This week's happenings

MISCELLANEOUS

THE 13th North Pennines Storytelling Festival starts today, Friday, October 15, at various locations around the Eden Valley. This year's theme is Old Settlers, New Settlers and the festival culminates in a grand gathering in Alston on Sunday, October 17. Storytellers will be exploring some of the tales and myths of people who have come to settle in the local area over the centuries to the present day. For details, visit www.npenninestorytelling.org.uk CUMBRIA Wildlife Trust, Kent Estuary Group will be hosting a lecture entitled Nature reserves in South East Cumbria by guest speaker Kerry Milligan. The meeting will take place at Dallam Community Centre, Haverflatts Lane, on Monday, Oct 18, at 7.45pm.

THE UK's largest and most prestigious children's and illustrated book fair will be opening for business at the Crown Hotel, Harrogate, tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 16. On display will be first editions of classics such as Alice in Wonderland alongside modern best sellers such as Harry Potter. Booksellers will also be donating books for a special stall to raise money for the Candlelighters charity, which benefits the children's cancer unit at St James Hospital, Leeds. For details, call 01423-523982.

LEIGHTON Hall, Carnforth, is hosting a Dolls House & Miniatures Fair on Sunday, Oct 17. More than 30 stands will be set up inside the home of the Gillow family with miniature attractions including genuine silverware, teeny garden accessories and tiny toys. Doors are open from 10.30am-4pm. For details, call 01524-734474.

CONCERTS

THE Lakeland Sinfonia series of concerts continues with the Northern Sinfonia conducted by Wyn Davies, at Kendal Leisure Centre, tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 16. The programme includes pieces by Ibert, Stravinsky and Ravel, and Catherine Bott joins the orchestra to sing Canteloupe's Songs of the Auvergne. The concert begins at 7.30pm. For tickets, call 01539-722533.

UNION flags will be waving at Ulverston's Coronation Hall tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 16, as the Furness Lions present The Last Night of the Proms with The Barrow Shipyard Band. Doors open at 6.45pm for a 7.30pm start. For details, call 01229-587140. Bring your own flag.

MANCHESTER Camerata, one of the UK's most popular ensembles, returns to Lancaster International Concert Series at Lancaster University on Thursday, Oct 21. The concert features Tracey Redfern on trumpet and will be conducted by Douglas Boyd. The performance begins at 7.30pm. For tickets, call 01524-594151.

WIDELY regarded as one of the UK's best live bands for the last 30 years, Wishbone Ash play the Platform at Morecambe tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 16. The performance begins at 8pm. For details, call 01524-582803.

KENDAL South Choir will be giving a concert entitled Music's Sweet Voice to raise money for the Kendal Parish Church Roof Appeal on Tuesday, Oct 19. The concert will be conducted by Hugh Davies and includes Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb. The concert will be in memory of choir member Chris Bates who died earlier this month. The performance begins at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on the door. For details, call 01524-811579.

EXHIBITIONS

PINFOLD Gallery's autumn exhibition is now on at The Gallery, Lake Road, Bowness, and features an eclectic mix of paintings from a variety of artists including Fiona Clucas, Marion Bradley, James Ingham Riley and Heather Blanchard. For details, call 015394-42929.

MICHAEL Revers Silver Jubilee Art Exhibition and Sale opens at the Ladyholme Community Centre, Lake Road, Windermere, tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 16. On display will be a range of originals and prints in a variety of styles including watercolours and pastels. For details, call 01706-639874. The exhibition runs until Sunday, Oct 17.

ON SHOW at Grasmere Village Hall until Saturday, Oct 16, is the outstanding artwork of the Kendal-based Green Door Studio artists. The creative efforts of more than 40 artists feature in the exhibition as well as work produced by Grasmere Primary School pupils in collaboration with GDS artists as part of the national Big Draw. It is open from 10am-5pm.

BRANTWOOD, Coniston, is hosting an exhibition of floral photography by Dave Marshall Ward. The exhibition runs until October 24. For details, call 015394-41396 BLACKWELL, The Arts and Craft House, is hosting an exhibition of works from five of Europe's leading contemporary glassmakers. The exhibition opened this week and promises a great diversity of exhibits combining fine craftsmanship, sensitive use of materials and great design flair. Contemporary Glass runs until December 31. For details, call 015394-46139.

ABBOT Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, continues to draw the crowds with Walter Richard Sickert: The Human Canvas, a significant exhibition of 43 paintings by the father of modern British art. The exhibition is open from Monday-Saturday (10.30am-5pm).

THE Witherslack Group of artists' 11th exhibition is showing at The Old Schoolroom, Witherslack. The exhibition includes work from Alvin Irving, a recent prizewinner at an exhibition in Athens to coincide with this year's Olympic Games. The exhibition runs until October 17 and is open from 10am-5pm daily.

IMPERIAL War Museum North, Salford Quays, is hosting an exhibition entitled The Greater Game: Sport, War and Peace looking at the similarities between sport and conflict and the role of sport in bringing people together in wartime. For details, call 0161-836-4000.

LEGENDARY Northern artist L.S. Lowry is the subject of an exhibition entitled Lowry's Mean Streets of the 1930s and 40s, inspired by a strange beauty' he described seeing on the streets. The exhibition is on show at The Lowry, Salford Quays, until January 2. For details, call 0870-787-5780.

FARFIELD Mill, Sedbergh, is hosting an exhibition by Jane Brown, Sue Dee and Jo Holmes. Entitled Eclectic Touch, the exhibition features textiles, sculptures and bespoke installations. For details, call 015396-21958.

THE Edge Gallery, Lancaster, is hosting an exhibition by Edward Chadwick entitled Harbour.

Chadwick's photo-art is inspired by the rugged moorland landscape of Northern England and the spectacular shoreline of the West of Ireland. Harbour runs until November 4.

KENDAL Museum is hosting an exhibition on the Blue Streak Project, which looks at the development of the rocket at RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria. For details, call 01539-721374

THEATRE

ENJOY a night at the Heron Theatre, Beetham, today, Friday, Oct 15. Wits End is a cocktail of witty song and comic verse evoking 1920s New York. The show includes pieces from George Gershwin, Cole Porter and many others. The performance begins at 7.30pm and is repeated tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 16. For details, call 015395-64283.

ALAN Ayckbourn's new comedy Drowning on Dry Land, continues at the Old Laundry Theatre, Bowness, this weekend. The play, presented by The Stephen Joseph Theatre, focuses on A-list celebrity Charlie and takes a wry look at modern, media-driven society and asks whether anything any more is what it seems. Performances begin at 8pm. For details, call 015394-88444. Runs until tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 16.

THE Shakespeare Schools Festival opens at Preston's Charter Theatre on Tuesday, October 19, with local schools taking part in the UK's nationwide celebration of the work of the Bard. Various local schools will be performing plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. For details, call 01772-258858.

VIENNA Festival Ballet brings the magical story of the eccentric toymaker and his mechanical doll Coppelia to the Dome at Morecambe, today, Friday, Oct 15. The performance begins at 7.30pm. For details, call 01524-582803.

NORWEGIAN dance company, Baktruppen, will be presenting two pieces of physical performance at the Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster University, on Wednesday, Oct 20 (8pm). The performance includes the critically acclaimed European festival hit Do and Undo, plus a brand new dance work. For details, call 01524-594151.

THE Storytellers Theatre Company will recreate the magical and mysterious world of Alice in Wonderland at The Grand Theatre, Lancaster, on Wednesday, Oct 20 (7pm). This musical adaptation by T.J. Lince promises an evening of fun and entertainment for all the family. For details, call 01524-64695.

QUONDAM presents Top Banana by David Napthine at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, on Tuesday, Oct 19 (8pm). Top Banana is an hilarious and thought-provoking satire on the selling of New Labour's soul. For details, call 01539-725133.

THIS month sees the English Touring Opera come to Cumbria with performances of The Cunning Little Vixen (Oct19) and of La Bohme (Oct 20) at the Kendal Leisure Centre. Both performances begin at 7.30pm. For details, call 01539-729511.