Nottinghamshire venue for the Big Fake

Nottinghamshire’s Thoresby Park is the setting for one of the biggest gatherings of “fake” bands seen in the UK, with The Big Fake Festival bringing 24 unreal acts together for three days of the nation’s favourite hits from 30 August to 1 September 2019. The conclusion to a summer of “Fake Festivals” across the country,…

A tonic for gin lovers

It’s a generally accepted fact that Russians consume the most vodka, but what nation consumes the most gin? Any ideas? Britain, the US, China? Nope… the world’s biggest gin consumer is in fact the Philippines, drinking almost half of the 60 million cases sold annually. More than 22 million cases of Ginebra San Miguel are…

Dartmouth event in aid of charity

  With more than 20 real ales and ciders from Devon breweries, plus live entertainment and good food, Dartmouth Charity Beer Festival is a fun and informative event that provides an opportunity to meet local brewers and talk about beer making, whilst also raising money for two worthy causes. Organised by Dartmouth Rotary Club, the…

Minehead makes a great Alternative

If you grew up in the 1970s and ’80s the names Angelic Upstarts, Peter and the Test Tube Babies and The Members will probably mean a lot more to you than some of the new bands making waves on radio stations around the country at the moment. It was a great era for music and…

Durrant joins Van Gerwen in PDC

The 2018-19 World Championship was the Professional Darts Corporation’s biggest-ever event, featuring 96 players competing for £2.5 million in prize money at London’s iconic Alexandra Palace. Dutchman Michael van Gerwen was at his relentless best in the tournament, seeing off Gary Anderson in the semi-finals before a 7-3 victory over Michael Smith saw him lift…

Massive summer of cricket

Cricket fans around the world are looking forward to this summer’s big event, the 12th one-day World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales from 30 May to 14 July. First contested in 1975, the tournament format has changed over time but in 2019 will comprise all 10 teams playing each other in…

Belfast first date for comic cons

From humble beginings almost two decades ago, “comic con” experts Showmasters have developed into one of the largest dream-fulfilling operations in the country, regularly bringing stars of the big and small screen to cities all over the UK to meet their adoring fans. “Back in 2002 there were just three of us working on this…

Thrill-filled show of shocky horrors

When it started back in Glastonbury in 1995, people thought it wouldn’t run for 25 weeks let alone 25 years, but a quarter of a century later the Circus of Horrors is still running amok around the globe. An amazing amalgamation of bizarre and breathtaking circus acts, the “shocky horror” show pulls together a series…

Exeter in festive spirit

Exeter and East Devon CAMRA are holding their Festival of Winter Ales from 18-19 January 2019 at St James’ Park, home of Exeter City FC. Organisers have assembled more than 76 real ales, plus cider and perry, for the 30th instalment of the festival, which also has live music from Go Tell Alice on Friday…