MARCH

The international bestselling author of Wintering will talk about her new book Enchantment at An Evening With Katherine May at Booka Bookshop, Church Street, Oswestry

Our sense of enchantment is not only sparked by grand things. The awe-inspiring, the numinous, is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention.

The magic is of our own conjuring. Feeling bone-tired,anxious and overwhelmed by the rolling news cycle and the pandemic age, Katherine May seeks to unravel the threads of alife wound too tightly.Could there be another way to live –one that feels more meaningful, more grounded in the places beneath our feet? One that would allow us to feel more connected, more rested and at ease, even as seismic changes unfold on the planet?

Craving a different path, May explores the restorative properties of the natural world and begins to rekindle her sense of wonder.Itisa journey that takes her from sacred wells to wild moors, from cradling seas to starfalls.

Through deliberate attention and ritual, she finds nourishment and amore hopeful relationship to the world around her.Enchantment is an invitation to each of us to experience life in all its sensual complexity and to find thebeauty waiting for us there.

Tickets cost £7. More details at www bookabookshop.co.uk

9Comedian TomAllen brings his new show TomAllen –Completely to Oakengates Theatre, Telford.

Tomhas finally moved out of his parents’ house, which has been great news for him, better news for department stores andevenbetter news for his latest stand-uptour as he’s eager to share his life updates, get your opinions on his vegetable patch and delve into the protocol of inviting friends with children for dinner

The household name with his signature acerbic wit andriotous storytelling, Tomisthe host of The Apprentice: You’re Fired and co-hosts Cooking With The Stars, Like Minded Friends and he is also aregularon Bake Off: An Extra Slice and There’s Something About Movies.

Tom’s lasttour sold in excess of 50,000 tickets including his sell-out show at The London Palladium where he recorded his special.

Tickets cost £24.50. Formore details visit www.telfordtheatre.com/whats-on

11

ELO AGAIN visit Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, with their stunning ‘Re-Discovery Tour’ celebrating the truly universal music of Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra

ELO AGAIN give fans adramatic taste of what alegendary ELO concert would have been like back in their heyday The whole experience is professionally reenacted with agreat sound reproduction, light show and visual effects.

As the UK’s No.1 tribute show, ELO AGAIN provide fans with the spectacular live effect of ELO’s famous orchestrations, soaringstrings and vocals. They certainly know how to entertain too, as thehits just keep on coming. Their version of Mr Blue Sky is breathtaking, full of passion and fervour

Tickets cost£25. Visit www. festivaldraytoncentre.com/whatson for more details.

The free lunch-hour concert series at St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury, continue this month.

These are concerts by students from Packwood Haugh, March 17; Chetham’s School of Music, March 24; Soprano YunqingJiangn from the Birmingham Royal Conservatoire, March 31.

Concerts begin at 12.30pm. They last just 40 minutes and there is alight lunch served after each concert in the church hall.

Concert-goers can park from noon to 2pm free of chargeatthe church, space permitting.

Full listings, including programmes of forthcoming concerts, canbe found on the church website at www stchadschurchshrewsbury.com

Gordon Hendricks –One Night

With Youcomes to Oakengates Theatre, Telford.

In 2020, when the Government announced lockdown, Gordon Hendricks decided to appear as himself and present shows on Facebook. These were so successful that he performed every two weeks throughoutlockdown, performing around 1,000 songs throughoutthe period –noother Elvistribute artist could perform such awide selection of Elvis songs.

The response from fans has been amazing with the numbers increasing 12-fold to over 2,000 logging in to see his show from all over the world.

He is now bringing those shows to the stage adding superb live musicians and combining hishighly successful format.

Within this show,Gordon takes fans on avocal journey featuring such diverse performers as Roy Orbison, Billy Fury,Cliff Richard, Bruce Springsteen, Travelling Wilbury’s, Bee Gees, Mavericks, UB40 and manymore fantastic classic artistes… and, of course, Elvis.

Tickets cost £25. Visit www telfordtheatre.com/whats-on for more information.

21Menopause The Musical 2comes to Oakengates Theatre, Telford.

Starring Mary Byrne (X Factor), Jessica Martin (Copycats), Rebecca Wheatley (Casualty) and Susie Fenwick (West End Star), everyone is welcome to Menopause the Musical2–Cruising Through Menopause.

In this hilarious sequel to the smashhit Menopause the Musical, the action fast forwards five years to catch up with the same four characters for tales of their lives, loves and losses as they set off on the high seas.

Featuring hot flushes, mood swings, memory lapses and weight gain, Cruising Through Menopause is truly funny, heartfelt and reassuring look atthe “joys” of menopause. When your life is abumpy ride full of twists and turns, it’s hard to find and keep true friends. But step on board and the characters will take you on atrip of self-discovery,love and friendship all backed by asoundtrack of hysterical parodied hits.

Tickets cost £32. Formore details visit www.telfordtheatre.com/whats-on

The exhibition Charles Darwin –The Making Of AMarvellous Mind continues at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery until March26.

The Making of aMarvellous Mind is afascinating exhibition accompanying the book of the same name by local author Jon King.

The exhibition focuses on Charles Darwin’s childhood and upbringing in Shrewsbury.Itexamines his obsession and fascination of the natural world –setting him on apath to become one of the greatest naturalists the world has ever known.

More details from www shropshiremuseums.org.uk/events/ Free entry

25Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Rachmaninoff ’s Piano Concerto No.2 are set to delight audiences at aShrewsbury Abbey concert by Shrewsbury Choral, starting at 7.30pm. Members of Shrewsbury Choral, accompanied by Shrewsbury Sinfonia, led by Ann Tuplin will be singing Rossini’s Stabat Mater.And prize-winning pianist Yuxuan Zhao will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff ’s Piano Concerto No.2.

Jenny Worley,Chair of Shrewsbury Choral, said: “The Stabat Mater is a13th century Christian hymn to Mary,which portrays her suffering as Jesus Christ’s mother during his crucifixion. It is one of Pergolesi’s most celebrated sacred works, achieving great popularityafter the composer’s death, and Joseph Eybler added achoir to replace some of the duets.”

Shrewsbury Choral members are looking forward to singing thework by Gioachino Rossini, based on the traditional structure of the Stabat Mater sequence for chorus and soloists, that he completed in 1841. This celebrated work will be adelight to the audience.

Also performing is theprize-winning and extremely talented young pianist Yuxuan Zhao from the Royal Northern College of Music to provide adifferent and exciting element to the evening’s entertainment.

This concert promises two amazing experiences that will build on the distinguished reputation of Shrewsbury Choral, led by conductor and musical director Dr Martin Charles Cook.

Tickets for the performance are available online at shrewsburychoral.org. uk/buytickets, via www.shrewsburychoral. org.uk or from PengwernBooks, Fish Street, Shrewsbury,tel:01743 232236, from choir members or on the door on the night.

28Shropshire Festivalsisbringing asense of fun into the business arena with anew festival for the 2023 calendar,Shropshire Business Festival,on March 28 at Wrekin College,Wellington.

This free festival turns conventional networking on its head by offering an informal, fun setting for Shropshire’s professionals to come together in a relaxed, festival atmosphere.

Previous business festivals run by Shropshire Festivalsattracted around 600 businesses and due to the central location, it promises to appeal to awider business community across thecounty

Beth Heath, Director of Fun at Shropshire Festivals,comments: “Business doesn’t have to be serious, we are all about seriously good fun and we areinjecting this into Shropshire Business Festival. Expect informative seminars, hands-on workshops, professional advice and of course, lots of networking opportunities mixed in with the festival vibe that you associate with Shropshire Festivals.

“This will be different to standard networking events with street food, have-a-go lorry drivingthanks to Dulson Training, speed networking, professional headshot photographs,or take some time out in the health andwellbeing zone.

“After many years running my events business, Itruly appreciate the value of networking. The contacts you make

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGES 123-125

REMEMBER WHEN: 1.1956. 2.1970. 3.1987. 4.1975.

5.1962.

FOUR Ws: 1.NeilYoung &Crazy Horse; Norma; Skye; 1973.

2.John Boulting; Two-Thirds; East Sussex; 1586. 3.Dick Van Dyke; Berwick Rangers; Royal Tunbridge Wells; 1876. 4.David Lynch; Donald; Arizona; 1950. 5.Scott Baio; One’s Family; Goodison Park; 1988. 6.NeilLaBute; 8points;Deepdale Stadium, Preston; 1981.

WORDWISE: 1.A 2.B 3.C 4.A 5.C 6.A

CROSSWORD: QUICK SOLUTIONS

Across: 7 Opine; 8 Phantom; 9 Natural; 10 Noose;

12 Decorative; 15 Miscellany; 18 Noisy; 19 Section; 21 Presage;

22 Ample. Down: 1 Countryman; 2 Birth; 3 Tear; 4 Apollo;

5 Maintain; 6 Stood in; 11 Even-handed; 13 Everyday;

14 Aspired; 16 Listen; 17 Nippy; 20 Clap. CRYPTIC

Across: 7 In the; 8 Open air; 9 Hobbled; locally can have asignificant impact on the success of your business. Ibelieve that by bringing together the businesses in our area, we can help each other to grow and prosper and keep Shropshirebusiness thriving!”

As well as an opportunity to rub shoulders with Shropshire’s business elite, the event will feature trade stands, oneto-one meetings with business experts, and hands-on marketingworkshops. There will also be the chancetoshowcase businesses in ‘Exhibitor zone’ at the venue.

Sponsors are being encouraged to get involved in this free entry event with plenty of opportunities available.

Visit shropshirebusinessfestival.co.uk to secure your place at one of the biggest networking events in thecounty