The now regular look ahead to events happening next month that would probably be in my events guide, if only they weren’t happening outside the psychological barrier of the M25 motorway.
Might tempt you outside London (horror!).
| Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show | 2nd Aug |
| The oldest surviving gooseberry show in the country, established in 1800. Gardeners enter their biggest gooseberries into one of four classes: red gooseberries, yellow ones, greens and white ones. | Whitby, Yorkshire |
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| Pickering Traction Rally 2011 | 4th-7th Aug |
| Steam rally and fair with music festival. | Malton, Yorkshire |
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| The Festival of British Eventing | 5th-7th Aug |
| This horse event takes place at Gatcombe Park, spectacular home of the Princess Royal and her family and incorporates the British Open, Intermediate and Novice Championships. | Stroud, Gloucestershire |
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| Gloucestershire Steam Extravaganza | 5th-7th Aug |
| Steam Engines, Rural Crafts, Aircraft, Trade Stands, Animals & Rare Breeds, The wonderful Traditional Fun Fair and Vintage Transport and Machinery of every size, type and description you can think of. | Cirencester, Gloucestershire |
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| Blasts from the Past | 6th-7th Aug |
| Hampshire’s biggest living history event. Spectacular battles, skirmishes, fashion shows and demonstrations, including visiting around 40 encampments from different continents and periods. | Romsey, Hampshire |
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| Prescott Speed Hill Climb | 6th-7th Aug |
| Around 250 Pre-war sports and racing cars will be in action over the weekend at the historic hill climb venue in Gloucestershire. | Gotherington, Gloucestershire |
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| The Wiltshire Game & Country Fair | 6th-7th Aug |
| Traditional country and farm fair along with Birds of Prey, fishing, wood carving and shooting sports. | Calne, Wiltshire |
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| The Steam Fayre and Vintage Rally | 6th-7th Aug |
| Gleaming engines, powerful steam engines, tractors and road rollers, vintage cars and motorcycles, fire engines, buses, commercial and military vehicles all on display. | Norton Fitzwarren, Somerset |
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| Annual Opening at Frogmore House | 6th-8th Aug |
| Frogmore House, set in the private Home Park, is renowned for its beautiful landscaped garden and 18th-century lake. | Windsor, Berkshire |
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| Cowes Week | 6th-13th Aug |
| Up to 40 daily races for around 1,000 boats at the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world. | Isle of Wight |
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| Stourhead Horse & Dog show | 7th Aug |
| Show jumping, dressage, show horses, children’s ponies and a companion dog show, gun dog demonstration, terrier racing, carriage driving. | Mere, Wiltshire |
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| Glasgow International Piping Festival | 8th-14th Aug |
| The world’s largest festival for bagpipe musicians. | Glasgow, Scotland |
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| Robin Hood Festival | 10th-14th Aug |
| A week long celebration of the legend of Robin Hood, it features entertainment for all the family. | Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire |
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| Lowestoft Seafront Air festival | 11th-12th Aug |
| Four hours of aerial displays each day, along with fun fair, static displays and trade stalls. | Lowestoft, East Anglia |
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| National Sheepdog Trials | 11th-13th Aug |
| English round for the national championship leading to the UK finals later in the year. | Dorking, Surrey |
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| 33rd Bristol International Balloon Fiesta | 11th-14th Aug |
| Annual festival of giant balloons, with their famous Nightglow, where 30 or more balloons will glow in time to music and fireworks on two evenings. | Bristol |
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| Eastbourne International Airshow | 11th-14th Aug |
| Airbourne is the biggest seafront airshow in the world! Enjoy 4 days of action packed flying on Eastbourne seafront. 2011 will see the iconic Red Arrows leading a packed programme of Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, British Army and civilian aircraft. | Eastbourne, Sussex |
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| Shrewsbury Flower Show | 12th-13th Aug |
| Stunning floral displays, show jumping, medieval jousting, motorcycle displays, music, fireworks and special guest appearances. | Shrewsbury, Shropshire |
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| Retrofestival | 13th-14th Aug |
| Hundreds of road vehicles – from steam rollers to modern cars – on display along with aerial displays. | Maidenhead, Berkshire |
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| Rougham Air Display and Classic Car Show | 13th-14th Aug |
| Classic air display programme, along with classic cars and motorcycles to fun fairs, food and drink, and a variety of exhibitor stand and traders. | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk |
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| Astle Park Traction Engine Rally | 13th-14th Aug |
| Primarily a steam engine rally, with fun fair, other vehicles and firework display. | Chelford, Cheshire |
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| International Birdman Festival | 13th-14th Aug |
| The Birdman is a flight competition for human powered flying machines held each summer. | Worthing West Sussex |
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| Combined Ops 2011 | 13th-14th Aug |
| Over 300 military vehicles from just before WW2 to modern wars, along with aircraft, including aerial displays. | Maidstone, Kent |
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| Whitby Regatta | 13th-15th Aug |
| Yacht racing, rowing races and various free forms of entertainment, finishing with a prize presentation and firework display. | Whitby North Yorkshire |
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| Kettlewell Scarecrow Festival | 13th-21st Aug |
| Around 100 scarecrows appearing in gardens, open spaces, hidden corners and even on rooftops dotted around the village. | Kettlewell, North Yorkshire |
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| UK Backward Running Championships | 14th Aug |
| One mile countryside course for people running backwards. | Heaton Park, Manchester |
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| Lewes to Newhaven Raft Race | 14th Aug |
| Amateur built rafts – typically a dozen – in a rowing race, often aided by the teams attacking each other with water cannons and water bombs. | Lewes, Sussex |
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| British Fireworks Championships | 16th-17th Aug |
| Two evenings of entertainment culminating in spectacular fireworks displays from six companies seeking the title of British Firework Champions. | Plymouth, Devon |
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| Birdfair | 19th-21st Aug |
| Described as the birdwatcher’s Glastonbury, Birdfair encompasses the whole spectrum of the birdwatching industry whilst at the same time supporting global bird conservation. | Rutland Water, Rutland |
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| Race the Train | 20th Aug |
| Sporting event where runners try to beat a preservation train running along the rails by racing it along local roads and footpaths. | Tywyn, Wales |
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| The Saddleworth Rushcart | 20th-21st Aug |
| Procession around the local area with a two-wheeled cart filled with rushes, in a slightly conical shape thirteen feet high weighing about two tons to the local Church. Some 150 men pull on the "stangs" fixed to strong rope which, in turn, is fixed to the cart. | Saddleworth, Yorkshire |
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| International Lighthouse Weekend | 20th-21st Aug |
| Many lighthouses and places of associated interest will be open to the public, and there will be special events at lighthouses and lightvessels both at home and abroad. | Various locations |
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| St Bartholomew’s Bun Race | 24th Aug |
| Children run around the church of St. Bart’s and are given a bun especially baked for the occasion. The biscuit bears the date 1190 but it is more probable that the founding of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital was in 1217 to commemorate the defeat of the French in that year. | Sandwich, Kent |
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| Gloucester Tall Ships Festival | 26th-28th Aug |
| A range of on and and off water activities including live music, street entertainment, comedy, boat trips and family entertainment. | Gloucester Gloucestershire |
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| Treefest | 26th-29th Aug |
| Medieval archery and displays, , wood carving, woodcraft demonstrations and sales all part of the International Year of the Tree. | Westonbirt, Gloucestershire |
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| The Burning of Old Bartle | 27th Aug |
| The ancient ritual of Burning Bartle takes place every year, when a larger than life figure is paraded down the village main street accompanied by repeated chants of the Bartle doggerel. When Bartle reaches ‘his end’ in Grassgill, he is set alight, accompanied by songs and cheers from the assembled masses. | Leyburn, North Yorkshire |
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| Military Odyssey | 27th-29th Aug |
| Said to be the largest collection of military re-enactors from ancient greek to modern times in mock battles and displays | Detling, Kent |
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| Cheshire Game & Country Fair | 27th-29th Aug |
| Two arenas have a full programme of events, with everything from scurry racing and fun sheepdog and ducks to majestic falconry and co-ordinated Gundog displays. | Knutsford, Cheshire |
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| Portsmouth International Kite Festival | 27th-29th Aug |
| Annual festival with everything from classic kites to modern inflatables. | Portsmouth, Hampshire |
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| The Uffington White Horse Show | 28th-29th Aug |
| 40th anniversary of this country fair, with stunt horsemen, falconry and a flypast by the Red Arrows. | Uffington, Oxfordshire |
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| Shrewsbury Steam Engine & Vintage Vehicle Rally | 28th-29th Aug |
| Over 1,000 exhibits will be appearing within the popular Rally area, covering 45 acres of parkland. In additon, olde-style fair and trade stalls. | Shrewsbury, Shropshire |
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| Bourton Football in the River | 29th Aug |
| A football match between six-a-side teams played in the middle of the shallow river, playing in usually knee-high waters. The event is over 100 years old. | Bourton, Gloucestershire |
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| Gravy Wrestling Championship | 29th Aug |
| A wild and whacky wrestling competition in a pool full of Lancashire Gravy. Contestants must wrestle in the Gravy for 2 minutes whilst being scored for audience applause, and various different moves. | Rossendale, Lancashire |
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