2008 - A year of events in Gloucestershire
Well in 2007, Gloucestershire had a pretty bad time as did much of the country - but let's face it - we had it the worst. We're a resilient lot in Gloucestershire (especially in Tewkesbury and Gloucester), and this was shown with our community spirit as we pulled together and helped each other out during the June and July floods.
Many Gloucestershire visitor attractions suffered due to the constant bad weather during the summer. Fortunately the Easter holidays were hot and sunny with the Cotswold Farm Park actually selling out of ice creams! With a good Easter and a late summer rush of visitors, things weren't as bad as they could have been in 2008.
One event really did suffer becuase of the floods and both weekends of Joust at Berkeley Castle in July 2007 had to be cancelled - we wish them all the best and hope they battle back again to entertain us with more mediaeval mayhem at some point in the future. They really did put on a great weekend of entertainment.
Anyway, 2008 promises a great line up of festivals, fayres and events for Gloucestershire and if the weather holds, should bring great times for all to enjoy.
Here is a quick summary of what's on in the county this year but for information check our monthly lisitngs for Gloucestershire Events 2008 as they are updated daily.
Gloucester Whats On & Events 2008
Whats on in Gloucester 2008?
2008 is certainly going to be a fun-packed year of thrills and spills
with so much entertainment and things to see and do in Gloucester.
Even
though the weather turned the summer of 2007 in Gloucester into a total
wash out the 'Gloucester Spirit' among the local community battled with
the forces of nature - this was seen with the vast support given to
the 'Gloucester Tall Ships Festival' which saw twice as many people turn
up than expected. We're not sure if there's a Gloucester Tall Ships Festival for
2008 but we'll keep you informed.
The 'Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2008' will be returning again from the 26
July - 3 August with the usual high quality acts from around the world.
The Westgate Quarter of Gloucester will again be host to the '2008
Medieval Fayre', Banquet & Medieval Tournament on Saturday 14 June
guaranteeing a great family day out in the historic city with the usual
street entertainers, jugglers, jesters, music and dancing to create the
medieval atmosphere you'd hope for.
On the sporty
side cricket fans can expect the balls to be swinging at the '2008
Gloucester Cricket Festival' for four days when Gloucestershire
entertain Warwickshire from the 30 May 2008.
Throughout
2008,
Gloucester Folk Museum and City Museum will have numerous exhibitions
for all to enjoy, whilst Nature in Art on the A38 Tewkesbury road will
have many exhibits and shows including the 'Wildlife Photographer of
the Year' exhibition, fresh from its launch at the Natural History
Museum.
Check out the monthly listings for up to date news, events and whats on for Gloucester in 2008.
Cheltenham Whats On & Events 2008
Whats on in Cheltenham 2008?2008 events in Cheltenham 'the festival' town promise to be very impressive this year.
Throughout 2008 in the cosmopolitan Spa town of Regency
Cheltenham will be bringing you some of the best entertainment in the
South West of England.
Starting in February, Cheltenham Town Hall
plays host to the '12th Cheltenham Folk Festival' featuring an
impressive line up of musicians.
The National Hunt Festival
featuring the world famous blue riband event ' The Cheltenham Gold Cup'
guarantees a huge turnout of racing enthusiasts from all over the
world. They'll be descending upon the town for four days of festival
partying from 11 - 14 March 2008.
Other Festivals throughout the
year include the 'Cheltenham Jazz Festival' from 29 April to 5 May,
closely followed by the 'Cheltenham Science Festival' from the 4 - 8
June. Later in the summer of 2008 the highly acclaimed 15 day long
'Cheltenham Music Festival' is guaranteed to bring a musical feel to
Gloucestershire from 4 - 20 July.
A few days later the event
theme again changes from music to sport with the UK's most famous
cricket festival at Cheltenham College. Gloucestershire will be
entertaining other counties teams including our neighbours
Worcestershire as well as Hampshire, Sussex, Leicestershire and
Nottinghamshire. The '2007 Cheltenham Cricket Festival' was a complete
wash out but it can't happen twice in a row, so expect glorious
sunshine for this great event - fingers crossed!
Come to Cheltenham in the Autumn of 2008 and
join the literary legends, comedy geniuses and shining stars attending
the world renowned 'Cheltenham Literature Festival' from 10 - 19
October.
Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum will be hosting many
exhibitions throughout 2008 and the Gustav Holst Birthplace Museum will
again be holding Victorian days.
On a lighter note Cheltenham
boasts some great comedy nights at the Town Hall and Howlers Comedy
Club (which Explore Gloucestershire are proud sponsors of) will be
offering hilarious antics at not only the Cheltenham Town Hall but also
at their original home 'Venue' at the Wheatsheaf.
Check out the monthly listings for up to date news, events and whats on for Cheltenham in 2008.
Cotswolds Events & Whats On 2008
Whats on in the Cotswolds 2008?
The Cotswolds is bulging at the seems with events throughout 2008.
Three major events well worth putting into your diary include the
increasingly popular 'Cotswold Show' in Cirencester Park. The weekend
event includes many displays of country life including sheep dog and
falconry demonstrations, monster trucks, air ballooning, craft and
country fayre stalls and old time fun fair rides, to name but a few.
This two day event of rural entertainment is on the 5 and 6 July 2008.
Air
enthusiasts will be in for a treat with not one, but two fantastic air
shows in Gloucestershire for 2008 - and both are in the Cotswolds. The
'Kemble Air Day' on Sunday 15 June (which just in case you didn't know
is 'Father's Day') returns with another great line up of air and ground
displays.
Next is the 'The Royal International Air Tattoo' (RIAT)
on the weekend of 12 -13 July 2008. With over 300+ aircraft
participating each year, upwards of 167,000 visitors and support from
the Royal Air Force and some of the world's leading aerospace
companies, the Royal International Air Tattoo has been acknowledged as
not only the world’s largest military airshow but also one of the UK's
premier outdoor events for the whole family!
Both air shows will
be celebrating in style the 90th Anniversary of The Royal Air Force
with thrilling aeronautical displays - so come along and join in the
celebrations.
Other Cotswold events for 2008 include the famous Cheese Rolling at
Coopers Hill on the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend, which basically
consist of 'absolute nutters', (locals and entrants from all four
corners of the globe) thinking they're lemmings and so hurtling themselves
down a hill (some say a cliff) and chasing a mouldy lump of cheese.
Also in the south Cotswolds at Tetbury the famous tradition of the
'Woolsack' racing brings in hoards of visitors and this event really
does look like hard work and consists of several races of very fit or
stupid people running, walking or crawling up a road carrying a sack of
wool. Both these events are on Bank Holiday Monday 26 May 2008.
The
Cotswolds 'extroadinary' mad cap activities don't stop
there in 2008. There's even more cheeses thrown around in Randwick
in May as well as rural activities at their annual 'Wap'. In Moreton-in-Marsh you may see some
crazy characters kicking several bales out of each other shins at the
'Robert Dover's Cotswold Olimpick Games' & 'Scuttlebrook Wake'.
On
the August Bank Holiday Monday 2008, the usual shunanaguns will be
soaked up in the river Windrush at Bourton-on-the-Water with the locals
football teams taking part in the annual 'Bourton Football Match in the
River.' Read our review from 2006 and see our photo gallery to give you more of an idea as to this great Gloucestershire sport!
Sudeley
Castle has plans for some great events staged in the Cotswolds in 2008
including a 'Chocomania' weekend (one for the ladies perhaps) from 22 - 24
March to start proceedings.
Gloucester Warwickshire Steam Railway
will be home to Thomas the Tank Engine on several days throughout 2008,
and with Steam Extravaganzas and Diesel Days there's great fun to
be had by all the family - not just the anoraks!
Check out the monthly listings for up to date news, events and whats on for the Cotswolds in 2008.
Forest of Dean Whats On & Events 2008
Whats on in the Forest of Dean 2008?
The Royal Forest of Dean in 2008 offers a variety of events scattered throughout this 27,000 acre playground.
Taurus
Crafts situated on the outskirts of Lydney, have many craft fayres and
activities all year round, including the ever growing in popularity
'Taurus Fringe Festival' on 7 June 2008, with live music, dancing and
other enjoyable entertainment including a bar serving local beer, cider
and perry. To celebrate the end of summer the awesome 'Fire Sculpture'
spectacle is a quite a thrill, with more fun and frolics for all the
family to enjoy during the evening of 30 August 2008.
The second
Saturday in September 2008 welcomes the ever popular .Newent Onion
Fayre. with street entertainment including fun fairs, jugglers and live
music. The exhibition of onions, leeks, garlics and various vegetables
are on display with the worthy winners taking centre stage. If you wish
to enter the onion eating contest then its open for all but be warned -
don't kiss your loved ones directly after! Read our review or see our photo gallery when Explore Gloucestershire attended from 2006 to give you more of an idea.
Thomas
the Tank Engine and his friends can be seen on special days throughout
2008 at Dean Forest Railway. Other special event days will be held
there including the 'Halloween Ghost Train' in October and the 'Santa's
Specials' throughout December 2008.
Charcoal burning weekends,
apple days, fungi foraging and many other special events can be
experienced at Dean Heriatge Centre during the 2008. It's a fascinating
place to find out about the history of the Royal Forest of Dean.
We
must also mention the great Christmas displays at Clearwell Caves as
each year that goes by, many children not only get to see Father
Christmas in his grotto, but their imagination is overwhelmed with the
many caverns displaying magical themes which change each year. Watch
out for their haunted halloween event t - a scary spectacle again for
the kids to enjoy and join in the many activities during the Octobaer
half term holidays in 2008.
Check out the monthly listings for up to date news, events and whats on for Forest of Dean in 2008.
Explore and enjoy!
7 January 2008
Explore Gloucestershire
For further information.
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