Entertainment News

From iron spiders to steaming salt-pans, visitors are invited to explore Cheshire's industrial heritage and the county's 2000 year relationship with salt this autumn through two major attractions, Anderton Boat Lift and the Lion Saltworks Museum. Built by Edwin Clark in 1875 to lift cargo boats 50 feet from the River Weaver to the Trent & Mersey Canal, the Anderton Boat Lift is now a significant attraction in the heart of Cheshire.

With the last bank holiday of the summer just around the corner, families need look no further than their own back garden with the inaugural Big Little Tent Festival on Sunday 30 August. With free festival packs available to order, The Big Little Tent Festival is encouraging families to hold their own mini-festival in their back gardens; camp out together, cook together over a campfire (or barbecue) and spend time enjoying each other’s company. 

School trip friendly venues across the county include the recently opened £40million 'Islands' attraction at Chester Zoo, the biggest development in the history of zoos. The large and complex build is now home to a number of animals classed as critically endangered in the wild, and takes visitors on an expedition through the recreated South East Asian habitats of Panay, Papua, Bali, Sumatra, Sumba and Sulawesi.

The glamorous Dewsall Furs, Fire & Ice party returns this year on Saturday December 12th. The evening, filled with delicious food, dancing and magnificent surroundings will take place in the beautifully decorated Wainhouse Barn, set within Dewsall's 15 acres of immaculate grounds. As guests arrive, the drive-way will be lined with fire torches leading party-goers to the elegantly decorated Wainhouse, laden with fur, and aglow with candles, a log fire and fire pits.  

The countdown has begun. In one month, the eagerly anticipated Grand Central Birmingham will be opening their doors to the public and revealing, for the very first time, just what the newest premium shopping and dining destination has to offer. To mark this major milestone, Grand Central has seen a final wave of new signings with five major brands including: MAC, Jo Malone, Jones Bootmakers, Neo Glory and Jeff Baines adding to the already impressive list of retailers.

This year's Sandwell Arts Festival 2015 ended with a spectacular finale. Saturday saw the ever-popular Sandwell Giants' procession in West Bromwich town centre. The procession of giant puppets started at 1pm and went through New Square, Queen’s Square and the High Street before a final performance in New Square.

‘Rock Form’, the much-loved sculpture by renowned artist Barbara Hepworth, will be returning to public display in Wolverhampton next month (SEPT), it has been announced. The Royal Bank of Scotland, which owns the sculpture, has formally agreed to loan it to City of Wolverhampton Council for display in the city’s art gallery. Rock Form will take pride of place in the gallery atrium until its proposed return to its former home in the Mander Shopping Centre.

Anyone who has taken the BeanBoozled Challenge knows in  an unhappy instance that they are chewing a weird and wild flavour like Canned Dog Food or Rotten Egg. Their reactions are almost uncontrollable. Smiles turn upside down, noses wrinkle, and eyes squint in a combination of disbelief and disapproval.

Anyone aged eight to 80 can go tree climbing at the National Forest Wood Fair on August Bank Holiday Monday. Under careful supervision and using ropes and harness, visitors to the Wood Fair will be able to climb up into the canopy of one of the veteran oak trees at Beacon Hill Country Park and get a bird's eye view over the Wood Fair site and the growing National Forest.

With the revelation of recently written tracks on Tana's Soundcloud, there is a free intimate live show at COBS Bar in Birmingham City Centre on Saturday 22^nd August 2015 open to the general public. “better to try and fail than to live with should’ve could’ve would’ve”  Time is of the essence for Tana to make her mark on the Music Industry. She has jump started her career and is ready to embark on a new journey into commerciality.

A new season of new laughs from comedy veterans and fresh talent is brought to you by Upfront Comedy and The Drum. Kicking off the season on Friday 4 September, at 7pm is Mother and Son Standing Up. Multi-award winning comedienne, Angie Le Mar debuts her brand new unique show Mother & Son Standing Up, alongside her first born son, Travis Jay, a rising star on the comedy circuit. The evening will be hosted by Teletubbie comic, John Simmit.

The Slade Rooms Comedy night makes a welcome return on September 24th for a new season of new comedy, with food included in price of your ticket!! It only needs 3 things. a great venue, a great audience and great acts. Comedian, writer and actor Tim Clark is one of the brightest lights on the national comedy scene and a familiar face on television.

More than 8,500 happy ‘Color Runners’  headed to Birmingham’s NEC this weekend when the Happiest 5k on the planet  returned to the city for the second time. Starting as a blank canvas and finishing head-to-toe in every colour of the rainbow, fun-loving runners from across the city and beyond took part in the ‘Happiest 5k on the Planet’.

Multi-platinum selling rock band Nickelback have been forced to cancel all remaining dates for the 2015 No Fixed Address Tour due to an extended period of vocal rest ordered for lead singer Chad Kroeger. Kroeger, who was diagnosed with an intracordal cyst on his voice box in June, recently underwent surgery and must remain on vocal rest as ordered by doctors for the next six to nine months in order to fully recuperate. 

An incredibly rare fossil – the 315 million-year-old Coseley Spider – will star in a new exhibition revealing the Black Country’s amazing geological legacy. Never shown in Wolverhampton before, the internationally important example of the species Eophrynus Prestvicii discovered near Coseley shows the early evolution of spiders, say experts.