Visit Stratford Library for the return of free Fun Palace event on Saturday 7 October
Warwickshire County Council’s Stratford-upon-Avon Library and Information Centre will be transforming into a creative Fun Palace on Saturday 7 October 2023.
The Fun Palace event will be a day full of free activities from 10am – 3pm celebrating communities and culture, from enjoying children’s activities to sharing stories through music and poetry.
The national Fun Palaces campaign, which takes place during the first weekend of October each year, is a community-focused initiative that supports local people to co-create their own cultural and community events in a public venue, and where everyone’s individual brilliance can be recognised and valued.
Stratford Library will be hosting the following Fun Palace activities, which are available for people of all ages, and will be free to drop-in and enjoy throughout the day:
- 10am – 1pm, Digital music making. Suitable for anyone aged 14+ years to get involved in and enjoy making digital music.
- 10am – 3pm, Children’s activities. Make a rainbow shaker or musical “lolly-monica” suitable for ages 3+ years between 10am-3pm. Enjoy Lego Club from 10am-12pm suitable for ages 4-11 years or get involved in Chess Club from 1-2pm for ages 7-11 years.
- 10:15am, Shakespeare for All. Sit down and enjoy a community reading of Shakespeare’s comedy play “The Taming of the Shrew”.
- 11am – 1pm, Poetry on Demand. Tell your own story to a poet in the library and have a custom poem written for you on the spot.
This year Stratford Library is becoming a Fun Palace alongside local partners the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Town Trust, and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. All of these Stratford-based venues will be holding exciting community events that involve variations of music, storytelling, family workshops, and craft activities.
To find out more, download the Stratford-upon-Avon Fun Palace 2023 leaflet.
The Spirits Await at St John's House, Warwick this Halloween
St John’s House in Warwick will undergo a spine-tingling transformation for Halloween, inviting brave souls to explore its rooms like never before.
This hair-raising event will take place in October half-term, making it the perfect opportunity to create lasting memories with family and friends.
Venture into the eerie world of Hansel and Gretel, embark on a trail through the house, and cross your fingers that the witch isn't lurking in the kitchen! Children can also concoct their own slime to take home, indulge in Halloween-themed crafts, and dabble in the art of potion-making with exciting messy play activities. And, of course, dressing up in spooky attire is enthusiastically encouraged for both children and adults.
Event Details:
Dates: Saturday, October 28th – Tuesday, October 31st
Ticket Prices: £12 for children, £6 for adults, and children under 2 enter for free.
Location: St Johns, Warwick, CV34 4NF
Due to limited availability, the organisers strongly recommend booking your tickets in advance. Secure your spot and immerse yourself in the eerie world of St John's House this Halloween.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/heritage-and-culture-warwickshire-6137347795
Free Road Safety Resource for Warwickshire Primary Schools
Warwickshire County Council’s Road Safety Education Team are helping to spread road safety messages to Warwickshire primary schools as part of Brake Road Safety Week, taking place 19 – 25 November 2023.
This year's theme is ‘Let’s talk about … Speed’ and in support of this the Road Safety Education Team will be launching a brand-new digital resource ideal for use in assemblies. This resource will include a PowerPoint presentation, with voice over and embedded video to help raise awareness among pupils of age-appropriate issues relating to speed. This resource has been designed to have something for all ages and delivers key road safety messages.
The Road Safety Education Team will also be launching an optional competition, and details will be shared with schools upon requesting the digital resource.
For further information or to request this resource via email, please contact roadsafetyeducation@warwickshire.gov.uk
If you would like to learn more about Brake Road Safety Week and access available resources developed by Brake, please visit https://www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week.

