My 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.
If you like these monthly suggestions, then you might also like the latest book from fellow London blogger, Tom.
Chatsworth Country Fair |
1st 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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Faversham International Hop Festival |
1st Sept |
Held on the 1st full weekend in September it sets out to commemorate the golden days of hop-picking when families would come to Kent and pass the evenings with music and stories. | Faversham, Kent |
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The Burghley Horse Trials |
5th-8th Sept |
Three days of horse events and shows. | Stamford, Lincs. |
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The Sheriff’s Ride |
7th Sept |
The Ride dates from Queen Mary’s Charter of 1553 in which Lichfield was separated from Staffordshire and made a separate County with a right to appoint its own Sheriff. | Lichfield, Staffordshire |
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RAF Leuchars Air Show |
7th Sept |
The Airshow will be the 65th to be held at RAF Leuchars. The Theme of this year’s event is ‘Attack and Protect’, which is the RAF Leuchars Station motto and reflects both the rich heritage and current priorities of the base. |
St Andrews, Fife |
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Cambridge Dragon Boat Festival |
7th 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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Carshalton Straw Jack |
7th Sept |
A straw figure made from the previous year’s harvest is paraded around town then burnt at the end of the day. | Carshalton, Surrey |
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The Braemar Gathering |
7th 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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Shackerstone Family Festival |
7th-8th 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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Malpas Yesteryear Rally |
7th-8th Sept |
Annual rally since 1972 with steam engines, heavy horses, working demonstrations and rural crafts. | Malpas, Cheshire |
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Duxford Air Show |
7th-8th Sept |
In an outstanding aerial spectacle, the very best historic and modern aircraft display in the skies over this famous airfield. | Duxford, Cambridgeshire |
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Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing |
7th-8th 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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The World Black Pudding Throwing Championship |
8th Sept |
Each competitor stands at the Golden Grid and throws three regulation Bury black puddings at a stack of Yorkshire puddings which are balanced on a 20ft high platform. | Ramsbottom, Leics |
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World Bellyboard Championships |
8th Sept |
Annual competition based on the earliest form of surfboarding. No wetsuits, no leashes and no swim fins. | Chapel Porth, Cornwall |
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Abbots Bromley Horn Dance |
9th 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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St Giles Fair |
9th-10th 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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Westmorland County Show |
12th 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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Heritage Open Days |
12th-15th Sept |
The equivalent of London Open House Weekend — but UK wide. | Various |
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Blenheim Palace Horse Trials |
12th-15th Sept |
Famous horse events with show jumping, cross country events and various country fairs and stalls. | Woodstock, Oxfordshire |
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Findon Sheep Fair and Village Festival |
13th-14th 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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Bedfordshire Steam & Country Fayre |
13th-15th Sept |
Country fair with steam engines, heavy horses, fair, fairground and flying displays. | Biggleswade, Bedfordshire |
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Goodwood Revival |
13th-15th 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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Hop Hoodening |
14th 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 Cathedral | Canterbury, Kent |
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Newent Onion Fayre |
14th Sept |
As the world’s only event of its kind dedicated to the onion family, visitors have enjoyed fun-filled fayres of live music, entertainment, street stalls and shows for centuries, and this year is hoping to surpass all others. | Newent, Gloucestershire |
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Midland Game and Country Fair |
14th-15th 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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Village at War Weekend 2013 |
14th-15th Sept |
Stoke Bruerne’s annual Village at War event is the only wartime vintage themed canal festival. | Stoke Bruerne, Northants |
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Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival |
14th-15th 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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The Festival of the Plough |
15th 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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Egremont Crab Fair’s Gurning Contest |
21st 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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Grand Henham Steam Rally |
21st-22nd Sept |
Steam engine rally and country fair with displays, rural crafts, helicopter flights and vintage fairground. | Southwold, Suffolk |
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The Berkshire County Show |
21st-22nd 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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Annual Clypping Service |
22nd Sept |
The clergy of St Mary’s Church will encircle the church and dance will walking around the church – part of a restored ancient tradition. | Painswick, Gloucester |
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Burgess Hill Bonfire Society |
28th 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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World Stone Skimming Championships |
29th 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 |
29th Sept |
There are ploughing competitions which draw up to around 85 ploughmen, including heavy horse ploughing. | Eashing, Surrey |
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Carshalton isn’t really outside London – it’s between Sutton and Croydon in zone 5, and very much inside the M25.
Hadn’t heard of Heritage Open Days but I’m definitely interested in this year’s London Open House – should be interesting.