Connect at 4, St Thomas Church, Mow Cop, 28 January

 Coming up later this month, and on the last Sunday of every month, is Connect at 4.  This is a short event held at St Thomas Church, Mow Cop, ST7 3PJ, from 4:00-4:45 and is designed for children aged 5-10.

It's awesome. Entry is free, and there's a wide range of structured and well-thought-out activities which fill the 45 minutes. There's a quick intro and a prayer, then a multiple choice quiz with 10-12 questions on the topic for the month. This has varied from Pancake Day to the Coronation, from Advent to Easter, and there are prizes for the highest scorers.  This is followed by a choice of activities - we've taken part in an Easter Egg hunt, a leaf craft with air-drying clay, pin the crown on the King, and a "How high can you toss a pancake?"!

There are drinks provided throughout, and a quick wrap-up at the end.  We always come home with a craft, and sometimes a prize for our efforts.

This is highly recommended for all sorts of reasons, and one event which has permanent residence on our calendar!

Bradwell Lodge: Books, Comics and Collectables Fair, August 2021

 The Books, Comics and Collectables Fair is like one of those rare items you find at a collectibles market - it's small, it's unique, not many people have heard of it, but it's an absolute gem for those who do find it.

It's held on the last Sunday of each month, at Bradwell Lodge, near Newcastle.  It's not huge, but it has refreshments and toilets on site, and the stalls are all vintage themed (and by vintage I mean good vintage, like retro toys and collectibles, not boring vintage, like bunting, antiques and horse brasses).  The stalls that I've seen have included...

    Star Wars (Funko Pops, figures, books, Scalextric sets)
    old maps (local and national), sheet maps that pre-date Ordnance Survey
    vintage comics (Beano, Dandy and Eagle, among others)
    a range of novels and paperbacks (Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and other genuinely classic sci-fi)
    retro figures including Transformers, along with Lego and other retro toys
    DVDs and blu-rays (mostly sci-fi themed)

Admission is free, which is a genuine bonus, and so is parking.  All the stores are from local traders.  This is a regular event that gets a massive recommendation from me.  The stall-holders are friendly, they practise social distancing and they'll do you a deal if you buy in bulk.

The next event is Sunday 29 August and should be another great trip out!