Whats on in the area over the next seven days.

MISCELLANEOUS

THE Parkinson's Disease Society holds its monthly drop-in on Tuesday at the Shakespeare Centre in Kendal from 1.30pm-3.30pm.

THE North West Air Ambulance will benefit from the proceeds of a charity car boot sale at the Westmorland County Showground, near Crooklands, on Sunday. It is being organised by local Lions clubs from the Bay and South Lakeland. For more information, call 01524-770728.

IF you're a fan of BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing or are partial to a bit of a foxtrot, you may like to know Ballroom and Latin dance classes return to the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal on Tuesday. Call the Brewery box Office on 01539-725133 for tickets or 015396-20536 for details of other similar events in the area.

AT Forum 28 on Wednesday (10am-4pm) there will be more then 60 friendly and helpful organisations holding stalls and offering free information and advice about aspects of mental health and well-being as part of Mental Well-being Day. There will also be interactive activities and a large display of artwork. Call 01229-820000 for details.

CONCERTS

RELAX and enjoy an evening with musicians Bridget Guest, Stewart Hardy and Roy Wilcock on Saturday at the Quaker Tapestry Exhibition Centre in Kendal. A sumptuous three-course meal will take place in the tearooms beforehand, from 7pm, with the concert starting at 8.30pm. 01539-722975.

A D-DAY Commemorative Concert, Ulverston Commemorates, will take place at Ulverston's Coronation Hall on Saturday from 7.30pm to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the day that changed history. All proceeds will go towards Local Services charities. For tickets, call 01229-587140.

EXPERIENCE the ambience of candlelight and fine music tonight at the Lancaster Grand when the Locrian Ensemble and a number of top London musicians, dressed in period costume, present Vivaldi by Candlelight, from 7.30pm. Call 01524-64695 for details.

HIGHLY-regarded organ recitalist Philip Underwood will play a classical concert on Friday at 7.30pm at Ulverston Parish Church.

CARTMEL Priory will host a summer concert by the Ensemble Tremoine string quartet on Saturday from 8pm.

THE Hale and Hearty Folk Club is holding its twice-monthly singaround on Friday night at the King's Arms in Hale from 8.30pm. Singers, musicians and listeners are all welcome.

CELEBRATED pianist, Martino Tirimo, returns to Kendal with the Rosamunde Trio on Saturday to play a concert of works by Schubert and Dvorak in Kendal Town hall from 7.30pm. Call 01539-725758 for details.

A STATE of Consciousness will play a gig at Monroe's Bar in Workington on Saturday, 9pm alongside fellow rockers Call of Duty, Mental Note and The Chase. Call 01900-602122 for details.

THEATRE

THE classic story of Tom's Midnight Garden arrives at Preston's Charter Theatre on Tuesday for five nights. Telling the story of a young boy transported through time to a secret garden from the past, this magical and mysterious story from the highly-regarded Birmingham Stage Company - guarantees fun-filled adventures for all the family. For times and tickets, call the Box Office on 01772-258858.

FRESH from filming the latest Harry Potter movie, comedian Jim Tavare joins John Moloney at Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre on Tuesday (8pm) for an evening performance that is sure to have the audience in stitches. Three-time performer at the Royal Variety Show, Tavare has been compared to Tommy Cooper while Moloney is one of Britain's most in-demand acts, appearing regularly on Channel 4's Richard and Judy and ITV1's Des and Mel. Call 01539-725133 for details.

EUROPEAN Ballet present an exquisite evening of dance at the Lancaster Grand on Saturday at 7pm with the gala concert, Ballet Spectacular. With favourite and funny fairy-tale characters young and old alike should enjoy. Call 01524-64695 for details.

KIDS should enjoy the music and excitement packed performance of Robinson Crusoe at Barrow's Forum 28 on Saturday at 11am and 2pm, when the Panto Company present Defoe's classic story of the heroic captain of the Good Ship Lizzie. Pre-show Castaway meals are also available for children. Call 01229-894790 for more details.

YOU may not recognise the name of Britain's funniest Iranian stand-up comedian and actor, Omid Djalili, but you will no doubt recognise his face from films like The Calcium Kid, Gladiator and The Mummy. On Friday from 7.30pm, he brings his show Behind Enemy Lines (written in the aftermath of September 11) to the Opera House not one to miss. Box Office 0870-4019000.

EXHIBITIONS

THE Pinfold Gallery's current exhibition features the colour, texture and light of five dynamic artists: Susan Glassford; Martin Greenland; Tiana Marie, Clare Money and Robert Newton. It is open from Thursday-Monday from 11am-5pm. Call 015394-42929 for details.

A COLLECTION of oils, watercolours, charcoal and pencil sketches by Alex Jung opened at The Daniel Hay Library in Whitehaven yesterday (Thursday) and will run until the end of the month. Call 01946-852902 for details.

PEOPLE, Places and Things, a diverse exhibition of contemporary textiles by the talented members of Cheshire Textiles, is the current offering at Sedbergh's Farfield Mill. Featuring a richly assorted mix of media, the inspiration for the pieces come from everyday life and, in particular, people, places and things. Call 015396-21958 for details.

AN exhibition of visually arresting paintings by Rachael McGraw opens at Brantwood's Severn Studio on Sunday. Using an eclectic mix of mediums, including acrylics, pens and tiny paintbrushes, the 3D-effect pieces question the idea of human patience (as explored by the pain-staking and time-consuming style in which she paints) and owe their origins to Zen Buddhism. Call 015394-41396 for details.

CONCERNING Animals by Paul Hill, is an intriguing exhibition at Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre which takes a slanted look at the human world through the relationships we have with our pets. The master photographer, who has worked on such publications as The Guardian, The Observer and the Radio Times, has captured images from dog chews to baby's dummies and images of animals as both killers and victims. Call 01539-725133 for details.

THE exhibition showing at the Ruskin Museum in Coniston marking the centenary of the Lakes Arts Society - founded by W.G. Collingwood comes to an end on Sunday. Featuring works by some of the founder members of the society (including Collingwood, Arthur Severn, Cuthbert Rigby and W.L.Turner) this interesting display is worth a look. Call 015394-41164 for details.

A CENTURY of Lake District art from 1850-1950 is currently on display at Anthemion, The Antique Shop at Cartmel. The stunning exhibition, "o'er dale and hill", features familiar scenes immortalised in oil and watercolour by the likes of William Mellor, W.L. Turner and Edward H. Thompson. The exhibition is open from 10am to 5.30pm. Call 015395-36295 for details.

A FASCINATING exhibition looking at the works of Alfred Wainwright - the well-known fell walker, author and artist - continues at Kendal Museum this week. Hand-written pictorial guides to the Lakeland Fells as well as maps, letters, first editions of his many books and personal belongings all feature. Call 01539-721374 for details.

A THOUGHT-PROVOKING and stunning exhibition is currently on show in The Brewery Arts Centre Warehouse in Kendal. By the formidable Aidan Shingler, Only Smarties Have the Answer makes a powerful visual statement about the abuses of the psychiatric system with a sense of humour and pride. Call 01539-725133 for more information.

TALKS

NATIONAL Park or National Car-Park is the title of a talk to be given by Dr Paul Hindle on Wednesday evening, at 7.30pm, in the Eamont Room at Hilltop, Ambleside. The lecture, organised by the Loftways Project, will look at the conflicts between preserving and accessing the local landscape and topics will include forestry, farming, mining, local communities and water supplies. 015394-32426.

THE Helly Hanson National Mountaineering Exhibition is currently hosting the critically acclaimed Everest: The Top of the World, at Rheged. On Saturday from 6pm, Captain John Nole's film of the 1924 expedition, The Epic of Everest, will be shown before a talk by Audrey Salkeld on Galahad and the Holy Grail; Mallory and Everest from 8pm. 01768-860005.