A great British birthday bonanza

There are a large number of big birthdays happening this year, so it’s worth marking some dates in your calendar to ensure you don’t miss out on the fun.

In January, the National Trust turned 125 and Sophie Campbell marked the occasion for us (telegraph. co.uk/tt-national-trust). But don’t worry if you missed the big day, there will be events happening across the country throughout the year.

April 2020 will mark 250 years since the birth of one of our favourite Romantic poets. Head up to William Wordsworth’s beautiful former home in the Lake District to take in the host of golden daffodils or explore the Reimagining Wordsworth exhibition at the Wordsworth Museum.

The poet had 50 years on a great British heroine whose bicentennial we will mark later this year. You can take a Blue Badge Guide-led walking tour through London in memory of Florence Nightingale. Alternatively, spend a night at Lea Hurst, her childhood home in the Peak District, or join the bicentenary celebrations at the Florence Nightingale Museum.

2020 also marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens. From Portsmouth to Manchester, it’s hard to find a corner of England that the beloved author didn’t visit.

A rather more raucous event will be Glastonbury’s big 50, which it will no doubt throw an extra-large bash at this year’s festival. While you’ll have to be incredibly lucky to get tickets now, it is still possible (see page 17 for details).

There are two other important events that will be commemorated this year on an international scale. Our early May bank holiday will, unconventionally, be celebrated on a Friday (May 8) to mark the 75th anniversary of V-E Day. Events will take place in pubs and cathedrals and on village greens across the country.

Mayflower 400, marking the anniversary of the historic voyage, got a little ahead of itself, kicking off its year-long celebrations last November, but there are still plenty of ways to get involved in throughout the year.

Glastonbury is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year

Nothing beats fish and chips out of a cone