In 2003 a small committee was formed to organise a one off fundraising Black Tie Jazz Dinner to help raise funds for restoration work on St. Bartholomew’s Church in Orford, Suffolk. A marquee was ordered, menus fixed, 250 tickets sold and a little known singer/pianist booked to entertain. Unfortunately, shortly before the event was due…

Picture the scene…. A cold empty 12th century church in the village of Orford, Suffolk. The church has an incredible acoustic and a fine concert grand piano built by Broadwood and Sons, an English  piano manufacturer founded in 1728. Bright winter sunlight streams through the stained glass windows and a young woman starts to play…

For over 40 years the residents of Chelsworth, near Lavenham, have opened their private gardens to the public on the last Sunday in June. The village is one of the most beautiful in Suffolk and this year’s event will include 20+ open gardens,  commercial stalls offering a range of refreshments, specialist nurseries and plant collections, buskers in…

This annual festival takes place along the Roman River Valley in Essex. There are workshops for kids, live concerts in local churches and  classes in Opera from scratch. South Green Farmhouse Fingringhoe, Colchester, Essex CO5 7DP For more information visit the website

The family and I (the dog too) attended last years Suffolk Robin Hood Game and Country Show and it was absolutely fabulous! So many shows say that there’s something for everyone and half the time there really isn’t! However here the kids loved running amuck in the medieval village and watching the jousting, and my…