Unmissable events
Garden party September 9–10 Roaring Twenties Garden Party (right), Highclere Castle, Newbury, Berkshire. Lord and Lady Carnarvon will host guests at the ‘Real Downton Abbey’, judging their outfits and awarding prizes for ‘best upstairs’, ‘best downstairs’ and ‘best hat’. There will be tours of the castle, fairground games and music plus picnics and Pimm’s. Tickets £120 (01635 253210; www.highclerecastle.co.uk) Exhibition September 12–23 ‘Lottie Cole: Paintings within Paintings’, Cricket Fine Art, Park Walk, London SW10. New works imagining the interiors of art collectors, featuring the likes of Sandra Blow, Elisabeth Frink and Ben Nicholson (020–7352 2733; www.cricketfineart.co.uk) Gardens September 10 Glyndebourne Open Gardens, Lewes, East Sussex. Explore the opera grounds, stroll around the lake and picnic on the lawns. There will also be a sculpture trail, Q&A sessions with the gardeners, refreshments and the chance to see inside the auditorium. 11am–4pm, tickets £10, visit the wesbite to book (01273 815000; http://glyndebourne.com) Art September 8–9 Spirit of the Stour: Plein Air Paint Out, Munnings Art Museum, Dedham, Essex. Artists of all types and abilities are invited to come and paint on the banks of the River Stour for the chance to win up to £250, followed by a picture sale for participants. 9.30am– 3.30pm, £15 for one day, £25 for two days. Visit the website to register (www.munningsmuseum.org.uk; 01206 322127)
September 9–October 1 Colchester & Tendring Open Studios, various venues, Essex. Artists working in different medias and styles, from ceramics and textiles to painting and sculpture, will open their doors in north-east Essex for four consecutive weekends (www.colchester openstudios.org) Festival September 8–10 Bloody Scotland, Stirling. Scotland’s international crime-writing festival is back, with Val Mcdermid, Ann Cleeves, Ian Rankin, Lynda La Plante and many more. Visit website for full schedule of events, prices and to book (www.bloodyscotland.com; 01786 274000)
September 9–10 Staithes Festival of Arts & Heritage (right), North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire. Selling exhibition for more than 100 artists in temporary galleries throughout the village, plus talks, workshops and music, wire-and-willow elephants on the harbourfront and a light show on the beach. 10am–5.30pm (http:// staithesfestival.com) Book now September 20–November 29 The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, nationwide. Nick Lane’s theatre adaptation of the classic Gothic horror will tour the UK, starting in Bracknell, Berkshire, and concluding in Cambridge. Visit the website for more information (www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk; 01344 530924)
South Wood Farm, Cotleigh, Devon EX14 9HU. September 9–10, 2pm–5pm. Admission £5, children free Hidden in the Blackdown Hills, this garden exemplifies how contemporary design can be harmonious with the Englishcountry-garden idyll. Designed by Arne Maynard around the 17th-century thatched farmhouse, it’s not to be missed, not least for the courtyard, mouthwatering kitchen gardens and unforgettable overall sense of place.