Keep The Green Flag Flying!

Warley Woods have done it again! They’ve been awarded the very prestigious Green Flag Award for the seventh year running.

The award is handed out by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy who recognize and reward the best parks and green spaces across the country and it’s official Warley Woods is one of the very best in the UK.

Watch out for the new 2015-2016 Green Flag flying over the Pavilion in the next few days.

One of the other reasons why we love Warley Woods is the plethora of different events which take place in the park.  This Thursday Heartbreak Productions make a return with their adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma.  

We caught up with Viv Cole, Warley Woods Trust Manager to find out more “Our theatre event is proving to be one of the highlights of our year with everyone who has been before, really looking forward to seeing the next year’s offering. . Heartbreak is a fantastic company that it is a joy to host and everyone loves their style and the way they adapt productions for the open air and a small cast. Bookings are going well, but we still have room for more. We are really grateful to Derek Spires Estate Agents for sponsoring this event again for us.”

Only a few tickets left so get yours today from the Pavilion or online from here! 

Get ready to shuffle!

 

 



Whoa!  Get ready to shuffle this Sunday as the line-up's been confirmed!

 

Here's a few of the acts playing just to get you in the mood..

 



 

 

Viva The Difference!

This coming weekend Bearwood Chapel are holding an event with a real difference.  They’re holding a 3 day Latin Fiesta!  Arriba!  Arriba!

 Intrigued?  We were so we caught up with Pastor Dave to find out more….

 “Saturday 1st July will be extremely special.  Many people will remember the Jubilee Party that we held in 2012. Well we'd like to recreate that community atmosphere but with a twist.  This will be a "Latin Fiesta" organised by our Spanish speaking congregation Nueva Vida. It will run from 2:30pm-7:00pm  and will include food, Latin American games, music from the Raglan Road Church band and Mexican and Ecuadorian folkdance.  We're excited to be joined by two Latin American Folklore troops who are coming up from London, Mestizo Folklore Group and Renacer. 

 

 

 We will also be opening a  Festival Café throughout the week (Thursday 30th & Friday 31st July  7pm -9pm, Sunday 2nd July 6:00pm-8:00pm). This will be in the Chapel building and will include music, drama, art, South American cooking demonstrations, storytelling etc.  Entry and food and drink all  free.

The Festival Café on Friday 31st July is being billed as a Bearwood's Got Talent event.  The evening will be open mike with opportunity for people to come along and showcase their talent.  If anyone is interested in taking part, please get in touch via the contact form on our website or by twitter or face book.

 

 

By the way, we've chosen the title "The Difference" because some of the story-telling will include real life stories as some of our church members tell their own stories about "The Difference that Jesus has made in their lives"

Pop down to Bearwood Chapel, you’ll find them just off Bearwood High Street near TC Hayes, to find out more!

Lucky no 7!

Photo Credit: Ken Harrison Photography

The Bearwood Shuffle’s back and this Sunday it’s for the 7^th time.

The Shuffle’s moved from its usual home in Lightwoods Park whilst the bandstand’s having a makeover and it’s now taking place at Warley Woods Glade. 

Just walk down the path from the Pavilion towards the kids play area and you’ll see where all the fun’s happening. 

With live music, stalls and yummy food it’s going to be a great afternoon. 

Get there for 2pm and check out the Bearwood Shuffle Facebook page right here for more exciting news!

It's coming home!

Photo Credit:  The Bearwood Blog

 

This very time-ly announcement comes courtesy of Bob Piper's Bearwood Blog (read it here!)...thanks Bob!

 

Via Derby, where it's gone to be lovingly restored, the Chamberlain clock will be returning to its rightful home in Bearwood in the next few months.  It's been outside Marks and Spencers in Birmingham for the last 30 years or so.

 

The clock has a very interesting history and via Bob's blog we found out that the the clock was

"one of Birmingham’s prized “Chamberlain clocks”, installed outside the Kings Head coaching station in 1900.

 

With its gas-lit dials and horse trough, the clock helped to service and monitor first the trams, and then the buses, plying the routes through Bearwood and Harborne. When the King’s Head became a major stop-off point on the Outer Circle bus route in the 1920s, such a clock was much in demand.

In 1971 it was removed for road widening, and for the last few decades has stood looking slightly forlorn and out of place in a shopping mall in the City centre."

 

Thankfully it's now coming home!

 

 



Photo credit: The Bearwood Blog

Picnic in the Park 2015

Ok…so there were showers and then a huge thunderstorm but for those Bearwood folk whowent along to this year’s Picnic in the Park it’s safe to say that everybody had a great time. 

 

The performers, Bearwood Promoters and Stuart Maconie entertained everyone on The Shuffle Stage, the stallholders made sure that there was plenty of goodies for us to buy and the dog show kept Bearwood’s dog lovers very happy. 

This year’s Picnic was another great success so the biggest round of applause has to go to Warley Woods and its team of volunteers.  Thank you for a really 'wood' afternoon! 

 

We think Ken Harrison’s brilliant photos sum up the afternoon perfectly…

 

 

 

 

 

PS.  Check out more photos from Bearwood's finest, Ken Harrison, right here!

The Shuffle Stage!

The Bearwood Promoters team (those lovely folk behind the Bearwood Shuffle) have announced their fantastic line-up for this Sunday’s (5^th July) Warley Woods Picnic in the Park Shuffle Stage. 
 
Bearwood resident/BBC 6 Music DJ Stuart Maconie will be compere for the afternoon and the acts are (Whoop!  Whoop!  Drum roll…):
 

1pm - 1.15pm Jennie Sutherland Dance Act  – Riven Productions

1.25pm - 1.50pm Brandhall Community Choir

 

2.05pm - 2.30pm Colin Hall’s Gypsy Blood

2.40pm - 3.05pm Holloway Head

3.10pm - 3.35pm Caballo Blanco

3.55pm - 4.25pm Jnr Blue Notes

4.35pm - 5.05pm Strumtroopers

 5.15pm - 6.00pm The Coopers

 Please note that all timings are approximate! 

 With not long to go now we’re very excited.  See you there!

Thimblemill Library July 2015 Calendar

 

If we had to give Thimblemill Library’s July events a theme we would definitely say ‘sounds of the summer’!  This month’s calendar’s wall-to-wall with music!

 

 

 The fun starts when the Birmingham Jazz Festival brings Steve Ajao Blues Giants to Thimblemill Library this Friday evening, 3^rd July.  It’s a FREE (we do love that word!) gig so make sure you get there early to get a good seat. 

 

 

Then on Saturday, 4^th July, the  talent scouts will be out and about at the library’s very own Thimblemill’s Got Talent ‘Wow Factor’ competition.  It’s Bearwood’s youngsters’ turn this time so keep an eye out for the next Sam Smith or Ella Henderson. 

 If you’re after a soul-tastic evening, the Sounds of Motown is taking place on 9^th July but if ‘the hills are alive with the sound of music’ is more your thing why not pop along for the Singalong to The Sound Music evening on Saturday 11^th. 

 

 

It’s going to be a non-stop musical weekend because on Saturday, 12^th July Thimblemill Library is also taking part in the nation’s community music celebration Our Big Gig.

 Then on Saturday 18^th July Thimblemill Library steps back in time when The Jays will be resurrecting the great hits from the 1940s and 50s.  Don’t forget to dress for the occasion!  Tickets are only £5 per person/ £3.50 concessions.

On a final ‘musical’ note Freshold Theatre are looking for female ambassadors for their ‘We Women: Celebrate’ event.

 

If you have a story to tell about your experiences of your nationality or ethnic group (be it in in the form of song, acting or maybe even poetry) contact the theatre group or Thimblemill Library for more details and then get down to the auditions which are being held in the evening of Monday 20^th July. The chosen performers will receive £50!