Half Term 'FUN' for all ages and budgets

Published 25 Oct 2010 13:00 2 Comments

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There are lots of events for all the family and every budget taking place this half term (October 23-31). Here is our round-up of whats o in Berkshire for half term. For more see The Chronicle every Thursday. If you are organising a half-term event add the full details and a contact phone number as a comment at the end of this story or email news@readingchronicle.co.uk

Parent & Children's Halloween Party, Rising Sun Arts Centre

31st October, 2pm - 4pm, All ages, Free

Come along with your children for a fun afternoon of party games, music and nibbles, apple-bobbing and a best fancy dress competition! Inviting all parents and their little ones, and the party is completely FREE!

For more details please contact: Rising Sun Arts Centre, 26-30 Silver Street, Reading, RG1 2ST or phone: 0118 986 6788 or view: www.risingsun-artscentre.co.uk/

Dani Harmer - star of Wycombe Swan’s Peter Pan

fly’s into Eden this Halloween,

29th October, 2pm - 4pm, All ages, Free

TV’s Tracey Beaker and star of Wycombe Swan’s upcoming Pantomime Peter Pan - Dani Harmer will be making a special appearance at Eden Centre, High Wycombe this Half Term. The Star will be there to sign autographs, for meet and greets and give away special prizes! The event will also include many Halloween activities and performances around the Eden Shopping Centre. They’ll also be the chance to book tickets for the pantomime and be entered into a special competition to win one of 3 treasures! Dani Harmer will be staring in Peter Pan this Christmas at Wycombe Swan on Sat 11th December 2010 - Sun 9th January 2011.

For further details please contact 01494 768068, Eden Shopping Centre, 14-16 Octagon Parade, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP11 2HU. To book tickets for the Pantomime Peter Pan, call Wycombe Swan Ticket Office on 01494 512000 or visit online at www.wycombeswan.co.uk

Corn Exchange, Newbury

The Adventures of Monsieur Robinet

23rd October, 1pm, Age guide 7+, Tickets £10, Concessions £8, Family £30

A collection of tales about a shy Frenchman with a dog called Chirac with some unusual (but clean) habits, which include burying his dog's kennel and his own luggage.

For more information please call 01635 522 733, or visit www.cornexchangenew.com

Corn Exchange, Newbury

The Adventures of Monsieur Robinet

23rd October, 1pm, Age guide 7+, Tickets £10, Concessions £8, Family £30

A collection of tales about a shy Frenchman with a dog called Chirac with some unusual (but clean) habits, which include burying his dog's kennel and his own luggage.

For more information please call 01635 522 733, or visit www.cornexchangenew.com

Family Active and Street Active, Activities across West Berkshire

23rd - 27th October, Free

Try your hand at a varied programme of fun activities. All activities is FREE of charge and led by fully qualified coaches, instructors and artists and sessions

To book places and find out more contact: 01635 519821, www.westberks.gov.uk/family and www.westberks.gov.uk/streetactive

Half Term Activities, Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre

23rd - 30th October, Free

It's all happening at Nature Discovery Centre, take part in many activities ranging from the:

RSPB Feed the Birds Day - All ages

Drop in's: All ages

Bush Craft Holiday Club: Ages 8-14

Home Sweet Homes - make bird boxes and hogitat: Age 3+

Recycled Arts Workshop and Digital Photography: Age 3+

Please contact 01635 874 381 or www.naturediscovery.org.uk for more details.

Spooky Halloween Fun, Odds Farm

23rd - 31st October and all of half term week, All ages, Age 2-16: £7.95 and Adults: £8.95 plus small charge for cost of pumpkin

Visit 'My First Boo Barn' (new for 2010), follow the Witches Trail, carve pumpkins and watch spooky puppet shows. Plus all throughout half term, kids can enter a Fancy Dress competition twice daily and win prizes. Ghoulishly good fun.

For more information please visit www.oddsfarm.co.uk or contact Odds Farm Park, Wooburn Common Road, Wooburn Common, High Wycombe

Bucks HP10 0LX or phone: 01628 520188

South Street

24th - 28th October, £6.50 per person or £5.50 for groups of 4 or more.

Readings' South Street presents a range of events to keep your young entertained events include:

Tall Stories presents, Twinkle Twonkle... How I wonder what you are... - Age 3+

Theatre of Widdershins presents, Arabian Nights Theatre - Age 4+

Banyan Theatre presents, Cinderella Ashputtel - Age 3+

Please note £1.15 booking fee applies. For more details and to book places in advance contact, Box Office: 0118 9606060

Sunshine Holiday Club, St. Nicolas CE Primary School

25th - 27th October, Ages 4-11 years, 8:30am - 5pm, £10 per workshop

There are three workshops per day, with activities including jewellery, paper making, tag rugby and pizza fun.

Contact St. Nicolas CE Primary School, Link Road, Newbury Christine Chipperfield at cchipperfield@westberks.org, 07879 474104, or Jessica McGarry at jmcgarry@westberks.org, 07879 118986

Jubilee Jets Holiday Club, Jubilee Day Nursery, Padworth Common

25th - 29th October, Ages 4½ - 11, 8am-6pm

Activities include quad biking, animal care, trampolining, woodland adventures, arts, crafts, bike rides and lots more.

For more information please call 0118 970 1600 or visit www.jubileejets.co.uk.

Evreham Sports Centre Swallow Street, Iver

25th - 29th, All ages, 9am-5pm

Exciting children’s activities during half-term including dodgeball, netball, football and arts and crafts from. For more information, call 01753 672610.

WINDSOR Leisure Centre in Stovell Road

25th - 29th October, Age 5 - 12

Half-term holiday activities for children to include parachute games, football, netball, tennis, badminton, basketball, cricket, arts and crafts and halloween themed Freaky Friday.

For more information call 01753 778577.

Reading Museum

25th - 29th October, age groups and prices vary check with museum for details

Many events to take your fancy, Make & Take: Celebrity Stars, Wizards' and Witches' Hats, Make & Take: Halloween Mobiles, Scary Midnight Garden, Victorian Schoolroom, Pied Piper Trail, Black History.

To find out more and book places in advance call Tel: 0118 937 3400 or check www.readingmuseum.org.uk

Goose-Bumps Holiday Club, The Barn in Purley

25th - 29th October, Ages 4 - 12, 9am-6pm, £20 per day, £10 half day

Activities include sports, disco, bouncy castle, arts, crafts and more...

To find out more please call 07910 205 158.

Pirate Day, The Watermill

26th October, Ages 5 - 12, £3.50 per child, Adults free, 10am - 11.30am or 11.30am - 1pm

Hunt the treasure in our beautiful gardens, listen to tales of pirate adventures in the theatre and exchange your eye-patch, pirate hat and cutlass for one of the costumes from our wardrobe department in costume play time. All this and themed table-top activities too. Come and join in the fun! Refreshments will be available.

Tickets must be pre-booked through the box office on 01635 46044. http://www.watermill.org.uk/pirate_day.html

Become a K’Nexpert during a half-term, Windsor

26th October, 10am-3pm, All ages, Free

K’Nex, one of the world’s largest construction toy companies, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by sending K’Nexperts to Windsor to teach kids how to create a replica of Windsor Castle.

David Church, one of the UK’s leading K’Nexperts will be on hand to show children how to build a model of the castle, or whatever else they can imagine. K’Nex goodies will be given on the day for anyone completing a model, as well as a special prize for the best model.

For more information contact: W. J. Daniel and Company Limited, 121 - 125 Peascod Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1DP, Telephone: 01753 801000, Email: enquiries@danielstores.co.uk

Half term at MERL for fun activities

26th - 29th October

Many activities not to be missed during this half-term, including:

Potty plants: 26th Oct - suitable for families with children)

Going on a nature hunt: 27th - suitable for families with children

Photo fun workshop inspired by the exhibition 'A circle and a century': 28th Oct - suitable for ages 6+

Perfect pumpkins: suitable for 4+

For further info visit www.reading.ac.uk/merl , 0118 378 8660, Museum of English Rural Life, Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX

Frontiers Wild Days Half Term Activities, Path Hill Farm and Gutteridge's Wood

26th - 30th October

Lots of events to suit all ages taken place during half-term ranging from Mini Go Wild, Mud Style, Woodland Archery, Extreme Survival - a Tough day for Tough kids, Get the Ghoul of Goring, Halloween, Frontiers-style, in the Woods. By the end of this week you'll be all kitted up for woodland survival.

Please call for 0118 326 8322 further details.

Comedy Acting Workshops, The Watermill

27th - 28th October, 10am - 4pm, £30 per person

What makes us laugh? What are the different styles of comedy? What makes things funny?

No experience is necessary, just come along and have a laugh with us!

To book, please contact Heather Snaith on 01635 570934 or email heather@watermill.org.uk or visit : http://www.watermill.org.uk/holiday_courses.html

Spook-Tacular, Basildon Park

27th - 31st October, 11am-5pm, £2 per trail, normal admission charges apply

A week of spooky and scary family fun including trails, storytelling and craft activities.

For more details contact: 0118 976 7367 or www.nationaltrust.org.uk

National Trust properties,

Basildon Park’s Halloween Family Fun

27th - 31th October, All ages, 11am - 5pm, Activities free, except trail which is an additional £2. Free entry for those in fancy dress

This 18th century mansion and gardens have an exciting programme of ghoulish activities for all ages, including creepy crafts workshop, and spooky storytelling in the staircase hall, hunt out the bats hidden in the house or follow the garden Pumpkin Trail to find out where the Wicked Witch of the West has hidden her stash of sweets. In preparation for the Big Night, young visitors can delve into a ‘fright-ful’ selection of Halloween outfits, and have their photograph taken against a suitably scary backdrop.

For further information please contact Basildon Park, Lower Basildon, Reading RG8 9NR or call 0118 984 3040.

Goals not Ghouls at Reading Football Club, Madejski Stadium

28th October, Free to attend for Young Royals members and their parents

Reading FC will be hosting a children’s 'Pumpkin Party’ during half-term. Get first hand tips from Reading's first-team squad and get signed autographs. Sponsors Waitrose will be bringing along their 'Food Pod’ - a portable kitchen where trained chefs will show punters how to prepare tasty meals, and complimentary healthy meals for everyone who attends. Anyone who isn’t a Young Royal can sign up on the day.

For more details please contact: Tel: +44 (0) 118 968 1100 or visit: http://www.readingfc.co.uk

The Night Time Whisperers & Puppet Making Workshop, Corn Exchange

28th October, Age guide 4+, Tickets £10, or £6 for performance only, Performance at 11am. Workshop at 12.30pm - 2.30pm.

Join us on Tom’s fantastical journey led by the mischievous night time whisperers for the adventure of a lifetime.

Please bring a packed lunch. For more information please call 01635 522 733, or visit www.cornexchangenew.com

The Vyne, Basingstoke

30th - 31st October, All ages, Opening times vary, £5 for tours (booking essential), small charge for Halloween tuck boxes.

This former Tudor palace is the venue for two evenings of chilling family fun . Join ‘Bones the Butler’ for the first ever ghoulish tours of this mansion (where the tragic Anne Boleyn and husband Henry VIII once stayed). Guests are invited to come in fancy dress, with a prize for the best costume. Spooky snacks are available from the Brewhouse Restaurant in the form of special Halloween tuck boxes and creepy crawly cupcakes. If that wasn’t enough, there’s a garden ‘bat spotting’ trail to follow too and the The Vyne’s Halloween Sculpture Workshop, not be missed.

For further information contact: The Vyne, Sherborne St John, Basingstoke RG24 9HL or call 01256 883858

Dobbies Garden Centre in Shinfield

30th - 31st October, All Ages, Free,

Children are invited to take part in a witches and wizards Halloween treasure hunt, and on November 7th it will be hosting Little Seedlings Club, a hands-on workshop designed to teach children how to care for birds during the winter. Children are invited to bring their Santa letters, as Santra Post Box's will be available.

For more information please contact, The Centre, Hyde End Road, or please view www.dobbies.com or ring 0118 988 4822

St John’s Church in Manor Farm Lane, Egham

31st October, Ages 3 - 11, Free

A light party providing family fun with games and activities, all donations are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

For further details contact: St John's Egham, Manor Farm Lane, Egham, Surrey TW20 9HL, 01784 430 964

Halloween Hullaballoo, Market Place, Newbury

31st October, All ages, 5pm - 8pm, Free

For the second year running, come and join the Halloween Hullabaloo for a full range of Halloween fun for ALL the family. Eat, drink and be merry with some of the best local music, hog roast and spiced cider. Best Pumpkin and Costume competitions - enter your own pumpkin or come in fancy dress and win a prize!

To find out more please visit: www.newburyevents.co.uk,

Purley Barn, Purley

31st October, All ages, 5.00pm - 8.00pm, Children: £2 and Adults: £4

Enjoy a truly spooky evening at Purley Barn all types of Ghouls, Witches and Vampires - both young and old are welcome! Take part in our ghostly walk around the grounds complete with ghouls & ghosts, indoor stalls and hot food & refreshments, Halloween games, tombola & raffle, spooky story-telling, ghastly dressed competition & much more... For more information contact Purley Barn, Purley, RG8 8DR, or call 0118 939 4889 and ask for Spooky Sue or email spooktacular@dokhc.org.uk

Folly Court, Barkham Ride

31st October, 6-8pm, All ages, Free

The fur will be flying at a fun family Halloween evening at Folly Court, Wokingham. Fun activities for children include a ghost trail, trick or treat, competitions for best fancy dress and the best carved pumpkin. The Guide Dog Christmas shop will be open to buy Guide Dog Christmas cards. There will also be ghoulish food and drink available, witches brew, vampires blood and witches claws to name just a few!

For more details contact: Folly Court is in Barkham Ride, RG41 4BT or phone 07917 244 583 or email Fiona.Wright@guidedogs.org.uk

Did you know you can list details of your event for free at www.readingchronicle.co.uk/ or email news@readingchronicle.co.uk

This article appeared in Reading Chronicle 21 Oct 10

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

dcr000
Unregistered User
Oct 21, 13:09
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SPELL CHECK PLEASE!!

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dcr000
Unregistered User
Oct 21, 13:11
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....well at least it was corrected quickly :)

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