, be sure to book quickly – the 14:00 and 15:00 were fully booked within days!

#@LichfieldCath

iVisit... Exclusive look “Inside Hever Castle” with new videos and podcasts

Staff at Hever Castle are “opening the doors” of the historic attraction to offer behind the scenes videos and podcasts.

Historians including Dr Tracy Borman, Claire Ridgway, Lucy Churchill, Dr Lauren Mackay, Gareth Russell and Natalie Grueninger and Hever Castle staff will feature in Inside Hever Castle which launches on 1 January 2021.

Snippet videos have already been released to give an idea of the content on offer which will include all aspects of the Hever Castle estate. They can be viewed here: youtube.com/hevercastle

Exclusive content includes articles on the monarchs who owned Hever Castle, features on conservation and cleaning in the Castle, views from the rooftop, in depth information about Anne Boleyn and her relationships and more about the historic statues in the gardens.

Castle Supervisor Dr Owen Emmerson said: “Hever Castle is opening these iconic and original doors like never before. We are so excited to invite you to come inside Hever Castle and to explore this historic property from the comfort of your home.

“We will show you parts of the Castle that have never been opened to the public before, take you into the heart of the Castle archive to explore the treasures that lay inside. We will allow you to have close up access to some of the priceless objects that are harder to see in person. You will have exclusive access to the expertise of our historians, curator, head gardener and castle stewards who will all guide you through the centuries of history that Hever holds.

“Inside Hever Castle would also make the perfect gift for a loved one who enjoys history, architecture awarding winning gardens and all things Anne Boleyn. So join us Inside Hever Castle.”

iVisit... The Snow Queen at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

A MAGICAL ADVENTURE AWAITS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THIS CHRISTMAS...

Although their beloved pantomime won’t be possible this year, the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre are thrilled to announce that they will still be producing a bit of festive magic this Christmas as they bring you The Snow Queen!

When Kai falls victim to the power of the Snow Queen, his best friend Gerda sets out on an epic journey to rescue him. Can she, with the help of the friends she meets (in a socially-distanced manner!) along the way, reach the frozen north and release Kai from the Snow Queen’s icy spell?

Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless fairy tale is brought to life in this magical adaptation by Nick Stafford.

iVisit... Drusillas’ Animals Get an Early Delivery from Father Christmas

Early in the morning Santa Claus arrived at Drusillas Park and made a surprise visit to their animals! Carrying a sack full of treats and snacks, Santa stopped off at each enclosure and gave Drusillas animals some early Christmas gifts.

Little ears began to prick up as the jingle of sleigh bells rang through the zoo. One by one furry and feathered heads popped up to see what all the commotion was…Slowly it dawned on Drusillas animals that Santa was finally here…

Head Keeper, Gemma Romanis, said: “Our animals really enjoyed meeting Santa. We didn’t actually expect the reaction we got! It really brought a smile to my face to see how happy the animals were to meet him. What a great day of Christmas magic!”

iVisit... Dick Whittington The Pompey Panto

Join the hero Dick Whittington on his thrilling quest to find adventure, fame and fortune in the glittering streets of London. Will he be able to defeat villainous rodent Queen Rat, save the city and win the hand of his love, Alice?

Get ready to follow your dreams as this classic tale is re-imagined for the Kings Theatre’s annual fun-filled pantomime. Expect Pompey’s much-loved mix of songs, bonkers humour, stunning sets and don’t forget the hilarious 12 Days of Christmas (with those all-important toilet Rolls) all wrapped up in a magical festive treat for all ages.

Starring one half of X Factor Finalists Same Difference, Sean Smith as Dick Whittington, their very own Jack Edwards as Dame Dolly and a host of West End talent including local favourites Julia Worsley and James Percy.

This is your Panto Pompey, and not to be missed.

iVisit... The Luna Drive In Winter Cinema

The Luna Drive In Cinema presents a fantastic festive treat at Acot Racecourse. They will be bringing you some iconic winter films to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, in a spectacular event, including:

Giant HD screens

In car digital sound

Contactless food + drink service

Themed food hampers available to pre-order

The best festive films

Fully Covid-19 Secure

Get ready to be put into a fantastic festive mood as The Luna Drive In Cinema will be bringing Drive In to the most wonderful time of the year with a season of delightful winter films.

Completely Covid-19 Secure, The Luna Drive In Cinema is a all in the comfort of your own car. We’ve got state of the art sound and screens, a fantastic selection of food and drink contactlessly ordered and delivered, a selections of some of the best winter films ever made, and all of it can be enjoyed whilst staying safe and socially distanced.

The Luna Drive In Cinema experience will utilise state of the art cinema equipment with a combination of the highest definition outdoor LED screens at three venues and high-grade digital projectors at two others offering full HD picture quality and wireless transmission of sound, to produce an exceptional cinematic experience.

What they are especially excited about is their brand new, exclusive to the UK, sound system. They’ve had this system in development for a while now and are confident that they will give their audiences a bespoke, digital cinema quality sound system personalised for each vehicle. You’ll have your own wireless speaker system that sits on your dashboard, which will be properly sanitised between uses. This speaker will not only deliver high quality audio directly to you, but it also means you don’t have to use your car’s radio for the screening, meaning no need to run your engine and no risk of flat car batteries! Please note all vehicles must be under 2 metres high for everyone to enjoy the full experience.

iVisit... Waddesdon Manor Winter Light - Now Extended into January

Waddesdon’s Winter Light extended throughout January

7-31 January 2021, Thursday-Sunday from 4-10pm (8pm Sundays)

Begin 2021 with sparkle and bright lights, with the extension of Waddesdon’s hugely popular Winter Light programme throughout January for the first time, bringing a little cheer to a dark time of year.

The November lockdown has meant the first two weeks of Winter Light, part of this year’s Christmas at Waddesdon, have had to be cancelled so Waddesdon has decided to extend Winter Light through January to offer the opportunity for as many people possible to visit safely.

Visitors will be able to see the gardens ablaze with light, using a variety of state-of-the-art effects, combined with bespoke light installations, bringing the extraordinary landscape and woodland to life. They will also be treated to the spectacle of the façade of the Manor illuminated with dancing lights set to music.

The Winter Light trail will transform the Pleasure Grounds near the Aviary with dramatic colour and playful installations. Visitors can stroll under the stars beneath magically illuminated tree canopies and bushes draped in sparkle, with the planting transformed by moving light. There are immersive light features such as a valley of flickering flames creating a sea of fire, and dozens of suspended orbs in a sequenced walk-through musical light show.

Wandering down Miss Alice’s Drive from the Woodland Café to the Stables, visitors will find the route illuminated with work created by children from around 35 local schools on a theme of hope, called ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’. And at the Stables, they'll find Parallels in the Coach House, an immersive light installation set to a soundscape, while outside, two giant twinkling baubles will offer the perfect photo opportunity to share and remember the day.

In addition to hot, take-away food and drink from the Woodland Café, Treaterie and Coffee Bar, the Manor Restaurant’s chefs have devised a special four-course dinner with a complimentary glass of Waddesdon Fizz to be enjoyed by those exploring Winter Light.

The Christmas Fair – that is open until 23 December – will not be operating 7-31 January.

OPENING DATES, TIMES AND TICKETS, 7 – 31 JAN 2021

Thursday to Sunday - 4-10pm (hourly arrival timeslots, last admission 9pm)

Sundays - 4-8pm, (last admission 7pm)

Prices from £5 for National Trust members, £16 non-members (no discounts for RHS, HH or Art Fund members)*

All visits must be pre-booked with day and time of arrival in order to stagger admissions and minimise crowding.

Advance booking of timed admission, parking and shuttle bus tickets is essential for all visitors, including National Trust members.

Enjoy a meal in the Manor Restaurant as part of your visit on Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 6pm and 6.30pm each day (5.30pm and 6pm on Sundays). £42 per person*

(* all prices will be subject to booking fee)

#@WaddesdonManor

iVisit... Snowdrop Walk starts 2021 season at Hever Castle

Snowdrop Walk launches the 2021 season at Hever Castle & Gardens.

Visitors to Hever Castle & Gardens in February have the chance to see 90,000 snowdrops throughout the grounds from beside the outer moat, meandering along Sunday Walk and drifting into Church Walk.

They will be encouraged to put on their wellies, hats and scarves and explore the woodland walks and enjoy the sight of a host of snowdrops in bloom close to the famous Castle and childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

Head Gardener Neil Miller has been amassing an enviable collection of snowdrop varieties over the last 7 years, planting 10,000 each season including a mix of single and double snowdrops. He promises more unusual varieties for those visiting in 2021, in particular in the Winter Garden.

Discover the delights of a late winter walk through drifts of snowdrops from 10 February.

iVisit... The Luna Drive In Winter Cinema

The Luna Drive In Cinema presents a fantastic festive treat at the NEC. They will be bringing you some iconic winter films to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, in a spectacular event, including: