Forthcoming events
Events Programme 2012
All events are at the normal Museum prices, Members Free, except ticketed events and if stated otherwise.
Key
P = Prebook
A= Family Activity
H = Highlight Event
February
Half Term: Adventures in Neverland P, A
Tue 14 – Fri 17
£6 Children, £3 Adults
Become a fairy of Pixie Hollow or one of Peter Pan’s lost boys as Neverland is brought to life around Avoncroft Museum this week. Enjoy this craft extravaganza as you create maps, headdresses, wands and crowns. Pre-booking advisable.
March
Mothers’ Day Afternoon Tea P
Sun 18
£17 Adult, £8 Child, £10 adult member, £5 child member
Enjoy a wonderful afternoon tea in our Edwardian Tea Room followed by a visit to the Museum. Afternoon Tea includes delicate finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, homemade cake served on vintage cake stands, with award-winning loose-leaf tea or coffee served in mis-matched vintage china.
The Young Tudors Living History Weekend
Sat 24 & Sun 25
Enjoy the interactive demonstrations and living history in the Merchant’s House this weekend with King Edward’s School.
American Civil War Sharpshooters Training
Sat 31 March & Sun 1 April
The Company E 1st Regiment U.S Sharpshooters will be completing their basic training at Avoncroft this weekend. Enjoy exploring their authentic canvas street of 12 tents. Watch their fire-arms practice and discover what life was like for a soldier during the American Civil War.
Blossom Trail
End March – Mid April
Enjoy walking round our beautiful blossom trail and identifying over 20 different varieties of blossoming shrubs and trees.
April
Humpty Dumpty Easter Egg Hunt A
Sat 31 March – Sun 15
Follow this egg-citing trail round the Museum. Follow the elusive clues and claim your chocolate egg prize.
Easter Egg and Bonnet Decorating P, A
Wed 4 – Thu 5
A wonderful opportunity for families to learn the traditional skills of egg decorating and embellishing hats for Easter. Cost: £1 for materials.
Easter Fun! H
Sun 9 & Mon 10
Enjoy a wonderful Easter weekend at Avoncroft. With Living History demonstrations, fun family workshops, traditional games and musical entertainment there is something for all the family.
Spring Bug Hunt P, A
Wed 11 – Thu 12
Join our expert bug hunter on a special 1 hour trail discovering the wide range of animals and insects that live at Avoncroft.
Bromsgrove Festival: International Young Musicians Competition
Thu 12 – Sun 15
Listen to the Young Musicians performing in the Guesten Hall, and around the site, who are competing for a £3,000 prize.
May
Traditional May Day Celebration H
Mon 7
Step back into the past and enjoy this traditional May Day event. The Museum will be filled with festivities including Maypole dancing, country crafts, music, food and traditional Morris dancing. Enjoy the spectacle of the Danzey Green Windmill in full sail and explore the Museum with a fun family trail.
National Mills Open Weekend
Sat 12 & Sun 13
See our Danzey Green Windmill in full sail and discover the process of making flour. Then watch the horse-drawn Victorian Perry Mill in action, and explore the perry-making process.
100 Years of the Automatic Telephone Exchange
Sat 19
In celebration of the one of the most important inventions in communication, our BT volunteers will be demonstrating one of the first Automatic Telephone Exchanges in the Museum’s National Telephone Kiosk Collection.
June
Diamond Jubilee Family Fun Day H
Tue 5
Celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee with a wonderful traditional garden party. Bunting will deck the gardens, a brass band will be playing and children’s entertainment will delight visiting families. Bring a picnic, or purchase one from the Edwardian Tea Room, and enjoy a celebratory lunch on the Guesten Hall Field.
Wartime Weekend H
Sat 16 & Sun 17
Join us for this popular event and find out what it was like to live in the 1940s. Enjoy home front demonstrations, land girls, soldiers, dancing, entertainment, a battle and an impressive flyover of vintage aeroplanes on this special weekend.
July
Avoncroft’s Golden Jubilee: Tudor Living History Weekend H
Sat 7 & Sun 8
Enjoy the start of the Museum’s Golden Jubilee Celebrations with this bumper Tudor Living History Weekend. Enjoy interactive demonstrations in the Merchant’s House, have a go archery, authentic music workshops, dancing, children’s drill, traditional Tudor games and much more.
Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Sun 8 July, 6.00pm
Tickets: £6 in advance, £8.50 on the door
Merchant’s House Living History Weekend
Sat 14 & Sun 15
Enjoy interactive demonstrations in the Merchant’s House this weekend.
Golden Jubilee: Avoncroft Reunion P
Sun 15
All volunteers, members, volunteers, trustees and supporters from the past and present are invited to join us for a special free afternoon tea in the Guesten Hall to celebrate our Golden Jubilee. There will also be a special exhibition and the wonderful opportunity to reminisce with friends.
Merchant’s House Living History Weekend
Sat 21 & Sun 22
Enjoy interactive demonstrations in the Merchant’s House this weekend.
Gladiator Training P, A
Wed 25 – Thu 26
Learn how to become a Roman Gladiator in this fun workshop.
Romans v Celts H
Sat 28 & Sun 29
Will you support the Romans or the Celts this weekend? Enjoy walking through the encampments and seeing how our ancestors lived and worked. View the weaponry displays, living history and the clash of the ancient warriors in the afternoon battle.
August
Summer Bug Hunt P, A
Wed 1 & Thu 2
Join our expert bug hunter on a special 1 hour trail discovering the wide range of animals and insects that live at Avoncroft.
Wind Power A
Wed 8 & Thu 9
See the windmill in action this weekend and then have a go at making your own kites and windmills.
Pirate Academy P, A
Wed 15 & Thu 16
Join the pirate fleet in these wonderful workshops. Learn to fire a cannon, fight with a cutlass and create your own parrot companion.
Open Air Cinema in partnership with the Artrix
The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists (Aardman Animation)
Sun 19, Rating: U
Tickets:£6/£5 concessions from 01527 577330 or www.artrix-tickets.co.uk
Site opens 7.15pm. Screening 8.15pm
Knights’ Academy P, A
Wed 22 & Thu 23
Learn to become a medieval knight just in time to prepare for the Wars of Roses!
Wars of the Roses H
Sun 26 & Mon 27
Will you take up the White Rose of York or the Red Rose of Lancaster? Travel back in time to the troubled summer of 1455. Meet the knights, ladies and soldiers of the 15th Century. Enjoy the skirmishes, living history and discover what life was like during this treacherous time.
Open Air Cinema in partnership with the Artrix
The Artist (2011)
Sun 26, Rating: PG
Tickets:£6/£5 concessions from 01527 577330 or www.artrix-tickets.co.uk
Site opens 7.15pm. Screening 8.15pm
Life as a Victorian Child P, A
Wed 29 & Thu 30
Have a go at traditional Victorian childhood games; take part in wash day and experience the Victorian school lesson complete with slates.
September
Wychavon Oil Engine Preservation Society Rally
Sat 8 & Sun 9
October
The Young Tudors Living History Weekend
Sat 6 & Sun 7
Enjoy the interactive demonstrations and living history in the Merchant’s House this weekend with King Edward’s School.
Apple Day
Sun 14
Join in a traditional celebration of apples and orchards today. Enjoy watching the Perry Mill in action, apple activities and cider-making.
Halloween Half Term P, A
Mon 29 – Wed 31
Get ready for Halloween with our bookable hand-on sessions in pumpkin carving and making spooky masks. Follow the Halloween trail around the Museum if you dare! Cost: £3 for workshops
Haunted Halloween Trick or Treat Nights P, H
Sat 27, Sun 28 & Wed 31, 6.30pm – 9.00pm
Tickets: £8 per child, £5 per Adult
A spooky tour of the old buildings at Avoncroft which is populated by a host of scary characters – trick or treat if you dare!
November
Toddler Bonfire Night – No bangs! P
Mon 5, 6pm – 8pm
£4 per person including hot chocolate, £2 for Under 5s
Enjoy watching the crackling bonfire being lit and join in with special bonfire songs.
Older children and adults can enjoy lighting sparklers followed by a warming hot chocolate. Due to the nature of the site we are unable to have fireworks, but this does mean no frightening bangs for little children.
December
Traditional Candlelit Christmas Evening P, H
Sat 8, 6.30pm – 9.30pm
Start your Christmas festivities in a traditional, magical way, with a family evening of traditional Christmas fun.
Experience a candle-lit tour of the Museum visiting each building decked in traditional Christmas greenery; listen to the choirs and bands and enjoy the festive atmosphere.There will be the opportunity to buy gifts from the local-craft market and gift shop, plus enjoy the delights of the Edwardian Tea Room.
Search for Santa P, H
Sat 15, Sun 16 & Sat 22
Tickets: £10.00 Adults, £7.00 Child, £4.00 Members. Price includes a present for children and mulled wine and mince pie for adults
This year Santa is in Bromsgrove and is staying in one of Avoncroft’s historic buildings. Let the costumed villagers and festive clues help you find Santa in his hidden grotto. A surprise gift awaits each child and the opportunity for them to give their Christmas list to Santa.
Christmas Carols and Readings in Bringsty Chapel
Sun 23, 2.30pm
All events are at the normal Museum prices unless stated otherwise.
All events are free to members, except ticketed events, theatre performances, February Half Term events and Halloween Trick or Treat, or if an extra cost is stated.
All events are subject to change and are weather dependent.
If you would like to subscribe to our events mailing list please contact business@avoncroft.org.uk
