Here's a shout-out for Heritage Open Days!

It's England's largest community-led festival of history and culture, and thousands of local volunteers and organisations are involved.  

The festival celebrates heritage, culture and history - so there are stories to hear, traditions to explore and histories brought to life!  And it's all FREE!

Amongst the events, there are walks and tours, exhibitions, workshops and talks.  They cover all sorts of categories:  local history, faith, outdoors and nature, living history and re-enactment, traditional skills, sport and leisure, eco/green living and geneaology, to name a few.  Many need you to pre-book.

Organisations taking part (not at every venue they look after, by the way), include the National Trust, the Churches Conservation Trust and English Heritage.

There's a search facility so that you can find out what's on in your area, which makes life easier - or perhaps next year, you could think of volunteering yourself!

Find an event near you here.

Volunteering is a great way to meet people and make new friends amongst people who also want to do things for their local community (or further afield!).

In 2025, the Heritage Open Days run from the 12th  to 21st September. 

Find out all about Heritage Open Days here.

RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show

The RHS Wisley Flower Show in Surrey takes place from 2nd to 7th September 2025 and what an opportunity to experience a great floral day out!

Enjoy expert advice, vibrant floral displays and lots of shopping opportunities!  And there's plenty of chances to sit and refresh yourself with refreshments! 

You can join in the National Dahlia Society Show's marquee - there are over 100 competition classes to see!  

And the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS) Show is back, with the theme  ‘Wish you were here’.  The floral art display competition celebrates countries worldwide, with wonderful arrangements - don't miss it!  

Tradestands are aplenty at the show, selling garden and homeware.   The RHS asks that you please bring bags to take your goodies home with you!

There are fantastic displays, specialist nurseries, expert talks and of course the opportunity to do lots of shopping… and eating and drinking…

Browse a fantastic range of tradestands too, selling garden and homeware from pruning tools to garden art and outdoor ovens. Where possible please bring bags to take purchases home. 

Flowers, eating and drinking, and relaxing – what a perfect combination!   Enjoy!

Buy your tickets for the RHS Garden Wisley Show here.

Sometimes, you really feel like treating yourself to something.    And if you’re wanting to do more garden activities – or connect to a garden membership – you could take a look at the RHS.  As a national gardening charity, it helps people and plants to grow and aims to make the UK a greener place.

The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) was founded back in 1804, and it has lots for everyone!  

There are five beautiful RHS gardens to explore, such as Hyde Hall in Essex
and 230 partner gardens!

The RHS membership is really good value, with…

• Unlimited entry to the five RHS gardens (Hyde Hall, Rosemoor, Harlow Carr, Wisley and Birdgwater) for the member and a family guest or two children (4 children if you’re taking out a joint membership)
• Free entry to over 230 Partner gardens for the member (or the main member in a joint membership at selected times
• Reduced tickets to the RHS Flower Shows, gardening workshops, family friendly events – there’s lots to do and see all year!
• The Garden magazine, which is a monthly, full of advice and news and worth £81 (available digitally or as a paper version)
• Gardening advice from the RHS experts
• RHSTheGarden app with easy access to tips and advice, the member handbook and the monthly magazine
  
  

RHS Glow is back at the end of the year!

So you get a lot for your membership throughout the year.

But there’s more!   The nice thing about the RHS is that they run quite a few campaigns such as National Gardening Week, Wild About Gardens and School Gardens (their campaign has lots of free teaching resources and online training course and awards).  They also have a Planet-Friendly Gardening campaign which has 10 ways for us all to be more sustainable in our gardens. 

And of course, the RHS brings gardening to the neighbourhood, with Britain in Bloom, the RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood and affiliated societies. 

The RHS has over 600,000 members, and membership contributions help to support the work the RHS does, be it undertaking horticultural science or supporting community gardening groups.

Find out about the RHS Grow, the gardening app
The app gives you access to 200 years of knowledge
from botanists, scientists, fruit and veg experts and RHS specialist advisors!

Go on - treat yourself and join today!  Enjoy a year of days out & gardening inspiration with the RHS Sizzling Summer Saving!   

Images ©RHS

Gift experience company Into the Blue have lots of experiences to choose from!   

The company began by selling flying experiences out of Biggin Hill in Kent, and they've been making memories since 1996.   Founder and Managing Director Jim Maitland went to Biggin Hill as a child with his father, who opened up Biggin Hill as a civilian airfield back in 1958.  Jim spent many happy hours there and joined his father to help him run the Biggin Hill Air Fair.  Realising lots of people who were at the shows would love to have a go themselves, he worked with his contacts and so Into the Blue was born!   Needless to say, they have lots of flying experiences - including flight simulators - and also adventure, creative, water, sports, food and drink, breaks, days out and at home experiences.  So there's lots to choose from!

What's more, they've got a special offer for you!

Enjoy 15% off*
The code below is valid on experiences up to £250.00.
Some products are excluded.

ITB15FORME

How about a Flight Simulator Experience - perhaps a Vulcan Bomber?
Take a look at the Flight Simulator Experiences here.

How about a Champagne & Sparkling wine experience?  Choose between a 
Champagne & Wine Tasting Evening or a Champagne & Fizz with Lunch from £49.00

There are Chocolate Making Experiences too! 
Perfect for anyone who loves chocolate!

There are Garden Workshops and Floristry Courses,
including The Raymond Blanc Gardening School: The Edible Garden
where you can view the beautiful gardens and orchards at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Oxfordshire.

The Animal Experiences include a Sheepdog Experience in Yorkshire - 
just imagine a day with border collies, as you learn how to handle and train them
and shepherd a small flock of sheep! 

There are lots of Gourmet Gifts and Subscriptions as well, 
just the thing for lovers of gin, rum, wine, spices, brownies, sweets,
charcuterie, and cocktails.  


They've got lots of Afternoon Tea options, too,
including Afternoon Tea for Two at Fishmore Hall in Shropshire.
View the Afternoon Tea products here and tuck in!

Subscription and membership gifts include one for knitters.
See the subscription and membership gifts here.

Use ITB15FORME for 15% off* experiences up to £250.00

(*Some products are excluded from this offer.)

Head over to Into the Blue