This is our monthly listing for March. We update this page on a regular basis, and remove events once they’ve taken place. Listings are free – fill in the Add an Event form to let us know about any events you are involved with.
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Horse Clinic : Sidesaddle
Audley End House and Gardens
Thursday 1st March 2012, 10:00am – 1:00pm. £70 (light refreshments included)
“Join our Stables Manager, Rebecca Holland, at Audley End this winter for one of our dedicated horse clinics dealing with a variety of subjects. The day will start with a fascinating talk about the history of sidesaddle followed by a demonstration of sidesaddle riding. Then it will be your chance to ride a horse sidesaddle yourself if you wish, as well as try on some sidesaddle clothing. Make sure you bring a camera! ”
more details
Essex Book Festival Launch
Chelmsford Library
Thursday 1st March 2012, 9:00am – 12:00pm
BBC Essex’s Dave Monk Show will broadcast live from Chelmsford Library as the Essex Book Festival launches on World Book Day. Activities, prizes, quizzes and discussions, and talks from authors Tristran Gooley and Jon McGregor.
more details
Essex Book Festival : Lakeside Writers Showcase
Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex
Friday 2nd March 2012, 7:30pm. £7.00
“An exciting showcase of work-in-progress from members of Lakeside Writers, a group of dramatists, performance poets and storytellers, led by the theatre’s literary consultant Andrew Burton.”
more details. Box Office : 01206 573948
Free Day Friday
RHS Garden Hyde Hall
Friday 2nd March 2012
“Enjoy the early spring delights that the garden has to offer for free! ”
more details
Essex Book Festival : Marina Lewycla – Various Pets Alive and Dead
Chelmsford Library
Friday 2nd March 2012, 7:30pm. £7.00
“One of Britain’s funniest bestselling novelists, talks about her eagerly awaited new comic novel, a riff on modern values featuring several pets and told through a combination of irony, farce and wit.”
more details. Box Office : 01206 573948
Blake: Love Lifts Us Up
Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Harlow, CM20 1LS
Friday 2nd March 2012, 7:30pm. £20
“Vocal harmony quartet BLAKE present their stunning new UK tour ‘Love Lifts Us Up’ for 2012. Join these four incredible young male singers, famous worldwide for their unique renditions of pop, classical and West-End anthems, for a wonderful evening of musical entertainment. With a rich harmony sound that brings spectacular colour to much-loved songs their live shows delight and entertain audiences.”
more details
Toy Collectors Fair
Brentwood Centre
Saturday 3rd March 2012
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Essex Book Festival : Ali Sparkes – Unleashed
Saturday 3rd March 2012,
Braintree Arts Theatre, 10:30am, free
Just Imagine Centre, 64-68 New London Road, Chlemsford, 2:30pm, £3.00 accompanying adults
“Winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award 2010. In Braintree Ali Sparkes will talk you through her path to authordom. With props and pictures she’ll introduce you to a lovelorn bat and show you fear as you’ve never seen it befgore! Join her later in Chelmsford for a hands-on workshop ideal for young writers who are keen to write their own stories.”
more details
Tea and Talk: the Early Human Occupation of Britain and Europe
Colchester Castle Museum
Saturday 3rd March 2012, 3:00pm
“The last decade has seen tremendous advances in our understanding of early humans in Europe and in Britain and this talk will review the major developments. These include significant discoveries of new and very ancient sites in Norfolk and Suffolk, and increased chronological resolution of the successive phases of Neanderthal and modern human occupation. Talk by Chris Stringer, Natural History Museum London.”
more details
Essex Book Festival : Kate Milner – Storyteller
Harlow Library
Saturday 3rd March 2012, 2.30pm and every half hour thereafter. Free.
“Come hear! Come and hear a story! It may be a traditional story or a story from around the world. It may be a mystical story or a silly story..”
Essex Book Fesitval : Trees Shall Be Our Books
University of Essex
Saturday 3rd March 2012, Free Event but please register 01206 874471.
“A day of talks, walks, reading, workshops and children’s activities bringing together writers, artists and scientists. Includes poet Hilary Llewellyn-Williams, naturalist Richard Mabey, novelist Michele Roberts and artist Miles Thistlethwhaite, with James Canton, Adrian May, Philip Terry, Marina Warner and others.”
more details
Copped Hall Open Gardens
Sunday 4th March 2012
The gates are open between 2.00pm and 4.00pm only. Gardens will close at 5.00pm.
This is an opportunity to visit the gardens in the afternoons, when people can wander around and talk to our gardeners. It was felt that these times may be more convenient and have indeed proved extremely popular. There is no tour but a map with brief descriptions of the gardens is given out on arrival. The mansion is not open on these days. The Racquets Court is open until 4.00pm for tea and coffee, home-made biscuits and cakes, and the shop is open at the same time.
more details
Steps in Time
Layer Marney Tower
Sunday 4th March 2012, 10:00am – 4:00pm
“A workshop of 15th/17th century dances hosted by Colchester Historical Dance. 10.00 a.m. – 4.00 p.m. Booking essential on 01206 574913.”
more details
Essex Book Festival : ‘Getting to where you want to be’ workshop
University of Essex, Elmer Suite, Elmer Approach, Southend on Sea, SS1 1LW
Sunday 4th March, 2012m 10:30am. £40:00
“In association with The Writer’s Compass (National Association of Writers in Education), facilitated by Andrew Burton. This inspirational workshop, open to all, helps you clarify where your writing career is now, where you would like it be, and how to set about achieving those goals.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Ben Cort – Monstersaurus (ages 3-7)
Sunday 4th March 2012
11:00 am Treehouse Children’s Centre, Parnall Road, Harlow, CM18 7NG. £3 per child.
3:00 pm Zinc Arts Centre, Great Stony, High Street, Chipping Ongar, CM5 0AD. £3 per child.
“Join Ben Cort, illustrator of the bestselling Aliens Love Underpants series as he introduces the star of his new picture book Monstersaurus. Crazy antics, live drawing and storytelling – plus some very special surprise guests! Come dressed as a monster if you like!”
more details – Box Office : 01245 267748
Essex Book Festival : Elizabeth Lord – All That We Are
Fryerns Library, Whitmore Way, Basildon, SS14 2NN.
Monday 5th March 2012, 2:00pm. £4:00
“A captivating saga set in London’s East End after the end of the First World War and the Spanish Flue epidemic of 1919 bringing further tragedy to the Taylor family’s younger generation.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : The Danny Crates Story
Gable Hall School, Southend Road, Corringham, SS17 8JT.
Monday 5th March 2012, 7:00pm. £4:00
“The story of how a young Essex boy came back from losing an arm to become a Paralympic gold medallist, an inspiring ambassador for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic bid and role model for young people.”
more details – Box Office : 01621 890153
Essex Book Festival : Prue Leith – Relish: My Life in Many Courses
South Woodham Ferrers Library, Trinity Square, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5JU.
Monday 5th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7:00,
“Cook, restaurateur, food writer and businesswoman, Prue Leith has played a key role in revolutionising Britain’s eating habits since the 1960s. Her writing now includes fiction and the latest of her five novels is A Serving of Scandal.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Nigel Simeone – West Side Story: the making of the Broadway Legend.
Brentwood Library, New Road, Brentwood, CM14 5BP.
Tuesday 6th March 2012, £4:00.
“Writer and musician Nigel Simeone explores the origins of West Side Story, how its creators worked together, the changes and cuts made in rehearsals, and the early press reaction.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Marina Warner – Stranger Magic: Charmed States and the Arabian Nights.
firsite, Colchester.
Tuesday 6th March 2012, 7:30pm. £4:00
“The Arabian Nights have inspired writers and artists in every medium. Why do these stories exercise such fascination? Marina Warner from the Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Essex, will talk about her new book, Stranger Magic, about flying carpets, hidden treasure and other wonders.@
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Girls’ Night Out/
Maldon Library
Tuesday 6th March 2012, 8:00pm. £7:00
“Join chick lit authors Julie Cohen, Jill Mansell and Sasha Wagstaff for a girls’ night out. They’ll share their best writing tips, the secrets of the life of the author and where they get their romantic inspiration from!”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Making Space for Veg
RHS Garden Hyde Hall
Wednesday 7th March 2012. 11:00am-12:30pm. £15
“Think you haven’t got space for veg? Then think again. We’ll show you inventive and unusual ways to add fruit and veg to your beds, borders and containers. ”
more details
Essex Book Festival : Anthony McLaren – Brilliance
West Mersea Library
Wednesday 7th March 2012, £4:00
“Witty, magical and furious. Anthony McLaren’s ambitious new novel brings to life the birth of the modern era and provides an indelible portrait of the times in which we now live. Anthony’s debut novel, Spinners, won international acclaim, and was followed by The English Harem and the award-winning Death of a Superhero.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Kathy Lette – The Boy Who Fell To Earth.
Loughton Library, Traps Hill, Loughton, IG10 1HD
Wednesday 7th March 2012, 7.00pm £7/£5.
“Told with razor-sharp wit, this is a funny, quirky and tender story of a mother’s love for her son – and of a love affair that has no chance of running smoothly.
After several years as a newspaper columnist and television sitcom writer in America and Australia, Kathy wrote 11 international bestsellers including Mad Cows, and
To Love, Honour and Betray. She appears on national television and writes regularly for newspapers and magazines.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948

Essex Book Festival : Martin Edwards – Dorothy L. Sayers and True Crime.
Witham Library
Wednesday 7th March 2012, 7:45pm. £4/£3.
“Martin Edwards, author of crime novels and archivist of the Detection Club, will talk about Dorothy L. Sayers’ fascination with real life crime and how
she wove elements from classic murder cases into her fiction.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Simon Brett.
Wickford Library
Wednesday 7th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5
“Simon Brett is the author of over 80 books, among them the Chalres Paris, Mrs Pargeter, Fethering and Blotto & Twinks series.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Horse Clinic : Lunge like a professional
Audley End House and Gardens
Thursday 8th March 2012
“Join our Stables Manager, Rebecca Holland, at Audley End this winter for one of our dedicated horse clinics dealing with a variety of subjects. Participants will be able to work with one of our horses or bring their own for the day.”
more details
Lambing Nightwatch
Marsh Farm Country Park
Thursday 8th March 2012, 8:00pm – 10:00pm. Adults £25, Children (8-15) £15 (Not recommended for children under 8).
“Be lucky enough to join our shepherd for this rare opportunity to help out in the lambing shed at night. Get close to the sheep and lambs, help bottle feed orphan lambs and learn how to look for the signs of a ewe lambing. Refreshments will be provided. Tickets will be available on a first come first served basis.”
more details
Essex Book Festival : Alexander McCall Smith – The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection
Lion Walk United Reform Church, Colchester
Thursday 8th March 2012, £10/£8
“The new instalment in the perpetually delightful and bestselling series of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Precious Ramotswe is back and, as usual, her plate is full as she’s called to tackle a mysterious problem at her adopted daughter’s school. Bush tea anyone?”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Dame Daphne Sheldrick – An African Love Story: Love, Life and Elephants.
Zinc Arts Centre, Great Stony, High St., Chipping Ongar, CM5 0AD.
Thursday 8th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5.
“For over 25 years, Daphne and her husband have raised and rehabilitated orphans from many different wild species as seen recently on the BBC/Animal Planet series, Elephant Diaries.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Clive Forth – The Pocket Mountain Bike Trail Guide
Hadleigh Old Fire Station, High Street, Hadleigh, SS7 2PA.
Thursday 8th March 2012, 7:30pm. £4/£3.
“Mountain biking is huge in Essex in 2012 and this skills manual covers everything a rider needs to know, including how to get the best out of your bike and succeed in competition.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Virginia Nicholson – Millions Like Us.
The Parish Hall, 19 Maldon Road, Great Baddow, Chelmsford CM2 7DW.
Thursday 8th March 2012, 2:00pm, £7/£5
“Tells the story of women’s experience of war, through a host of individual experiences of the Second World War, how they re-made their world in peacetime and how they would never be the same again. Event Partners : Great Baddow Parish Council.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Syd Moore – The Drowning Pool
Canvey Library
Thursday 8th March 2012, 7:30pm. £4/£3
“A classic ghost story with a modern twist by a talented new Essex writer, inspired by the legend of a nineteenth century Essex woman.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Invitation to View : Warner Textile Archive
Braintree
Friday 9th March 2012
“Second largest collection of flat textiles after V&A showing history of Warner & Sons from c18 to c20. nearly 100,000 samples, designs, documents. Archive store (in original c19 mill) is open to Invitation to View visitors who will have a special tour and talk on the firm and its fabrics.” Tour 1.5-2hrs, £13.50 incl gallery talk, visit to Archive store, tea and coffee with biscuits and home made cakes.” Booking line 01206 573948.
more details
Myriad Productions present ‘Anna Karenina’
Ingatestone Hall
Friday 9th March 2012, 7:30pm
“Myriad Productions (“Superb” – Sylvia Kent, The Weekly News) return to Ingatestone Hall with their enthralling dramatisation of the gloriously romantic ANNA KARENINA By LEO TOLSTOY Adapted for the stage by Connie Stephens. The play will be presented indoors and so capacity is strictly limited – advance booking is strongly recommended”
more details
Essex Book Festival : Guy Saville – The Afrika Reich
Colchester Library, Trinity Square, Colchester CO1 1JB.
Friday 9th March 2012, £4/£3.
“Meet this Colchester based best-selling author whose critically acclaimed, bought-as-nails thriller is set in a terrifying whorl that could so nearly have existed today. Guy Saville has combined meticulous research with edge-of-the-seat suspense to produce a superb novel of alternate history.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Farmers Market
Barleylands
Saturday 10th March 2012, 08:30am – 12:30pm
“Enjoy a morning out wandering round and picking up delicious food for the weekend from our undercover Farmers’ Market. This is a great opportunity for you to buy all of your fresh, local produce from farmers and growers. Every second and last Saturday of the month, throughout the year from 8.30am to 12.30pm. Free entry and Free Car Park. Arrive early to avoid disappointment!”
more details
Tea and Talk : the History of Bourne Mill
Colchester Castle Museum
Saturday 10th March 2012, 3:00pm. £3.50
“Beginning in Elizabethan Colchester in 1591, this talk will explore the social, political and economic lives of the Lucas family of St John’s Colchester through the walls of their very own Banqueting Hall. Talk by Lynette Bloom, Bourne Mill.”
more details
Read our article on Bourne Mill!
Essex Book Festival : Luke Wright and Ross Sutherland – Lakeside Poetry Evening
Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ.
Saturday 10th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5/£3(UoE students)
“Join two of our biggest literacy talents for an evening of poetry at the Lakeside Theatre. Describes as ‘the best young performance poet around’ by The Observer, Luke Wright writes bawdy ballads and rabble-rousing poetics about politics, the media and everyday folk like you and me. Ross Sutherland was included in The TImes‘ list of Top Ten Literary Stars. He has written three poetry collections and a one-man show, titled The Three Stigmata of Pacman.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
we are handmade contemporary spring craft and design fair
Queens Hall, Chipping Hill, Halstead, CO9 2BY
Saturday 10th March 2012, 10:00am – 4:00pm. Free entry.
“This Spring Fair will be the perfect place to buy a special and unique gift for Mother’s Day; to pick up contemporary and vintage style Easter gifts and decorations or to find high quality soft furnishings and home wares for the house. There will be 25 makers offering a wide array of the latest fresh and innovative handmade items to suit all pockets. Also morning and afternoon felted flower design workshops at £19.50.”
more details
Essex Book Festival : Sophie Hannah – Kind of Cruel
Budworth Hall, High Street, Ongar, CM5 9JG.
Saturday 10th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5.
“A new psychological thriller from this bestselling crime fiction writer. ‘For those who demand emotional intelligence and literary verve from their thrillers, Sophie Hannah is the writer of choice’ The Guardian. Event partners : Ongar Booktalk Group.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Mothers Day Present Making
Barleylands Farm Park and Craft Village
Saturday 10th March 2012 – Sunday 11th March 2012
“Calling all Dads! Let mum have the day off and bring the children along on the weekend before Mothers’ Day to make handmade gifts that are sure to impress mum on her special day.”
more details
Science Sunday
Museum of Power, Langford
Sunday 11th March 2012. Adult £5.00; Concessions; Senior citizens and students (the latter on production of a current student ID card) £4.00; Children under sixteen: Free.
“Displays on the theme of power including a record breaking fuel economy car 4000 mpg. Miniature steam train will be running (extra charge applies). ‘Marshall’ the Lilleshall steam driven pumping engine will not be in steam.”
more details
Spring Bulbs and Lambing
Kentwell Hall
Sunday 11th March 2012
“Kentwell’s Gardens & Farm (but not the House) are Open for Spring Bulbs (Snowdrops & Aconites followed by Daffodils & Narcissi). Lambing should commence in mid-March and you will be able to visit expectant ewes and nursing ewes and lambs and maybe even see a lamb being born!”
more details
Essex Book Festival : The Danny Crates Story
Maldon Court School, Silver Street, Maldon CM9 4QE.
Monday 12th March 2012, 7:00pm. £4:00/£3.00
“The story of how a young Essex boy came back from losing an arm to become a Paralympic gold medallist, an inspiring ambassador for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic bid and role model for young people.”
more details – Box Office : 01621 890153
Invitation to View : Braxted Park
Braxted Park, Witham
Monday 12th March 2012
“Mid-18th century red brick house with earlier features build by Sir Robert Taylor for the cloth merchant Peter DuCane, who lived there 1751-1803. Brick wall of four and a half miles surrounds 500 acres of parkland, lakes, parish church and hermitage, currently undergoing restoration. Tour 2hrs, £15incl tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits.” Booking line 01206 573948.
more details
Essex Book Festival : Inspirational Kaffe Fasett.
Warner Textile Archive, Braintree
Tuesday 13th March 2012, 10:00am – 2:30pm. £35 includes materials and book.
“Come and explore the Kaffe Fassett style of knitting and create your own scarf. Includes teaching with a professional knitter, a free copy of Kaffe Fassett Knits Again and a look behind the scenes at the inspiring Warner Textile Archive.”
more details – Box Office : 01376 557741
Essex Book Festival : Bali Rai – Killing Honour
Stewards Academy, Parnall Road, Harlow CM18 7NQ.
Tuesday 13th March 2012, 3:30pm. Free event but must be booked in advance.
“Following his workshops at the Stewards Academcy, come along for the opportunity to meet the author of a powerful hard-hitting teen thriller on the controversial topic of honour killing, multi-award winning author Bali Rai.”
more details – Box Office : 01279 421951
Essex Book Festival : Peter Jones – How to do Everything and Be Happy
Debden Library, Borders Lane, Loughton, IG10 3SA.
Tuesday 13th March 2012, 7:00pm. £4/£3
“A book for ordinary people with ordinary lives, who have been ambling along and wondering why they’re not – well – just that little happier. It’s a book for most people. It’s a book for you. Essex-based Peter Jones is the author of this direct, practical and occasionally witty guide to creating happiness in your life.”
more details – Box Office : 01621 890153
Essex Book Festival : Charley Boorman – Extreme Frontiers: Racing Across Canada from Newfoundland to the Rockies
Helena Romanes School and Sixth Form Centre, Parsonage Downs, Great Dunmow, CM6 2AU.
Tuesday 13th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5
“An exciting new adventure and travel book from ‘the Michael Palin of motorbikes’. Charley Boorman at his best: daring, curious and good-humoured, addressing all armchair travellers, bike enthusiasts and anyone in search of adventure. As seen on the Channel 5 series.”
more details – Box Office : 01621 890153
Essex Book Festival : Graham Cook, Gordon Parkhill – Hadleigh Salvation Army Farm: a Vision Reborn
Hadleigh Library, 180 London Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet, SS7 2PD.
Wednesday 14th March 2012, 2:00pm. £4/£3.
“Graham Cook and Gordon Parkhill tell the story of Hadleigh Salvation Army Farm from the original purchase of the land by William Booth in 1891 to 2012 when it will be in the national spotlight as it hosts the mountain bike event as part of the London 2012 Olympics.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Roopa Farooki- The Flying Man
Epping Library, St. John’s Road, Epping CM16 5DN.
Wednesday 14th March 2012, 2:30pm. £4/£3
“From an Orange longlisted author and one of Britain’s rusing literary stars comes a beautifully crafted, affecting story inspired by her father. Meet Maqil – chances, charmer and charlatan.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Simon Barnes – Birdwatching with Your Eyes Closed
Chelmsford Library, Market Road Chelmsford, CM1 1LH.
Wednesday 14th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5
“Learning birdsong is not just a way to become a better bird-spotter. It is tuning in: a way of hearing the soundtrack of the planet Earth.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Photography Workshop
Beth Chatto gardens
Thursday 15th March 2012, 11:00am – 3:00pm
Practical photography in the Spring Garden with Sally Parkinson £49 incl coffee and lunch
Essex Book Festival : Sarah Rayner – The Two Week Wait
Rayleigh Library, 132 High Street, Rayleigh, SS6 7BX.
Thursday 15th March 2012, 7:00pm. £4/£3
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Mark Chisnell – Sailing Gold
Burnham Library, Station Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, CM0 8HQ.
Friday 16th March 2012, 8:00pm. £4/£3
“Featuring awe-inspiring images from the world’s best sailing photographers alongside fascinating commentary from Mark Chisnell, this stunning book is a celebration of a wonderful sport through the years. It is the perfect companion to the sailing events at the 2012 Olympics.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Adrian May and Phillip Terry – Poetry at Red Lion Books
Red Lion Books, 125 High Street, Colchester CO1 1SZ.
Friday 16th March 2012, Free Entry but register to secure a place.
“Join Adrian May and Philip Terry of the Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Essex for a reading and discussion of recent works, including Ballads of Bohemian Essex and a reworking of Dante’s Inferno, set in Essex.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 874471
Diesel Railcar Day (Dependant on Weather)
Colne Valley Railway
Saturday 17th March 2012
“If the weather is fine then a Diesel Railcar will operate and prices for a Diesel Railcar day will apply. Please call (01787 461174) before you travel if you are uncertain if we will be open.”
more details
Tea and Talk : Starting from Scratch
Colchester Castle Museum
Saturday 17th March 2012, 3:00pm, £3.50
“Artist Brian Graham talks about his exhibition of paintings entitled ‘Starting from Scratch’ (on display in Colchester Castle). The exhibition focuses on 33 sites of some of the earliest human activity in the country, many of which are based in East Anglia, and what was behind his motivation to produce the art. His talk will focus particularly on the sites relating to the local area.”
more details
Essex Book Festival : My Dad tells me Stories…
Shrub End Community and Sports Centre, Boadicea Way, Colchester, CO2 9BG.
Saturday 17th March 2012, 10:00am – 12:00pm. Free.
“A practical workshop for dads and kids under 7 years. Mike Dodsworth will develop skills and boost confidence to make storytelling an enjoyable time for you and your children. Part of the Colchester United Football Club Dads and Kids event.”
more details – Box Office : 07703 442825
Essex Book Festival : Stick, Staple and Stitch Artists’ Book Fair
Colchester Arts Centre, Church Street, Colchester CO1 1NF.
Saturday 17th March 2012, 10:00am – 4:00pm, Free Event.
“Essex Book Festival’s first ever artists’ book fair presents a selection of the country’s finest book artists displaying and selling their work. With exciting contributions from artist in residence Mary Pullen.”
more details – Box Office : 07941 040034
Essex Book Festival : Kristina Stephenson – Sir Charlie Stinky Socks and the Really Dreadful Spell. 4+ years
Saturday 17th March, 2012.
10:30am Chelmsford Library, Market Road, Chelmsford CM1 1LH. £3 per child.
2:30pm Lake View Hall, Winter Gardens Schools, Hilton Road, Canvey Island, SS8 9QA. £3 per child.
“Kristina Stephenson brings her hero Sir Charly Stinky Socks to Essex for a really big adventure. Join her for a fun-packed event with interactive musical storytelling and hilarious songs.”
more details – Box Office : 01245 267748
Essex Book Festival : Frances Wilson – How to Survive the Titanic Or the Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay.
Jaywick Martello Tower, The Promenade, Belsize Avenue, Jaywick, CO15 2LF.
Saturday 17th March 2012, 7:00pm. £4/£3
“One of the most legendary stories of all time, re-told in a dramatic new light in the year that marks the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, by acclaimed biographer Frances Wilson.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Mother’s Dat at Old MacDonald’s Farm
Old MacDonald’s Farm, Weald Road, Brentwood, CM14 5AY
Saturday 17th March 2012 – Sunday 18th March 2012.
Mums get in free and get a free cuppa (fill in voucher on their website)
more details
Spring Bulbs and Lambing
Kentwell Hall
Saturday 17th March 2012 – Sunday 18th March 2012
“Kentwell’s Gardens & Farm (but not the House) are Open for Spring Bulbs (Snowdrops & Aconites followed by Daffodils & Narcissi). Lambing should commence in mid-March and you will be able to visit expectant ewes and nursing ewes and lambs and maybe even see a lamb being born!”
more details
Steam Operating Days
Colne Valley Railway
Sunday 18th March 2012
“One or more Steam locomotives operating. This may also include Heritage Diesel Trains. Entrance Price: Adults £8, Seniors £7, Child £5 or Family £26 (2 Adults & up to 3 Children). Opening Times – Sundays & Bank Holidays 10:30 – 17:00 (last train 16:00); Midweek 10:30 – 16:30 (last train 15:30).”
more details
Essex Book Festival : Kevin Dutton – Flipnosis: the art of persuasion.
Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ.
Monday 19th March 2012 7:00pm. £4/£3.
“Why are some people born leaders? How do they influence, persuade and sometimes manipulate others? From the political genius of Nelson Mandela to the malign influence of sociopaths and comment, Kevin Dutton, Visiting Professor at the University of Essex, explores what psychology can teach us about the techniques of persuasion.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Copped Hall Guided Tours
Copped Hall
Sunday 18th March 2012
The tours last about 2 hours 30 min – 3 hours and cover the whole of the gardens, part of the mansion, the cellars and the stables.
Tours start from 10.00am and entry gates close at 11.00am. Cost £7.00. (The reason the gates are only open for one hour is that we have to get the tours started within this hour as the tours can last up to 3 hours including the refreshments – there is more to see than people realise !)
more details
Mothers’ Day
Barleylands Farm Park and Craft Village
Sunday 18th March 2012
“Because we know how special all you Mummys are out there, we are offering FREE entry to Mums with one paying child on Mothers’ Day! 1 Mummy FREE with every paying child.”
more details
Essex Book Festival : Alison Weir – A Dangerous Inheritance
Essex Record Office, Wharf Foad, Chelmsford CM2 6YT.
Monday 19th March 2012, 7:00pm. £7/£5
“This anticipated sequel to Innocent Traitor is set in Elizabethan London where Katherine Gray must discover the truth about her father’s role in the murder of the Princes in the Tower, before enduring her own tragic fate.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Carole Matthews – Summer Daydream.
Braintree Library, Fairfield Road, Braintree CM7 3YL.
Tuesday 20th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5
“What if you had always dreamed of something more…? A brand new novel from this Sunday Times bestselling author. Her books have been translated into 20 languages and sold to Hollywood.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Jules Pretty – This Luminous Coast
University of Essex, The Gateway Building, Elmer Approach, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1LW
Tuesday 20th March 2012, 7:30. £4/£3.
“Over a year, Jules Pretty explored the East Anglian coastline, completing 400 miles on foot and a further 100 miles in boats. This Luminous Coast explores the relationship between people and nature and how the ever-changing world casts a shadow over memory, time and place. Winner of the ‘Nature and Places’ prize at the East Anglian Book Awards 2011.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Invitation to View : Hoses Hall
Halstead
Wednesday 21st March 2012
“Originally a Saxon manor given to Sir Roger Huse (also spelled Husee, Hose or Hosey) in 1312 by John de Buick, hence the name Hoses Hall. It has previously been owned by Lord Alan Sainsbury, Lord Plummer and Lord Beaverbrook. A large part of the existing building dates from the 16th century. The tythe barn dates from the same period as Cressing Temple. Well-stocked four-acre garden plus four acres of meadows with bulbs. Tour inc coffee on arrival, garden tour and 2-course lunch in tithe barn two and a half hours, £26; tour inc garden, house (ground floor) and tea two and a half hours, £15.”
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Essex Book Festival : James Merriott – Watercolours: the Pain and the Passion
Hockley Library, Southend Road, Hockley SS5 4PX.
Wednesday 21st March 2012, 2:00pm. £4/£3.
“This incredible autobiography takes us on a visual journey through the Essex Life artist James Merriot’s fascinating life story and will give many people an insight into the way pain can be overcome by the beauty around us.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Lindsey Barraclough – Long Lankin
Harwich Electric Palace, King’s Quay Street, Harwich CO12 3ER.
Wednesday 21st March 2012, 7:30pm. £5
“A spine-tingling tale of two sisters who are sent to an isolated village where danger lurks. Lindsey talks to Nikki Gamble about the inspirations behind this spooky tale.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : David Roberts – Rock Atlas
The Hermit Club, Shenfield Road, Brentwood CM15 8AG
Wednesday 21st March 2012, 7:30pm. £4/£3
“The UK and Ireland’s first guide book to music locations. Essex author David Roberts has research hundreds of great rock music landmarks and collected the stories behind him.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Mark Billingham and Martyn Waites
Clacton Library, Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1SF.
Wednesday 21st March 2012, 7:30pm. £4/£3
“Two crime fiction heavyweights discuss their most recent books: Good as Dead is Mark Billingham’s fastest and most surprising Thorne thriller and Martyn Waites Cage of Bones, written under the pen name Tania Carver, is set in Colchester where demolishers make a horrifying discovery.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Seema Barker – The Tangle Fairy (18 months – 4yrs)
Gray’s Library, Orsett Road, Grays, RM17 5DX.
Thursday 22nd March 2012, 1:30-2:30pm. Collect a ticket from the library or phone 01375 413976 to reserve a place.
“A delightful story for everyone who understands the problems of knotty hair. It’s all the fault of a mischievous fairy, enslaved by dragons and witches.”
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Essex Book Festival : Barbara Erskine – Time’s Legacy
Ingatestone Library, High Street, Ingatestone CM4 9EU.
Thursday 22nd March 2012, 7:30pm.
“Barbara Erskine is an historian and the author of many bestselling novels, including Lady of Hay which has sole over two million copies worldwide to date. Join her as she discusses her latest novel.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Andrew Motion – Silver: Return to Treasure Island.
Layer Marney Tower, Layer Marney, nr. Colchester, CO5 9US.
Thursday 22nd March 2012, 7:30pm.
“The Poet Laureate from 1999-2009, introduces his eagerly awaited sequel to Treasure Island – Silver – featuring a cast of noble seamen, murderous pirates and tales of love, valour and terrible cruelty. Includes readings of his latest poems and autobiography.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Chat Masale with Hardeep Singh Kohli
Thameside Theatre, Orsett Road, Grays, RM17 5DX.
Thursday 22nd March 2012, 7:45pm. £15/£13
“Writer, presenter and foodie, Hardeep Singh Kohli combines his love of cooking and chatting in his own utterly charming way – interviewing guests whilst cooking up a curry that the audience might get the chance to sample.”
more details – Box Office : 0845 300 5264
Essex Book Festival : Patch! At Make, Do and Mend.
Make, Do and Mend, 94 Byron Road, Chelmsford CM2 6HJ.
Friday 23rd March 2012, 11:00am – 1:00pm. £35. Only 15 places!
“Come and learn the technique of patchwork, Working with Cath Kidston’s new and innovative book Patch about traditional patchwork. Includes all materials and a copy of Patch.”
more details – Box Office : 01245 267794.
Essex Book Festival : Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall – the Pocket Book of Good Grannies.
The Arc, St. John’s Walk, Market Street, Old Harlow, CM17 0AJ.
Friday 23rd March 2012, £7/£5.
“What kind of granny are you? Traditional gran? Rock’n'Roll Gran? Perhapys you’re more Sporty Gran? A celebration of grandmotherhood in all its guises, there’s a Granny in here for everyone.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Kate Williams – The Pleasures of Men.
Corbett Theatre, East 15 Acting School, Hatfields, Rectory Lane, Loughton IG10 3RY.
Friday 23rd March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5
“Historian Kate Williams has received widespread critical acclaim for her work. Here she presents her first novel, set in the dark, beating heart of the corrupt London during Queen Victoria’s reign. Kate presented the 2011 BBC Royal Wedding coverage.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Tea and Talk : Colchester 2000 Years of History
Colchester Castle Museum
Saturday 24th March 2012, 3:00pm, £3.50
“Local historian Patrick Denney takes you on a whistle-stop tour of Colchester’s history from Roman times to the 20th century, stopping at all the highlights. You will get a chance to see how Colchester evolved over this period.”
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Essex Book Festival : From Page to Performance
Slack Space, Victoria Place, Eld Lane, Colchester CO1 1LR.
Saturday 24th March 2012, 10:30am-3:45pm. £40.
“A practical day’s workshop for writers. Join storyteller Mike Dodsworth in bringing a performance dimension to writing. Explore storytelling skills to find effective ways of expressing text to live audiences.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Storyteller Kate Milner.
Marsh Farm Country Park, Marsh Farm Road, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5WP.
Saturday 24th March 2012, 12:00pm-3:00pm. Standard entry prices apply.
“Come hear! Come and hear a story! March is lambing month and you might hear some suitably woolly stories at Marsh Farm!”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Family Weekend at firstsite
firstsite, Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester Co1 1JH.
Saturday 24th March 2012, 10:00am-4:00pm / Sunday 25th March 2012, 2:00pm-5:00pm. Fee.
“firstsite welcomes Essex Book Festival for a weekend of events aimed at families, children and young people. Try some drop-in activities related to art, illustration, books or comics. All activities are free.”
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Diesel Gala
Colne Valley Railway
Sunday 25th March 2012
“All available diesel locomotives and railcars will be in operation. Entrance Price: Adults £10, Seniors £9, Child £6 or Family £32 (2 Adults & up to 3 Children) Opening Times 10.30 – 17.00 (last train 16.00).”
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Spring Bulbs and Lambing
Kentwell Hall
Sunday 25th March 2012
“Kentwell’s Gardens & Farm (but not the House) are Open for Spring Bulbs (Snowdrops & Aconites followed by Daffodils & Narcissi). Lambing should commence in mid-March and you will be able to visit expectant ewes and nursing ewes and lambs and maybe even see a lamb being born!”
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Textile Fair
Braintree District Museum
Sunday 25th March 2012, £5.00
“Following the great success of the first Textile Fair held at the Archive, the event will be returning for a second year in March 2012. The Fair is a colourful celebration of vintage textiles, beads, patchwork, quilting and more, including guest lectures and demonstrations.”
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Essex Book Festival : Alison Baverstock – Five Things Not To Do in a Museum or Gallery. (8yrs+)
10:30am : Just Imagine, 64-68 New London road, Chelmsford CM2 0PD.
2:00pm : firstsite, Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester, CO1 1JH.
Sunday 25th March 2012. £3 per child. Accompanying adults free.
“An innovative look at how children and families can enjoy museums and galleries and leave wanting more.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Curiosa present Crime Scene
Hooga Bar, 16 Victoria Road, Chelmsford CM1 1NZ.
Sunday 25th March 2012, Free Event.
“Dashing detectives and charismatic criminals: an investigation of crime and detective fiction from Sherlock Holmes to Stieg Larsson with screenings of classic crime movies at Hooga’s Sunday Cinema Club in the evening.”
more details – Box Office : 01245 356811
Essex Book Festival : Zoe Howe – Looking Back at Me.
The Lobster Smack, Haven Road, Canvey Island, SS8 0NR.
Sunday 25th March 2012, 3:00pm. £4/£3.
“Readings from former Dr Feelgood guitarist and Canvey legend Wilko Johnson’s biography. A rock and roll scrapbook crammed with unseen photographs and fascinating musings on everything from music to Shakespeare.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Peter Holman – Annual Burrows Lecture – After Byrd: Music in Eighteenth-Century Essex.
University of Essex, Lakeside Theatre, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ.
Sunday 25th March 2012, 7:00pm. £3/£2
“Peter Holman will be discussing music in Colchester in the second half of the eighteenth century. Following the lecture there will be a short concert by soprano Claire Tomlin and the Essex Baroque Orchestra of eighteenth-century music composed on performed in the Colchester area.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Anna Stothard – the Pink Hotel
Prettygate Library, Prettygate Road, Colchester CO3 4EQ.
Monday 26th March 2012, 2:30pm. £4/£3.
“Anna Stothard’s stunning second novel is a tale about finding love in the most unlikely of places, and how sometimes you can only know who you are by discovering who you are not.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Remember When…? Out on the Town
Hollytrees Museum, Colchester
Tuesday 27th March 2012
“Using our handling objects as a starting point, reminisce about your favourite nights out. Whether it was going out with a group of friends, or one special friend, this session recalls the days when we let our hair down dancing, enjoyed a film at the cinema or simply went to the local for a pint.”
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Essex Book Festival : Eve Bonham – To The End of the Day
Walton Library, 52 High Street, Walton-on-the-Naze, CO14 8AE.
Tuesday 27th March 2012, 2:30pm. £4/£3
“Two women, two lives, lived separately but in a state of emotional dependency on each other for many years.. but now on the verge of – what?”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Lucinda Hawksley – Charles Dickens.
Halstead Library, Bridge Street, Halstead CO9 1HU.
Tuesday 27th March 2012, 7:30pm. £4/£3
“Celebrating 200 years of Charles Dickens. Lucinda Hawksley talks about the man behind the novels: Dickens as a journalist, what Dickens was like as a father, Dickens the actor and amateur detective.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Poetry Readings.
Chelmsford Library, Market Road, Chelmsford CM1 1LH.
Wednesday 28th March 2012, 1:30pm. Free event.
“Jeffrey Porter migrated to Basildon nine years ago and his dub poetry was born out of a yearnihng for his home in Jamaica. His themes of hope resonate across many cultures.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Clare Morrall – The Roundabout Man.
Harwich Library, Upper Kingsway, Dovercourt, CO12 3JT.
Wednesday 29th March 2012, 2:00pm. £4/£3
“By the Booker-shortlisted author of Astonishing Splashes of Colour, a wry, poignant novel about a man trying to escape his fame as the boy in his mother’s bestselling books. Harwich Peninsula University of The Third Age.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Rory Clements – Traitor.
Dunmow Library, 47 White Hart Way, Dunmow CM6 1FS.
Wednesday 28th March 2012, 7:30pm. £4/£3
“From the winner of the Ellis Peters Award comes a new and compelling murder mystery with fantastic historical detail bringing the Elizabethan era to life in a vivid detail through the hero John Shakespeare.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Painting workshop
Beth Chatto Gardens
Thursday 29th March 2012, 11:00am – 3:00pm
Water soluble pencils with Carole Massey £49 incl coffee and lunch
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Essex Book Festival : 3 Flying Ducks Comedy Club.
The Ship, New road, Leigh on Sea, SS9 2EA.
Thursday 29th March 2012, 8:30pm. £10 on the door. £8 advance.
“The club has an Essex Book Festival flavour this month with a comic poet as part of its regular activity.”
more details – Box Office : 07941 502577 or in person from The Book Inn, Broadway West, Leigh on Sea.
Essex Book Festival : Martn Newell – The Stars on a Tray.
Cressing Temple Tea Rooms, Witham Road, Braintree, CM77 8PD.
Thursday 29th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5
“Eccentric and witty musings and commentary take you across the less well travelled contours of the people, places and events of Essex in this collection of Martin Newell’s columns from the East Anglian Daily Times.”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Essex Book Festival : Patrick Gale – A Perfectly Good Man.
Billericay Library, High Street, Billericay, CM12 9AB.
Thursday 29th March 2012, 7:30pm. £7/£5
“Returning us to the rugged Cornish landscape of the acclaimed novel Notes from an Exhibition one of our most prolific and bestselling authors, Patrick Gale, lays bare the lives and thoughts of a whole community and asks: what does it mean to be good?”
more details – Box Office : 01206 573948
Farmers Market
Barleylands
Saturday 31st March 2012, 08:30am – 12:30pm
“Enjoy a morning out wandering round and picking up delicious food for the weekend from our undercover Farmers’ Market. This is a great opportunity for you to buy all of your fresh, local produce from farmers and growers. Every second and last Saturday of the month, throughout the year from 8.30am to 12.30pm. Free entry and Free Car Park. Arrive early to avoid disappointment!”
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Spring Fair
Beth Chatto Gardens
Saturday 31st March 2012, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Free entry to the fair.
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Spring Bulbs and Lambing
Kentwell Hall
Saturday 31st March 2012
“Kentwell’s Gardens & Farm (but not the House) are Open for Spring Bulbs (Snowdrops & Aconites followed by Daffodils & Narcissi). Lambing should commence in mid-March and you will be able to visit expectant ewes and nursing ewes and lambs and maybe even see a lamb being born!”
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Tea and Talk : a history of Colchester Castle
Colchester Castle Museum
Saturday 31st March 2012, 3:00pm, £3.50
“Join Peter Berridge, Museum Manager, for this journey through the history of Colchester Castle. The Castle has had a chequered history from its construction in the 11th century, through its times as a fortress, a home, a particularly nasty prison to its current use as a museum. Hear some interesting facts, and also get a glimpse into the future, as the next stage of the Castle’s development takes shape.”
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Easter time craft & gift fair
Budworth hall, High Road, chipping Ongar, Essex CM5 9JG
Saturday 31st March 2012
“Handmade & home handicrafts: baked goods, home furnishing, giftware, Easter gifts, Greeting Cards, Jewellery, Children’s Books, Chocolate Explosion, Handmade Sweets, Kitchenware & more. Free entrance. Free car parking outside the library. Fun day out for the family.”
Diesel Railcar Day (Dependant on Weather)
Colne Valley Railway
Saturday 31st March 2012
“If the weather is fine then a Diesel Railcar will operate and prices for a Diesel Railcar day will apply. Please call (01787 461174) before you travel if you are uncertain if we will be open.”
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