My 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!).
| Power From the Past | 1st-4th Sept |
| Beamish is hosting an extravaganza of horse power, steam power and everything in between. The theme of this year’s event is the pursuit of pleasure, featuring tram rides to the seaside, coach trips and horse drawn charabanc rides. | County Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne |
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| The Burghley Horse Trials | 1st-4th Sept |
| Three days of horse events and shows. | Stamford, Lincs. |
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| The National Gardening Show | 2nd-4th Sept |
| The event showcases the finest in Autumn gardening, with lots of features that are unique to the show, advice from experts, and help on how to grow your own plants and vegetables. | Shepton Mallet, Somerset |
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| Chatsworth Country Fair | 2nd-4th Sept |
| The Country Fair hosts one of the largest Horse Driving meets of the year, one of the biggest hot air balloon lifts in the country after Bristol. | Chatsworth, Derbyshire |
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| Blackpool Illuminations Switch On | 2nd Sept |
| The Blackpool Illuminations have been a major part of Blackpool’s attraction since 1879 when they were described as ‘Artificial Sunshine’ and have been a guiding light for visitors to the resort ever since. | Blackpool, Lancashire |
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| The Braemar Gathering | 3rd Sept |
| Commonly known as the Highland Games, international athletes will be among those taking part in the “heavy” and “track” events. | Braemar, Aberdeenshire |
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| Ryde Illuminated Carnival | 3rd Sept |
| Street parade with illuminated floats. | Ryde, Isle of Wight |
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| Raveningham Fair | 3rd Sept |
| The Fair was started in 1976 as the Raveningham Threshing Fair to raise funds for the Raveningham Group of Churches. Since then it has grown in size to become one of the longest established events on the Norfolk/Suffolk border. | Thurlton, Norwich |
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| The Stourport Carnival | 3rd-4th Sept |
| The 86th festival with street and river parades finished with fireworks | Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire |
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| Duxford Air Show | 3rd-4th Sept |
| At the heart of this year’s air show, and 75 years since its inaugural flight, we celebrate the sight and sound of the Spitfire, that most celebrated British single-seat fighter aircraft. | Duxford, Cambridgeshire |
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| Shackerstone Family Festival | 3rd-4th Sept |
| For over 15 years the Shackerstone Family Festival has taken over the village for the first weekend of September. It brings together a large number of different family attractions that are centred around the village. | Shackerstone, Leicestershire |
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| Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing | 3rd-4th Sept |
| Rushbearing dates back several centuries to a time when rushes were simply a floor covering in churches. Each year, it was out with the old and in with the new. Over many years this tradition has gradually turned into a celebration and a holiday involving music, morris dancing and revelry | Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire |
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| Bristol International Kite Festival | 3rd-4th Sept |
| The Kite Festival was named by the Guardian as one of its top ’50 Family Freebies for the Summer Holidays. | Ashton Court Estate, Bristol |
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| St Giles Fair | 5th-6th Sept |
| The Fair evolved from the St Giles’ parish wake of the early seventeenth century, which later became known as St Giles’ Feast. It is now a large funfair in the town. | St Giles’, Oxford |
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| Blenheim Palace Horse Trials | 8th-11th Sept |
| Famous horse events with show jumping, cross country events and various country fairs and stalls. | Woodstock, Oxfordshire |
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| Westmorland County Show | 8th Sept |
| The Westmorland County Show is one of the largest one day Agricultural Shows in the country and certainly one of the oldest. | Milnthorpe, Cumbria |
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| Kendal Torchlight Carnival | 9th Sept |
| The 42nd annual parade through the town lit by torchlights, and featuring traditional carnival floats and attractions. | Kendal, Cumbria |
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| Findon Sheep Fair and Village Festival | 9th-10th Sept |
| Friday Night begins with a funfair on the green then a barn dance and curry in the marquee. Saturday is the fair itself, with craft stalls, sheep displays, sheep judging and other displays on the green. | Findon, West Sussex |
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| Windsor Driving | 9th-11th Sept |
| Three days of horse driving trials in Windsor Great Park, along with dog championships and a classic car display. | Windsor, Berkshire |
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| RAF Leuchars Air Show | 10th Sept |
| A celebration of 100 years of aviation from North East Fife, along with static displays, fairs, and stalls. | St Andrews, Fife |
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| Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival | 10th Sept |
| The Festival is open to everyone and over 40 crews are expected to battle it out over the 200m race course, watched by several hundred spectators. | Fen Ditton, Cambridge |
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| Hop Hoodening | 10th Sept |
| Expect morris men accompanied by the Hooden Horses and lots of hops from the local harvest. The Hop Queen will arrive amidst a bower constructed of hop-bines and everyone makes their way into the Cathdedral | Canterbury, Kent |
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| Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival | 10th -11th Sept |
| All the usual favourite food and craft stalls will be there with a few new additions and lots of great music on both days | Sturminster Newton, Dorset |
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| Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival | 10th -11th Sept |
| The Maritime Festival encompasses a riot of colour, tall ships, supply vessels, masts and flags. Marquees will also be set up all along the South Quay for the Maritime Festival. | Great Yarmouth, Norfolk |
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| Malpas Yesteryear Rally | 10th -11th Sept |
| Annual rally since 1972 with steam engines, heavy horses, working demonstrations and rural crafts. | Malpas, Cheshire |
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| Hovercraft Racing | 10th -11th Sept |
| Set in the grounds of Claydon House this popular course has a testing mix of fast straights and technical sections making it a real challenge. The fast water straight is right in front of the spectator viewing area, getting you as close as possible to the action. | Claydon House, Buckinghamshire |
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| Pig Face Day | 11th Sept |
| Bi-annual festival that claims to trace its heritage back to the 11th century. Today the event is commemorated when the villagers attend a hog-roast feast at the village hall following the candlelit evensong service. A torchlight procession makes its way from church, with the pigs head carried on a platter. | Avening, Gloucestershire |
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| World Black Pudding Throwing Contest | 11th Sept |
| Legend has it that during the War of the Roses both armies ran out of ammunition and threw food at each other instead. This championship is some light Lancashire v Yorkshire rivalry. | Ramsbottom, Lancs. |
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| Abbots Bromley Horn Dance | 12th Sept |
| The Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, performed at the Barthelmy Fair in August 1226, is one of the few ritual rural customs to survive the passage of time. After collecting the horns from the church, the Horn Dancers perform their dance at locations throughout the village and its surrounding farms and pubs. | Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire |
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| PSP Southampton Boat Show | 16th Sept |
| Annual trade and public show with over 350 boats along with shows and fairs. | Southampton |
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| Goodwood Revival | 16th-18th Sept |
| Well-known faces from most motor sport disciplines will be in action at this year’s Goodwood Revival, including Formula One stars, rally winners, endurance racing champions, tin top tearaways and top bikers. | Goodwood, West Sussex |
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| Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre | 16th – 18th Sept |
| Country fair with steam engines, heavy horses, fair, fairground and flying displays. | Biggleswade, Bedfordshire |
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| Hollycombe Steam Fair | 17th Sept |
| See the largest Traditional Steam Fairground in Britain come alive with the sights, sounds and smells of the Edwardian Fairground At Night. | Liphook, Hants |
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| Egremont Crab Fair’s Gurning Contest | 17th Sept |
| Egremont Crab Fair and Sports was established in 1267, which makes it one of the oldest fairs in the world. It combines ancient and traditional events with modern attractions – and the famous gurning contest. | Egremont, Cumbria |
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| Beachwatch Big Weekend | 17th Sept |
| MCS Beachwatch is our coastal environmental initiative, involving local individuals, groups and communities in caring for their coastal environment. | Various Locations |
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| Grand Henham Steam Rally | 17th – 18th Sept |
| Steam engine rally and country fair with displays, rural crafts, helicopter flights and vintage fairground. | Southwold, Suffolk |
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| Midland Game and Country Fair | 17th – 18th Sept |
| Renowned as the annual meeting place for country sports enthusiasts, the Midland has evolved into a comprehensive countryside event that now attracts more than 90,000 visitors. | Weston Park, Shropshire |
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| The Berkshire County Show | 17th – 18th Sept |
| Country fair with horse driving, pig showing skills; taste Britain’s finest foods and watch cookery demonstrations; sample the best craft and watch traditional crafts in action. | Newbury, Berkshire |
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| Painswick Clypping Ceremony | 18th Sept |
| The church is ‘clypped’ or embraced by parishioners while singing the ‘Clypping Hymn’. However Feast day was also once notorious as a day of riotous behaviour and for ‘Puppy dog pies’ said to have been baked by a local publican desperate for meat. This is celebrated even today and china dogs are baked into pies and cakes which are sold on the day. | Painswick, Gloucestershire |
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| The Festival of the Plough | 18th Sept |
| Attractions include horse ploughing, vintage tractor ploughing, steam ploughing, static tractor display, vintage cars, craft tent, poultry exhibition, model display, stationary engines, terrier racing. | Epworth, North Lincs. |
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| Burgess Hill Bonfire Society | 24th Sept |
| Several processions through the town with flaming fire carts (barrels), and a bonfire at the end along with fireworks. | Burgess Hill, Sussex |
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| Southwell Ploughing Match & Show | 24th Sept |
| The show represents all the really important interests of agriculture from horse ploughing through the vintage years to the modern day tractor, a variety of livestock, static displays and trade stands. | Kneesall, Nottinghamshire |
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| Stone Skimming Championships | 25th Sept |
| The championships are held every year on the last Sunday in September. Anyone of any age and any level of skill can enter. Each competitor is allowed 3 skims using specially selected Easdale slate skimming stones. | Oban, Argyll, Scotland. |
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| Surrey Ploughing Match | 25th Sept |
| There are ploughing competitions which draw up to around 85 ploughmen, including heavy horse ploughing. | Eashing, Surrey |
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| Trent Aegir | 29th Sept |
| The Trent Aegir is a naturally occurring tidal wave similar to the Severn Bore – and this date is the highest tidal wave of the year. | Derrythorpe and Gainsborough, Yorkshire |
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Pig Face Day! You know how much I love pig faces!