What's going on in your area this week:

ACTIVITIES

- PATCHWORK, quilting and design demonstrations throughout the day at Holker Hall, Cark-in-Cartmel. Tel 015395-58328 for further details on this free demo.

- INVESTIGATE a mosaic of flora at Latterbarrow Nature Reserve, with Sedbergh Support Group, tomorrow (Saturday). Meet 2pm at Loftus Hill car park. For more information, call 015396-20612.

- TWO-DAY writing course to develop skills by using Ambleside as an inspiration, with excursions, from Friends Meeting House, Rydal Road, Ambleside, 10am-4pm tomorrow (Saturday). To book, call 01524-592623.

- BEE-KEEPING, with Furness Beekeepers Association at Grizedale Arts, Grizedale Forest Park, near Hawkshead, 10am-4pm tomorrow (Saturday). For further details, call 01229-860291.

- EARLY morning birdsong, 6-8am with Tom Sweeney, followed by bacon butties, also spring bird walk, l0am-12.30pm, led by Harry Ashcroft and Robert Pocklington, exploring the reserve to see and identify as many species of breeding birds and other wildlife. Both events are taking place, on Sunday, at Hay Bridge Nature Reserve, Bouth, Ulverston. For further details and booking, call 01229-861727.

- WARTON Stock Car Club hosts motorised action at Warton, near Carnforth, on Sunday, lpm, for the Morecambe Bay Trophy. For details, call 01524-858301.

EXHIBITIONS

- LONDON Independent Photography is a forum for both amateur and professional photographers and presents its exhibition called Untitled 2002 at The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, from tomorrow (Saturday), until June 29.

- WISH You Were Here is an exhibition of Brian Robertson's photographs taken in Crete, displayed until June 29 at The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. For further details, call 01539-795090.

CONCERTS

- Lune Spring Players production of HelloIs There Any Body There, a farce by Ian Hornby tonight (Friday) and tomorrow, 7.30pm, at Newbiggin-on-Lune Public Hall. Call 017683-72747 to book.

- K SHOES Male Voice Choir is performing at the Coronation Hall, Ulverston, tonight (Friday) at 7.30pm. For further details, call 01229-474446.

- AN Audience with Jim Bowen takes place tonight (Friday) at The Victoria Hall, Grange-over-Sands, 7.30-10pm. For more details, call 015395-32375.

- STAVELEY Choral Society with the Jazz Band from Queen Katherine School, present For the Beauty of the Earth in Staveley Village Hall tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. Tickets from D. & H. Woof, and Staveley Post Office.

- THE Westmorland Orchestra will be performing at The Leisure Centre, Kendal, tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. To book, call 01539-729777.

CYCLING

- EXPLORE the rural lanes of Lunesdale on a 40-mile cycle ride tomorrow (Saturday), meeting at 10.15am in Milnthorpe Square. Tel 01539-729770.

FESTIVALS/FAIRS

- SEDBERGH Gala tomorrow, (Saturday) 12.30pm onwards. Procession with Gala Queen, attendants, bands, floats and fancy dress. Events include fell races, wrestling and refreshments.

- PANTOMIME Horse Race Day, tomorrow (Saturday) from 11am-3pm as Ulverston dons its silly hat once more as panto horses parade through town to race down the cobbled streets in the Market Place. Tel 01229-588499.

- ANTIQUE and Collectors Fair at The Coronation Hall, Ulverston, on Sunday, 9.30am-4.30pm. Details on 07730-391551.

GARDENS

- ERIC Robson will unveil one of the most innovative, exciting and most historically significant garden projects in the North West at Brantwood, Coniston, from 11am-5:30pm tomorrow (Saturday). Further details on 015394-41396.

- A PLANT fair is being held on Sunday at Levens Hall, Levens, near Kendal, from 10.30am-4pm. Call 01524-735567 for more details.

- GARDENS open in aid of the National Gardens Scheme on Sunday include: Matson Ground, Windermere (near Windermere Golf Club), 1-5pm, tel 015394-88521: Stagshaw Garden, National Trust, Ambleside (off A591), 10am-6.30pm. tel. 015394-88521; Townfoot, Bridge Lane, Troutbeck, 12-5pm, tel. 015394-434964; Sunnerdale House, Cow Brown, Lupton (near J36 of M6), 11am-5pm, tel. 015395-67210.

LECTURES

- TO celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest, Rheged will be hosting a series of exciting lectures by some of the UK's most prominent and legendary mountaineers - all with their very own experiences of Everest. The opening lecturer will be Sir Chris Bonington. To book, call 01768-860005.

MUSIC

- SING-Around at The Kings Arms, Hale,tonight (Friday), 8.30pm.

- Fingathing VS eyes Down, tomorrow (Saturday) at 8.30pm. Superheroes of the Manchester hip-hop scene, they are renowned for their original, cartoon-esque artwork and equally colourful DJ style. Appearing at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. To book, call 01539-725133.

SPORT

- RUNNERS tackle one of the classic fell races of Lakeland on Sunday in the nine-mile Fairfield Horseshoe starts and finishes at Rydal Hall and sets off at 11am. Saturday sees another classic fell race with runners leaving the new Dungeon Ghyll at 8am for a route that takes in the Langdale section of the old country boundaries of Westmorland, Cumberland and Lancashire.

- Both of Kendal's senior cricket teams are out of town on Saturday in the first round of the Thwaites Smooth Northern League Cup, Netherfield travel to Blackpool and Kendal to Preston. On Sunday Kendal are at home on their Shap Road ground to Vernon Carus in the first round of the Thwaites Lancashire Cup.

THEATRE

- FREERANGE Theatre Company presents Absence by Wendy Hammond, a tale of enduring love and impossible odds at The Roundhouse, Staveley, tonight (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm. More information on 01524-68677.

- THE Royal Shakespeare Company will be performing Coriolanus and The Merry Wives of Windsor at The Leisure Centre, Kendal, from May 20-24. To book, call 01539-729511.

WALKS

- A moderate walk of six miles, meeting tomorrow (Saturday) at 9.45am at Bowness Bay Tourist Information Centre, or Waterhead Tourist Information Centre at 10.30am. For further details, call 015395-31188.

- SIMPLY Social, a group for non-smokers in their 30s to 50s, will be walking to Aira Force, meet at The National Trust car park, near Ullswater, at 11am on Sunday (tel. 07751-485131 for further details).

- ENJOY the fells more safely and improve your map and compass skills on a practical day's walk, meeting at 10am on Sunday, at Waterhead Information Centre, Ambleside - not suitable for children under 12 years. Booking essential on 015394-32729.

- A GUIDED, long-ish walk with easy gradients and varied scenery round the pastoral vale of Esthwaite, meeting at 10.30am on Wednesday at Hawkshead Information Centre. For further details, call 015394-36525. Free.

- IN THE Footsteps of John Ruskin is an away-from-it-all walk over the Yewdale Fells. Mike Humphreys from The Ruskin Museum will give an insight into the great man's life and work. Meet on Thursday at Coniston Information Centre for this moderate walk of six miles for age ten and up. Booking is essential, call 015394-41533.

- WALK to Easedale Tarn on Tuesday, meeting the South Lakes YHA Group at 6.30pm, Ulverston Railway Station. For futher details, call 01229-832434.

May 15, 2003 10:30