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.
| Oxenhope Straw Race | 1st July |
| The Oxenhope Straw Race takes place every summer in the Pennine village of Oxenhope, near Keighley. It was started by two men who made a bet about racing from one pub to the next carrying a bale of straw. | Oxenhope, West Yorkshire |
|
|
|
| Whalton Bale Fire | 4th July |
| Whalton is the only village since 1903 to have maintained the ceremony which is a relic of the round of seasonal fires with which the ancients greeted the progress of the sun through the year. | Whalton, Northumberland |
|
|
|
| Norwich Lord Mayor’s Celebrations | 5th-8th July |
| Several days of celebrations culminating in a float parade and festival on the Saturday. | Norwich, Norfolk |
|
|
|
| Warrington Walking Day | 6th July (?) |
| Annual walking ceremony through the town centre which dates back to the early 1880s. | Warrington |
|
|
|
| ClogFest | 6th-8th July |
| Clog dancers from all over England gather in Skipton, North Yorkshire, on the second weekend in July to celebrate the glorious tradition of English step dance. | Skipton, Yorkshire |
|
|
|
| Hat Fair 2012 | 6th-8th July |
| Named after an ancient fair, it is now a street arts festival lasting several days. | Winchester, Hampshire |
|
|
|
| The East of England Show | 6th-8th July |
| The region’s greatest annual celebration of the countryside and Peterborough’s biggest family show. | Peterborough, Cambs |
|
|
|
| Eyemouth Herring Queen Festival | 7th July |
| Crowning of a fete Queen to mark the 68th annual "fishermans picnic" that is now a town-wide event. | Eyemouth, Scottish Borders |
|
|
|
| World Tin Bath Championships | 7th July |
| Paddle boat racing around the harbour with the contestants rowing in old tin baths. | Castletown, Isle of Man |
|
|
|
| York Festival of the Rivers | 7th-22nd July |
| A wide range of cultural and leisure activities along The Ouse and The Foss | York, Yorkshire |
|
|
|
| The Royal International Air Tattoo | 7th-8th July |
| The worlds largest air show – trade and for the public. | Fairford, Gloucestershire |
|
|
|
| Banbury Hobby Horse Festival | 7th-8th July |
| Ancient tradition recently restored with gaily decorated hobby horses, Morris dancers and parades. | Banbury, Oxon |
|
|
|
| Brighton Kite Festival | 7th-8th July |
| 33rd annual free kite festival carried out on the outskirts of the town. | Brighton, East Sussex |
|
|
|
| Wenlock Olympian Games 2012 | 8th-22nd July |
| The 126th Olympic games preserving the ideals of Dr William Penny Brookes – the inspiration for the modern Olympic Movement. | Much Wenlock, Shropshire |
|
|
|
| Farnborough International Airshow | 14th-15th July |
| A weekend of air displays and static stalls to finish off a trade show that precedes the weekend. | Farnborough, Hampshire |
|
|
|
| Fire Garden at Stonehenge | 10th-12th July |
| Stonehenge is transformed into a glowing fairytale environment where fire sculptures dance in the landscape, flaming fire pots animate the stones and cascades of candles line the pathways. | Stonehenge, Sailsbury |
|
|
|
| Black Cherry Fair | 12th-13th July |
| Around 100 stalls, parades and fairground funfair. | Chertsey, Surrey |
|
|
|
| John Clare Cushion Ceremony | 13th July |
| Local school children lay "cushions" of flowers at the grave of the local famous poet, John Clare – other festivals take place over the weekend. | Helpston, Northamptonshire |
|
|
|
| Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival | 13th-15th July |
| Debates and discussions from a Trade Unionist perspective at the festival named after the famous "martyrs" to the labour movement. | |
|
|
|
| Dunmow Flitch Trials | 14th July |
| Trials take place once every 4 years and award a flitch of bacon to married couples, if they can satisfy the Judge and Jury of 6 maidens and 6 bachelors that in ‘twelvemonth and a day’, they have ‘not wisht themselves unmarried again’. | Great Dunmow, Essex |
|
|
|
| Glen Nevis River Race | 14th July |
| An extreme challenge involving participants navigating through the icy waters of a two-mile stretch of the River Nevis on an air-bed (Lilo). | Fort William, Scotland |
|
|
|
| World Pea Shooting Championships | 14th July |
| The 42nd annual festival that takes place on the village green along with local village fete. | Ely, Cambs |
|
|
|
| Vintage Steam Rally | 14th-15th July |
| Country fair with music, stalls etc – and steam road engines. A local road rally also takes place. | Stourport-on-Severn, Worcester |
|
|
|
| The 35th Thames Traditional Boat Rally | 14th-15th July |
| Two days of displays of around 200 traditional and restored vintage boats on the Thames | Henley on Thames, Oxon |
|
|
|
| Tewkesbury Medieval Festival | 14th-15th July |
| Thousands of re-enactors will travel from all round the world to help re-create the Battle of Tewkesbury of 1471. | Tewkesbury , Gloucestershire |
|
|
|
| Langwathby Scarecrow Festival | 14th-15th July |
| Over 100 scarecrows in different guises will be displayed in people’s gardens, on the Village Green and by the roadside. | Penrith, Cumbria |
|
|
|
| The War and Peace Show | 18th-22nd July |
| Military vehicle show with an average of 3,000 vehicles on display, costume reenactments and stalls. | Paddock Wood, Kent |
|
|
|
| Tweedmouth Feast | 19th July |
| The event celebrates the salmon fishing that was once a common sight on the River Tweed. Its origins date back to the 12th century festival of St Boisil. | Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland |
|
|
|
| The CLA Game Fair | 20th-22nd July |
| Te best that the British countryside has to offer including a host of features, new competitions, and plenty to get involved in from shooting to shopping, fishing to real food, dogs, horses, gardens and more | Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire |
|
|
|
| World Snail Racing Championships | 21st July 2012 |
| For more than 25 years the World Snail Racing Championships have taken place snails "racing" on a table. | Kings Lynn, Norfolk |
|
|
|
| The 24th Annual Sweet Pea Show | 21st-22nd July |
| As the home of the Sweet Pea, there is a festival of the plant with garden shows, art and stalls. | Shrewsbury, Shropshire |
|
|
|
| The New Forest Show | 24th-26th July |
| The show attracts, on average, 95,000 visitors every year and brings together a celebration of traditional country pursuits, crafts, produce and entertainment. | Brockenhurst, Hampshire |
|
|
|
| Ebernoe Horn Fair | 25th July |
| Historic fair with its own special traditions, including the annual cricket match and the singing of the Horn Fair Song. Takes place on St James’s Day each year – it’s traditional. | Ebernoe, Sussex |
|
|
|
| Marldon Apple Pie Fair | 28th July |
| The Marldon Apple Pie Fair has been going since 1888 in memory of local farmer, George Hill, who would use his windfall apples to bake an enormous apple pie for the village. Nowadays, locals and visitors alike join in the celebrations. | Marldon, Devon |
|
|
|
| Eastbourne Lammas Festival | 28th-29th July |
| Along with the variety of music from the bands on the main stage and Morris dance displays, the highlights of the weekend are the seafront procession, the drumming, the open air ceilidh and the ritual celebration of Lammas. | Eastbourne, Sussex |
|
|
|
| Southwest Birdamn | 29th July |
| Lots of crazy people or so called ‘would-be aviators’ flinging themselves over the pier to see who can ‘fly’ the furthest or at least plummet hilariously into the waiting sea. | Ilfracombe, Devon |
|
|
|
