New Website Launch for June 2015

Dear readers,

Thank you so much for following this blog, which will remain 'live' for historic content, but from June 2015, the new Welwyn Festival website will have its own on-site news and blog information.

We hope that you will join us at www.welwynfestival.org.uk and follow our social media accounts - and that you will continue to participate and enjoy all that the Welwyn Festival Week has to offer. Do give us your feedback to help improve information flow to Welwyn residents and visitors.

The Welwyn Festival committee.

What Excitement is in store at this year's Welwyn Festival?

There's a FREE Family Barn Dance for all ages and abilities to enjoy.

There are two concerts at St Mary's Church plus the Festival concert. Band Night for teens is back, too.

There are free sports at Singlers Marsh, the bowls club in Ottway walk and other events.

There are free exhibitions of photography and art, Film shows and Talks, and more! You can even visit the Big Cats at the sanctuary this year.

Of course, we'll host the popular annual events: the Street Market, Family Fun Day and the Street Parade "Hollywood comes to Welwyn" plus Open Gardens and Cuckoo in the Nest competition for school children.

The printed programme and our brand new website should provide everything you need to know when the time comes. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates:

www.twitter.com/welwynfestival
www.facebook.com/WelwynFestivalWeek

Not long now!!!

2015 Welwyn Festival Charities

Proceeds from the 41st Welwyn Festival Week will be divided between various good causes, locally, including: Jubilee House for physically and mentally disabled people, Isabel Hospice for the terminally ill, McMillan Nurses Cancer Centre in Lister Hospital, Herts Air Ambulance, Riding for the Disabled, Guide HQ Rebuilding Fund, Guessens Road WGC and Medical Dogs Canine Partners for stroke/disabled sufferers.

It is our expectation that we will donate £5,000 to these wonderful local and county charities that benefit the people of Welwyn, all run by devoted selfless people. Your generosity has enabled us to donate in excess of £50,000 in the past 16 years.

In addition, the 10k run profits will be donated by Garden City Runners to the 4 local primary schools: St. Mary’s, Oaklands, St. John’s Digswell and St. Michael’s Woolmer Green.

Stalls at the 2015 Welwyn Festival Street Market & Family Fun Day

Please note that there are no more available stalls available for the Street Market and only about ten spaces available at Family Fun Day on 27th June. Let us know as soon as possible if you might be interested. Also, the printed programme is being finalised in the next few days so advertisers should send in any outstanding artwork on Monday and ensure that payment has been made. Our new website is progressing and should be launching in the near future, although it is expected to continually evolve as new ideas are embraced. Things are really hotting up now - we hope the weather will too!

Welwyn Festival 2015: 10K Run & 2K Fun Run

When: Sunday 28th June, 11 a.m.
Where: Singlers Marsh, Codicote Road/Fulling Mill Lane, Welwyn.

More Info: 10k entry strictly in advance, £14/£16 (Fun Run £2 on the day) more details on www.welwyn10k.org.uk 

2015: A ‘Scratch’ Concert at St Mary’s Church Welwyn

Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’

A ‘Scratch’ Concert at St Mary’s Church Welwyn

Sunday 14th June at 6.30 pm

We had decided to give this ‘scratch concert’ format a rest this year after three very successful years, but after lobbying by a number of people Derek Harrison has agreed to conduct and direct another concert in Welwyn.

This year our chorus of over 100 singers along with soloists, and organist Peter Jaekel, will perform ‘Elijah’ following just one afternoon of rehearsals.

Tickets for singers and audience alike are £10 and are available from 1st May at Hills Violin Shop in Welwyn High Street. The concert takes place as a prelude to this year’s Welwyn Festival Week and funds raised will be split between the Festival Charities and St Mary’s Church.

Something for Everyone at the 2015 Welwyn Festival

A few more snippets of what's to come...

Of course Open Gardens are back, with new ones to excite us, still time to get your garden in if you contact me soon.

The Bowls Club will be celebrating it's 40th anniversary with events in Welwyn Festival Week, and we are looking into staging a 5-side football tournament.

St Mary's Church have event plans under consideration, and Acorn Playgroup are restaging a Gilbert and Sullivan concert in the church, as they did a couple of years ago.

Roman Day will be back: Roman soldiers, trial digs for bones a other artefacts, Celts, face painting and much more to demonstrate what Welwyn might have looked like way back then.

Our new Festival website is "under construction" and we will be promoting our events on the site and via Facebook and Twitter to give you chance to find out what we are planning, well before our printed programme becomes availabel at the beginning of June. As usual, 4000 copies of the Programme will be available in shops and businesses around Welwyn village, Oaklands, Digswell and further afield, for you to highlight which of the 60-70 events you want to go to!!

We'll continue to bring you news of the events we are planning in later news posts...
Andy