Sunshine On Pete

Bearwood’s finest and one of welovebearwood’s favourites, Pete Williams, is busy getting ready to go on tour with The Proclaimers (Sunshine on Leith, (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles, Letter From America, I'm on My Way, Life With You, Lets Get Married). 

The tour starts on October in Newcastle and stops off at Birmingham’s New Alexandra Theatre on November 8^th. 

 

Tickets are rapidly selling out so get yours quick!  You can pick them up right here!

Warley Woofs!

 

 

Along with the All About Dogs’ favourites of the dog shows and stalls which cater for everything for our four legged friends this year’s event on Sunday 6^th September sees return visits from dog psychologist Hannah, demos from those super sniffer dogs the Border Force team, agility demos, Warley and District Training Club and the Kennel Club.

 

There’s even more for Bearwood’s dog lovers this year too including the exciting new attraction of  grooming advice and a dog wash van (wow can we have a go!).

 

For more details please contact Warley Woods via their website, just wag your mouse here! 

Bearwood Jumble Trail!

 

It was such a success last year that there’s going to be a second We Are Bearwood Jumble Trail next month. 

This year it’s on Saturday 5^th September and as it’s organized by Mad as a Hatter Tea Room prepare to be amazed!  You’re in for a real treat!   

Over on the wonderful We Are Bearwood website (check it our right here!) they explain more...

“Bearwood will be transformed into a wonderland of crafts, entertainment and down-right bargains at the second We Are Bearwood Jumble Trail on 5th September, organised by Project Champions Mad as a Hatter Tea Room.

What’s a Jumble Trail?

It’s like a jumble sale but instead of carting all your stuff to a hall, you register on the Jumble Trail Website to set up a stall in front of your house.  And on the day of the Jumble Trail, you soak up the atmosphere as you share stalls with your neighbours, barter for goods that they no longer need, or just get to have a natter with your fellow Bearwoodians. Last year’s trail was great with over 30 stalls but this year promises to be a whole lot more. Here’s why:

·        Hayley Albright from Mad as a Hatter Tea Rooms on Abbey Road is our project champion for this trail, so she’s organising much of the trail and has lots of Wonderland-themed treats in store for you.

·        The more stalls that sign up the better the trail, the atmosphere and cameraderie.  So what’s stopping you? You could sell refreshments, bric-a-brac or even treat punters with your musical talent.

·        Don’t have a garden? No worries, just get in touch with Thimblemill Library and set up a stall there! Julie and her team are keen to have you – give them a call on 0121 429 2039 to arrange.

·        The Bearwood Wonderland Jumble Trail is going to be on 5th September, the same day as the Mad as a Hatter Craft Fair on Abbey Road, so there’ll be plenty to browse through.

·        There’s a cupcake in it from Hayley for anyone who dressed up in an Alice In Wonderland themed outfit – make sure you send in your pictures to wearebearwood@gmail.com or post to @wearebearwood #BearwoodJumbleTrail on the day!

 

Set out your stall!

So clear out your attic, declutter your life and offer up your preloved items to others in Bearwood.  It’s all free to take part,just sign up and enjoy wondering the trail or chatting to the people that stop by your stall (take it from us, last year’s was a lovely feel-good day, especially if you had a kettle on the go!).

How can you help?

We’re designing flyers to help with promotion so please get in touch at wearebearwood@gmail.com if you’d be able to help by doing  a leaflet drop nearer the time on your street (or more!).”
 

42nd Street at The Alex

 

Check out the show-stopping review  on Bearwood's no 1 music blog, The Hearing Aid, of 42nd Street at The Alex which features Bearwood's very own Amelia Wallace .  We've always thought that Amelia's got a great future ahead of her!

 Take around 100 hopefuls, give them the chance to train with the Alex’s creative team and then let them experience the full on ‘smell of the greasepaint and roar of the crowd’ that you only really get in a professional theatre. That’s what the New Alexandra Theatre’s Stage Experience offers and I’ll admit it, I was expecting enthusiasm and smiles but not the kind of polish you usually get at The Alex. Well, colour me three shades of wrong, every blister, pulled muscle and strained vocal cord that this cast may have suffered over the past two weeks that they spent honing their moves and learning their lines was well and truly worth it.

Of course 42^nd Street’s pretty much the perfect choice as it’s all about new talent getting its big break and there’s certainly plenty of that on offer in this full scale production. Caprice Lane was perfect as the fledgling star in the making Peggy Sawyer, a role that’s certain to be reflected in her real life career, and Matt Pidgeon out-tapped...well...pretty much anyone I’ve ever seen...playing opposite her as Billy Lawlor.

Playing roles designed for much older actors and actresses is always a huge challenge but Mollie-Anne Riley nailed the fading star Dorothy Brock and Mark Shaun Walsh impressed as the producer on the edge, Julian Marsh. The full cast numbers were a particular delight as well. It’s all too rare these days to see dozens of dancing feet on a stage and, despite the youngest being just 9 years old, the synchronisation was remarkably good, presumably due to some pretty intensive training and endless rehearsals (I’m guessing that the choreographer and director Pollyann Tanner will need a good lie down after these past few weeks). There’s no skimping on the production values anywhere in fact. I’m sure I heard someone say that this show uses a washing machine bustin’ 450 different outfits, the set’s been used in the West End and even The Alex's regular orchestra were used to provide the music. To quote Julian Marsh in the show itself, “Congratulations kids, that was damn good!”

 

42^nd Street is on at The New Alex Theatre until Saturday August 15^th. Tickets right here. See the stars of tomorrow (seriously, I bet my bottom dollar some of these will make it to full on West End starring roles), today!       

 

Faggots and Paes!

 

Bearwood Food Festival’s back and this time it’s going to be bigger and bolder with particular emphasis on traditional Black Country fare! 

There will also be stalls celebrating Bearwood’s diverse community and championing great quality, affordable food with a range of stalls offering cuisine from Asia, the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe.

 

Jo Capper, founder member of Bearwood Pantry, hosts of the event, explained to welovebearwood: “This festival is going to be even bigger and better than the last. The first one was us testing the water and people came in droves with many stalls selling out by lunchtime. This time, we’re expecting the big crowds and we’ll have a wider range of food and produce, food based talks and more community involvement.

 

We’re especially looking for producers of traditional Black Country fare, like faggots, gray paes, leaf scratchings and grorty pudding. We’d love to hear from you if you’re still making these traditional foods. We’re proud of the Black Country’s heritage and we’d love to support local producers at this event.”

 

Bearwood’s answer to foodie heaven is on Saturday 19^th September (11am – 4pm) at Bearwood Baptist Church Hall on Rawlings Road.  

 You can obtain further details by contacting Jennie Sandford from the Bearwood Pantry. E:bearwoodpantry@gmail.com or M:07748 988 429

Thimblemill Library August 2015 Calendar

‘Pearls of Wisdom’ from Birmingham and Black Country's all female choir on Friday 14th, the showing of ‘Testament of Youth’ on Saturday 15th, the Health Walk during the morning of Wednesday 19th and Bright Hope Clairvoyance every Saturday from 10am  - 3pm, you could safely say that Thimblemill Library want to enlighten us this month with their calendar of events. We have to admit it’s won us over!

 

 

Thimblemill Library are calling all FIFA games players for their championship event taking place on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  Prizes for the winner and runner up too.  Give it a go and show Ronaldo how it's done!