More Days Out News
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Brick Weekend comes to Severn Valley Railway
Posted on Mon 15 Jul
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RAF Museum Midlands wins Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2024
Posted on Fri 12 Jul
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Covent Garden on Tour returns to Wolverhampton
Posted on Thu 11 Jul
Check out our selection of things to do in the Midlands during the next few weeks.
STEP BACK TO THE 1940S
A taste of all things vintage comes to the Severn Valley Railway this month, as the 16-mile line and all of its stations host a festival of 1940s-themed fun.
Taking place across two weekends, the event features an array of attractions and entertainment, including 1940s singers and dancers, a wartime wedding, and jitterbug sessions. There’s even the chance to hear a rousing speech by Winston Churchill!
Vintage traders will be selling their wares at the Engine House at Highley, with a flypast from the Lancaster Bomber on the Sunday of both weekends. New for 2024 is the chance to meet Herr Flick, Helga and Lieutenant Gruber from the much-loved BBC TV series ’Allo ’Allo!.
Big Band shows take place at Kidderminster station on the Saturday evening of both weekends.
Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster, Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 July
HANDS ON HISTORY
From sword school to junior jousting, Hands On History offers visitors the chance to find out more about Kenilworth Castle’s history. The venue’s other family-friendly attractions during the school summer holidays include a ‘legendary joust’ weekend on Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 July, and a ‘spectacular’ knights’ tournament, taking place across the August Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday the 24th to Monday the 26th).
Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire, Saturday 6 July - Sunday 1 September
1940S WEEKEND
Take a step back in time to the 1940s this month, courtesy of this special two-day event at the Black Country Living Museum.
As well as finding out about the outbreak of the Second World War and the era’s Dig For Victory and Make Do And Mend campaigns, visitors can also experience a celebratory street party, meet soldiers from across the Empire, welcome newly arrived evacuees to the school, learn how to train for the Home Guard, prepare for an air raid with a resident ARP Warden and try out some ‘military looks’ in the museum’s brand-new army & navy stores.
The venue will also be holding a special event on the Saturday evening which will see the streets and houses transformed into a homefront community, complete with live music and 1940s-style entertainment.
Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 July
DINOSAURS ON THE DOORSTEP
Come face to face with the dinosaurs that used to roam the UK, from the small harmless herbivores to terrifying giant tyrannosaurs.
Giant dinosaur skeletons, real fossil bones and original fossils from 150 million years ago, will all be on display.
There will also be a dinosaur discovery camp complete with shelter and campfire, a quiet space to read up on all your favourite dinosaurs and a hands-on Dino Activity Station.
This exhibition is free to visit; no booking is needed.
Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, Saturday 13 July - Sunday 8 September
GET THE PICTURE - SUMMER OF THE DESIGN
Visitors to the British Motor Museum can dive into the world of car design thanks to a range of family activities this school summer holiday.
Attractions include the museum’s resident car designers, Dottie & Dougie, exploring different features in car design during their daily family tours. There’s also the Car Details Garage, offering the ‘creatively inclined’ the chance to design their very own new vehicle.
Visitors can then put what they’ve learned to the test via a special family trail, sketching different design features based on the cars around the museum.
British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Friday 19 July - Monday 2 September
ATHENSTA 1100
This year marks the 1,100th anniversary of the ascension of Athelstan, King of Mercia, who is considered by many historians to be the first King of England.
To mark the occasion, Tamworth Castle and St Editha’s Church is hosting a nine-day festival. Attractions include Anglo Saxon living history, community archaeology and art, live music, and numerous talks, lectures and demonstrations.
Tamworth Castle & St Editha’s Church, Staffordshire, Saturday 20 - Sunday 28 July
COTSWOLD FLOWER FESTIVAL
Immerse yourself in a grand spectacle of hundreds of thousands of sunflowers and wildflowers at this year’s Cotswold Flower Festival.
Highlights include an enchanting maize maze, clay pendant workshops and numerous selfie stations. Four-legged friends are free to enjoy the flower fields with the family, while for those who’re looking to take home a memento from their fun-filled day out, there’s an opportunity to pick your own sunflowers.
Cotswold Farm Park, Cheltenham, Saturday 20 July - Saturday 31 August
SUMMER FAMILY FUN
There’s something for all the family to enjoy on the Severn Valley Railway this summer. Climb on board a steam or diesel locomotive and take a trip through the Severn Valley, revelling in up to 16 miles of magnificent countryside.
Trains will be running Tuesday to Thursday, and on weekends, throughout the school summer holiday.
Meanwhile, over at the Engine House in Highley, an impressive line-up of interactive exhibits and workshops awaits, all of which are free to enjoy for those who travel by train. Attractions include (on selected dates) the back-by-popular-demand and interactive Sublime Science shows. Mini golf, magic shows, fete games and a giant trainset further add to the family-friendly fun.
Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster, Saturday 20 July - Sunday 1 September
JURASSIC PLAYGROUND
The Herbert’s free-to-attend early-years exhibition returns for the school holiday this month.
Taking inspiration from Dippy the Diplodocus - the Natural History Museum exhibit currently on display at the venue - Jurassic Playground features specially designed artworks presented in a world of sensory spaces.
The venue is also hosting Joyful Jurassic Crafts drop-ins throughout the holiday (Saturday 27 July - Saturday 31 August). Taking a different theme each week - from rewilding to fossil making - the sessions are suitable for youngsters aged three-plus.
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, Saturday 20 July - Sunday 1 September
THE BEACH
The seaside comes to Lichfield with the return of the Cathedral’s free-to-attend ‘beach’ attraction.
Sand, decking and deck chairs (available 10am - 5pm) all feature, as does a programme of activities for families to enjoy.
Highlights include the following: Sensory Explorers Trail and Footprint Scrapbook (available every day); Chill Out Chapel and storytelling sessions (Wednesdays during August); Children’s Champions (Tuesdays and Thursdays next month); circus skills and a magician (Tuesday 30 July and Thursday 29 August); Footstep Fridays - craft activities inspired by a small exhibition prepared by neurodivergent groups (Fridays from 26 July to 30 August).
Lichfield Cathedral, Staffordshire, Wednesday 24 July - Sunday 1 September
SUMMER AT COMPTON VERNEY
Compton Verney is kicking off its school summer holiday programme with a jam-packed weekend of family fun.
Attractions include an outdoor giant bubble party, storyteller Kate spinning captivating yarns inspired by the venue’s art exhibitions, and the chance to explore a selection of Ringworld’s big, colourful and inflated structures.
Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Friday 26 - Sunday 28 July
THREE COUNTIES FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL
With 160 local traders selling their delicious products alongside ‘some of the UK’s best street food, bars and vendors’, there’s certainly plenty to enjoy at Three Counties Food & Drink Festival.
From kids’ cookery school and messy arts & crafts, to adult sessions in wine tasting and BBQ skills at the fire stage, the show features something for visitors of all ages.
Celebrity guests in the 500-seat Cookery Theatre include TV chef Phil Vickery and Bake Off Winner Matty Edgell. Chris Bavin (Saturday) and Marcus Bean (Sunday) are the hosts.
Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 July
SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY
Operating mainly steam-hauled passenger trains between Bridgnorth, Bewdley and Kidderminster, this much-loved railway transports visitors on a route of about 16 miles along the beautiful Severn Valley.
The journey includes a stop-off at the Engine House Visitor Centre at Highley, where passengers can check out massive locomotives and enjoy themed exhibitions of unique railway vehicles.
Those starting their journey at Bridgnorth will also have the option of stop-offs at Bewdley and Kidderminster, the latter of which boasts a railway museum.
Kidderminster: Station Dr, Kidderminster, DY10 1QX; Bridgnorth: 2 Hollybush Road, Bridgnorth, WV16 4AX Freedom Of The Line adult tickets £25, child (four - 17-year-olds) £16.50, Small Family Saver (one adult and up to two children) £50, Large Family Saver (two adults and up to four children) £75
BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL
Birmingham Cathedral is the oldest building in the city centre still used for its original purpose. The cathedral has four stained-glass windows, designed by Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones, which were fully conserved and returned to their original glory last year.
Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2QB. Free to visit
THE BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM
Get stuck into some good old-fashioned fun at the Black Country Living Museum this summer holiday. The award-winning venue boasts more than 50 period shops and houses to explore. It also features a host of famous characters, to help bring the region’s fascinating history to life, from the 1850s up to the 1960s.
Visitors can leave the 21st century behind and take part in old-fashioned street games, head underground for a glimpse of life as an 1850s miner, or take a stroll down the museum’s new high street and check out some 1950s trends.
Pay for one visit and the museum will give you a BCLM UnChained Annual Pass, valid for 12 months.
Tipton Rd, Dudley, DY1 4SQ. Adults £25.95, Children (3-15yrs) £12.95
ROUNDHOUSE BIRMINGHAM
A unique Grade II listed building at the heart of Birmingham’s canal network, The Roundhouse is dedicated to sharing stories of the city’s industrial heritage in new and imaginative ways. Attractions include walks, cycle tours, boat trips and a range of kayak and paddleboarding tours.
1 Sheepcote St, Birmingham, B16 8AE. Activities range in price
THE ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM MIDLANDS
Telling the story of aviation history and housing one of the largest collections of its kind in the UK, RAF Museum Midlands is home to more than 75 historic aircraft displayed in three wartime hangars on an active airfield.
The museum boasts a variety of exhibitions and displays. One of the most popular is a collection of aircraft from the Battle of Britain era, featuring a Hurricane and Boulton Paul Defiant - built in the West Midlands - alongside the oldest surviving Spitfire.
Virtual tours, hands-on fun’n’flight activities, an aviation-themed playground and dedicated conservation and exhibition areas further add to the venue’s impressive offer.
RAF Museum Midlands, Lysander Avenue, Cosford, TF11 8UP. Free to visit
SUDELEY CASTLE
Walk in the footsteps of notable characters from the mists of time at Sudeley Castle. Boasting a fascinating history stretching back over 1,000 years, the castle is surrounded by 10 award-winning gardens. There’s also an adventure playground and a fun fort for younger visitors to enjoy.
Winchcombe, Cheltenham, GL54 5JD. Adults £22, Children (3-15yrs) £10
THINKTANK BIRMINGHAM SCIENCE MUSEUM
Located in Birmingham city centre, Thinktank offers a great day out for visitors of all ages.
From steam engines and talking robots through to gurgling guts and a chocolate-wrapping machine, the venue features more than 200 hands-on science & technology displays.
Highlights include MiniBrum - an interactive mini city for under-eights - a 4k planetarium and a science garden.
Millennium Point, Curzon St, Birmingham, B4 7XG. Adults from £15.50, Children (3-15yrs) from £7.50
COTSWOLD FARM PARK
Cotswold Farm Park is home to more than 50 flocks and herds of farm animals, provides visitors with the chance to learn about farming past and present, and features an adventure playground, a farm safari, a maze, sandpits, jumping pillows and plenty more.
Guiting Power, Cheltenham, GL54 5FL. Adults £17.50, Children (4-15yrs) £15.50
BRITISH MOTOR MUSEUM
Home to the world’s largest collection of historic British vehicles, the British Motor Museum tells the stories of the people and places behind the cars.
Themed trails, touch-screen exhibits, an interactive zone, costumed guided tours, and a varied programme of themed activities make for an inspiring day out.
A new feature exhibition, From Sketch To Street, will launch on Friday 19 July, exploring the transformative nature of car design across four key themes from the motor industry’s design world.
Banbury Rd, Gaydon, CV35 0BJ. Adults £16, Children £9 (pre-booked online)
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON BUTTERFLY FARM
Stratford Butterfly Farm is home to hundreds of the world’s most spectacular butterflies. The popular venue features a ‘discovery zone’ - inhabited by giant silkmoths and their cocoons - and the Minibeast Metropolis - home to snakes, reptiles, amphibians and other invertebrates.
The Butterfly Farm’s connections to the rainforests of Belize and the Maya civilisation are also in evidence, with more than 30 replicated ancient Maya artefacts on display throughout the attraction.
Swan’s Nest Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 7LS. Adults £8.95, Children (3-16yrs) £7.95
WEST MIDLANDS POLICE MUSEUM
Set in a Victorian lock-up, the West Midlands Police Museum showcases more than 200 years of policing history.
The lock-up was built in 1891, and during its time housed a total of more than one million prisoners, with the cell doors closing for the final time in 2016. As well as bringing together an unrivalled collection of police artefacts, the museum also offers a range of hands-on activities, providing visitors with the opportunity to play the role of detective at a crime scene, examine evidence in a forensics lab, take their own police ‘mugshot’ and dress up in police uniforms from years gone by.
Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6BJ. Adults £10, Children (3-15yrs) £6
WESTON PARK
Boasting 1,000 acres of beautiful Capability Brown-landscaped parkland, Weston Park is the perfect destination for long walks, lazy lunches and fun days out with the kids.
The venue is also home to a nationally important art collection, a restaurant, a woodland adventure playground, a miniature railway, a deer park and luxurious holiday cottages.
Weston-under-Lizard, Shifnal, TF11 8LE. Adults £8.80, Children £5.20 (pre-booked online) You can purchase entry on arrival at Weston Park, with prices as follows: Adult £11, seniors (65+) £10, child (four - 14-year-olds) £6.50, and family (two adults & three children) £37.
