[ January 15, 2011 9:00 am to July 16, 2011 6:00 pm. ] A fun event for all abilities.Chester Forum Studio Theatre, Hamilton Place, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 2BHTel: 01244 341296email: mikej@gbevents.net

[ March 26, 2011 9:00 am to July 3, 2011 6:00 pm. ] Showcasing a range of Japanese Gardens from its native origins through to influencing UK garden designs. Normal Mansion opening times and prices applyTatton Park MansionKnutsfordCheshireWA16 6QNTel:01625 374400Email:tatton@cheshire.gov.ukCheshireCheshire

[ April 1, 2011 9:00 am to May 31, 2011 6:00 pm. ] Take a night-time journey around the eerie haunts of Chester with your very own Ghosthunter Guide and hear spine-chilling tales of ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night.Visit www.ghostcity.co.uk for further informationMeet at Chesters Official Visitor Information CentreTown Hall SquareChesterCheshireCH1 2HJTel:0845 647 7868Email:tours@marketingcheshire.co.ukCheshireCheshire

[ April 30, 2011 9:00 am to May 2, 2011 6:00 pm. ] Wide selection of hand made crafts plus gifts from around the world in two large marquees. Speciality food stalls. Admission 3, accompanied children free Capesthorne HallSiddingtonMacclesfieldCheshireSK11 9JYTel:01744 750606 / 07966 499748Email:sandraCCA@aol.comCheshireCheshire

[ April 24, 2011; 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. ] The Gardens at Eaton Hall, the family home of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, have been opened to the public at certain times each year since 1845.The Grosvenor EstateEcclestonChesterCheshireCH4 9ETTel:01244 684400CheshireCheshire

[ April 20, 2011; 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. ] Heritage Opera – Performance starts at 7.30pmCapesthorneSiddingtonMacclesfieldCheshireSK11 9JYTel:01625 861221 / 01772451991Email:info@capesthorne.comCheshireCheshire

[ April 16, 2011; 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. ] On April 16th 2011, a wonderful day of celebration comes to the magical Wiltshire countryside. Come and enjoy a fantastic music experience, main stream acts and breakthrough bands, performing in the intimate and laid back setting of the pubs grounds. Warning! Tickets are selling fast. Dont miss Wiltshires greatest ever pub gig at the world [...]

[ April 15, 2011; 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. ] Welcome to Folk Weekend Oxford.Please be aware that this event is in no way organised by Oxford Folk Festival, but is being put together by group of volunteers and well wishers in order to keep the spirit of the weekend alive. We are in effect babysitting.Therefore most events will be free of charge to the [...]

[ April 17, 2011; 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. ] Hit The Deck takes place across three venues in Nottingham Rock City, The Rescue Rooms and Stealth on Sunday 17th of April 2011.Tickets cost 20 and can be booked by telephone from our box office on 0845 413 4444, or online from Alt-Tickets by clicking the link on the menu above.Nottinghamhttp://www.hitthedeckfestival.comNottingham

[ April 21, 2011 9:00 am to April 24, 2011 5:30 pm. ] DJ event in ManchesterManchesterhttp://www.thewarehouseproject.com/Manchester

[ April 21, 2011 9:00 am to April 24, 2011 5:30 pm. ] THE LONDON INTL SKA FESTIVAL21-24 April 2011Londonhttp://www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/London

[ April 5, 2011 9:00 am to April 28, 2011 5:30 pm. ] Southbank Centres annual music festival of innovation, art, technology and cross-arts experimentation, Ether, returns this spring for its tenth year with one-off collaborations and groundbreaking work.Londonhttp://ether.southbankcentre.co.uk/London

[ April 30, 2011 9:00 am to May 15, 2011 5:30 pm. ] The Cow is coming back to London! Udderbelly Festival at Southbank Centre returns to its Central London spot next to the London Eye. 12 weeks of udderly affordable entertainment for all ages and all tastes starting from 21st April. And weve got Londons number one bar and food garden.Londonhttp://www.underbelly.co.uk/webpages/southbank/index.phpLondon

[ April 17, 2011; 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. ] Lincoln International Concert Series 2011, Paul WatkinsLincoln, Lincolnshirehttp://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/events/concerts.htmLincoln, Lincolnshire

[ April 29, 2011 9:00 am to May 1, 2011 5:30 pm. ] Three days of arts and music in LeedsLeedshttp://www.liveatleeds.com/Leeds

[ April 15, 2011 9:00 am to April 17, 2011 5:30 pm. ] The Laugharne Weekend, an intimate event where visitors, performers and locals rub shoulders in the streets and pubs of a tiny Welsh town, returns for its fifthyear.Patti Smith called it Mystical; Ray Davies Friendly; Will Self Kooky; Keith Allen Intimate and Charlie Connelly said it was The best literary festival Ive everattended.Laugharne, Camarthenshirehttp://thelaugharneweekend.com/Laugharne, Camarthenshire

[ April 30, 2011 9:00 am to May 1, 2011 5:30 pm. ] The debut Comedy Crawl, created by the founders of the Camden Crawl festival, is set to take place alongside its parent event on the evenings of 30th April 1st May 2011.In similar fashion to its parent event, The Comedy Crawl will act as a conduit to showcase the best emerging comic artists alongside surprise [...]

[ April 30, 2011 9:00 am to May 4, 2011 5:30 pm. ] Launching the festival season each Spring, the Gaymers Camden Crawl quickly became renowned as first to showcase the forthcoming years most hotly tipped artists to sold out audiences since its inception at the height of Britpop in 1995. After three critically acclaimed years, the festival took a lengthy breather before re-launching in its current form [...]

It is unusual for an airport to close. Expansion wishes by the management yes; controversy over greenhouse emissions yes; noise pollution, yes; angry nearby residents, yes. These are the sort of stories that tend to occur. But most stories are about the withdrawal by an airline from an airport. Even Sheffield Airport which had been under threat has been given an investment boost.

CD Traveller reader, Tom Rumboll, takes us on a tour of his favourite destinations

Just before his birthday – and St George’s Day – the Royal Shakespeare Company was given an award at the Enjoy England annual Awards for Excellence for the outstanding contribution to tourism. It seemed timely in this, the year that the company re-opened its remodelled Stratford theatre. But there were plenty of other winners on the evening itself.

With its sprawling desert bush, thick rainforests and white sandy beaches, Australia is an exciting and fascinating holiday spot. But how do you see as much as possible in 10 days? Laura gives you a busy itinerary to see as much as you can

As the great day approaches, 594 Guardsmen and 33 Officers from 3 Guards Regiments have been rehearsing at London’s Wellington Barracks. They are “Street Liners” in the Mall and in front of Buckingham Palace. In the meantime, like Joseph Woosnam, lots of us will be on parade at street parties up and down the country and across the world.

[ April 29, 2011; 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. ]
Anglesey Showground, Gwalchmai, Holyhead

Hot on the heels of the Easter weekend offerings comes another bank holiday weekend full of events. One linked set stands out. Readers will know that ten museums are competing against each other for the £100,000 Art Fund Prize. This coming weekend, is an event called Love Your museum where all ten will throw open their doors with the deliberate intention of persuading you to vote for them. Most will have additional and free events to “help” persuade you. To remind you of the ten.

Today is the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, then in the Soviet Union and now in Ukraine. CD-Traveller reported (CD-Traveller 28/12/2010) that there were going to be government sponsored tours. These have been popular but have now become even more so in the last month and, surprisingly, it is not just due to the anniversary.
What else can be behind this popularity?

Some days ago I wrote that I couldn’t remember the last time we had such a good weather forecast for an Easter holiday. It has turned out that this has been the warmest Easter since 1949. So many of us have been out and about making the most of it. Car mostly but for longer journeys the train has been answer. The number of people heading out of Paddington on Thursday night to the west country or out of Kings Cross or Euston to the north gave witness to that but was this the best way to go?