Charlecote Park

February sees the start of a new season at Charlecote Park. During the winter months many people have enjoyed a walk in the Park, often with refreshments (I can recommend the hot soup) in the Orangery Restaurant.

Starting on Saturday 11^th February the house will also be open from 12 till 3.30 with the last admission at 3pm. As usual the house is closed on Wednesday and Thursday, but there will be an extra half term opening on Thursday 16^th February.

The House will be all spick and span after its winter cleaning by the conservation team. Work has finished on the front porch and the scaffolding is due to come off the stable block in February.

Travelling along the Stratford Road or walking across the Park it has been possible to see the work now completed on the West gateway where the Arch now has the finials replaced and the wall has been renovated.

During February your walk in the Park could include crossing the bridge into West Park, which will be closed again in March, because of nesting birds, as it was during the rut for the deer.

TEA WITH THE MAD HATTER
(& CANTAMUS)

Shipston and District's a cappella choir, Cantamus, directed by Richard Emms, would love you to come to a Mad Hatter's Tea Party on Sunday afternoon 4^th March 2012. There will be a diversity of music, readings, and dance to entertain you, and tables groaning with home-made cakes and tea to sustain you.

Hats and teddy bears are optional – and you might just have a clue as to at least one of the songs featured in the programme!

The Townsend Hall in Shipston is the venue; tickets cost £10 – and will be available from choir members and Clarke Electricals in Shipston by the end of January. The Mad Hatter's Tea Party starts at 3pm, and will be a lovely way to spend an afternoon, welcoming the spring.

If you would like to know more, please get in touch with Yvonne Ridley on 01789 269587.

“SOMETHING FISHY” (& chips)

Wellesbourne's writer and performer, Ginny Davis, presents the world premiere of a brand new play “Something Fishy” at Wellesbourne Village Hall on 3rd March as part of the opening celebrations of Chedham's Yard. Following Davis's 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and 2011 Buxton Festival Fringe sell-out show “Double Booked” (also nominated as best theatre production at the Buxton Fringe), “Something Fishy” is a hilarious brand new episode in the life of infamous mother of three, Ruth Rich. Just as “Outnumbered” appeals to the parents of young children, “Something Fishy” will strike a chord with anyone in touch with teenagers. Modern mother of teenagers, Ruth Rich, finds herself forced to accompany her troublesome son abroad on a school trip, leaving daughter home alone with a list of instructions so that nothing can go wrong...

“Something Fishy” stands alone from Ginny's previous plays. Following the Wellesbourne premiere it will be performed at the Brighton Festival Fringe in May 2012. Doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.30pm fish and chip supper followed by the play. Tickets (£12.50 or £10 for Chedham's Yard members) may be obtained from Marion Johnston tel: 01789 841100, email: marionjohnston@hotmail.co.uk in advance. Licensed bar.

Shipston Home Nursing

Family Matters
Performed by Ginny Davis
Saturday 25th February, 7.30pm
Preston-on-Stour Village Hall, CV37 8NG Tickets £15 to include a glass of wine & nibbles
For tickets please call Rebecca 01608 674929.

Compton Verney has kindly offered to host an event for Shipston Home Nursing. It is an Exclusive Private viewing of the new Gainsborough landscapes exhibition: Themes and variations, the first exhibition solely devoted to his landscape paintings (The Gallery will be closed to general public). Thursday 15^th March, 2012 at 1.30pm. Tickets are £40 and this includes an hour long intimate tour, followed by a delicious full afternoon tea, served in The Adam Hall. Call Di Yeoman 01608 674929 to secure your tickets as numbers are limited.

Tailpiece

The little two-letter word 'UP' in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word. It is listed in the dictionary as an adverb, noun, verb, preposition or adjective.

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but why do we wake UP in a morning? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP? Why are we asked to speak UP, and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen, fix UP the old car.

At other times this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We get held UP, either by traffic or a mugger, we open UP in the morning and close it UP at night. Why does the UP line go UP to London but we go UP to Scotland? We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP! To be know­ledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary... In mine it takes UP over ½ a page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP; when it rains the ground soaks it UP. When it doesn't rain for a while, things dry UP; if you're unlucky your number could be UP.

I could go on, but my time is UP! Oh... one more thing: what's the last thing you do at night – apart from lock UP that is?