Things to Do

Comedy, ballet, classic shows, new shows and thought provoking nights out. February is certainly delivering on all counts when it comes to theatre. Sammy Jones takes a peek at the month to come... Stacey Dooley has been a staple on our television screens in recent years for her investigative shows and presenting work, and she lifted the coverted Strictly glitter ball in 2018 as well. She had been due to visit the Derngate on February 8, but just as this edition of Pulse was being put to bed, her show probing into the difficulties of Britain’s mental health emergency, became another Covid casualty. The show will now visit on February 4, 2023. Previously, quick-tongued witty wonder Katherine Ryan had denounced partnership, but now she has married her first love, although apparently, it was accidentally... how do you do that?! Her new session with the mic (Feb 10) is a chance..

Do not miss your chance to get involved with the 125th birthday celebrations of Northampton Town Football Club this spring Northampton Town have announced a series of events that will take place in 2022 to mark the club’s 125th birthday and the 25th anniversary of the 1997 Wembley play off final win. The club are grateful for the support of All Things Management who are the club’s official 125 partner and the supporters and volunteers who form part of the club’s 125th birthday working party group. This programme of events has been constructed in consultation with them and the club would like to thank those supporters for their continued input and support. The celebrations will kick off with the club’s designated birthday fixture against Tranmere Rovers on Saturday 5 March which will see the team wear a special 125th anniversary kit. Former players will be invited to attend the game..

We have an abundance of places in Northamptonshire where we can enjoy snowdrops - the beautiful harbingers of spring. Here are just a few of our favourite places, although there are many more. Please note that you must check the relevant websites to ensure that the gardens are open before you set off, and opening times and dates will vary. Some also require pre-booking. And as snowdrops can’t read a calendar they may decide to bloom earlier or later than expected. However, the last two Sundays in February offer the best chance for a snowdrop visit. You can read all about the history of stunning snowdrops here. Here's a list of places to see snowdrops around Northamptonshire this February. Boughton House does the ‘snowdrop carpet’ to stunning effect under its ancient trees, and the last time I visited the honey scent was delicious. Open 27th February with NGS. www.boughtonhouse.co.uk Canons..

If ever there was a sight to warm the heart on a cold day, it is a carpet of snowdrops on a woodland floor. With their delicate heads poking through the hard ground and nodding in the winter winds, they send an optimistic message that spring is on the way, and that all is well. This month is the perfect time to wrap up warm and enjoy their blooms in one of our beautiful Northamptonshire historic gardens. Because these tiny but vigorous plants appear throughout the British Isles wherever conditions are favourable, it is easily assumed that they are a native species, or possibly introduced by the Romans two millennia ago. However, the snowdrop was introduced perhaps a mere 500 years ago. The earliest English reference to them appears in John Gerard’s Great Herbal in 1597, where he refers to them as ‘timely flouring bulbus Violet’. By his 1633 edition,..

Black death, a royal love story, and the bloody Battle of Northampton are all explored in a new permanent exhibition celebrating the lives of the nuns who lived and worked at the Abbey between 1145 and 1538. Little was known about the history of the women who lived at Northampton’s popular Abbey until now, thanks to the research of a small group of female volunteers undertaken during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020/21. Vera, one of the Delapré Abbey volunteers who worked on the exhibition, said: “This exhibition is the result of two years of work and research into the fascinating lives of our nuns and finding untold stories. We have followed this intrepid group of women down the centuries and seen their courage and their failings.  We are very proud of them. We are excited to share these very human stories delving into the town’s early history with visitors.” The team have worked..

Castle Theatre in Wellingborough is thrilled to welcome visitors back to its theatre for the first time in 2 years. Due to Covid restrictions, pantos have been put on hold which has meant that no Christmas panto could go ahead in 2019 or 2020. Fast forward to 2021 and the team at Castle Theatre are all raring to go to celebrate the reopening of the Christmas panto Sleeping Beauty. Martin Cleverley, the Castle Theatre's general manager said: “It’s great to be back! Me and the cast are so excited to be able to do what we love. “Ticket sales are already ahead compared to previous years, and we already have 24 schools booked to come and see the panto – which is incredible! “We plan to put on a high-quality production using a high-quality cast and we know that spectators are going to love it.” You can expect panto’ hilarity,..

Colder weather, darker evenings and spectacular shows can only mean one thing… it’s firework season! Bonfire night has always been popular across Northamptonshire, with impressive firework displays, plenty of sparklers and large bonfires, there are lots of places to go and celebrate bonfire night. Whether you’re looking for a place to take the kids or you just want a night out watching fireworks, these places have got you covered. Here’s where to watch fireworks in Northamptonshire… Santa Pod Raceway Head to Santa Pod Raceway for a fireworks frenzy drive-in on Friday 5th November from 5.30pm. The team have collaborated with top fireworks display company Titanium Fireworks to create one of Santa Pod’s biggest firework displays ever. They have worked to design an all-aerial display with a wide frontage all the way along the spectator banking, meaning that everyone who comes will get a great view. There won’t be a bonfire..

Shoppers are being urged to ‘Win Your Christmas’ by taking part in a Northampton town centre Golden Ticket giveaway. Four lucky winners will each win £500 of vouchers as part of the £2,000 prize fund, simply by hand-posting an entry ticket into special post boxes found in shops and businesses in the town centre. The Golden Ticket campaign, organised by Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) will encourage people to ‘shop local’ this Christmas and support Northampton businesses, with the added incentive of a prize to spend in town centre shops and businesses of their choice. BID Operations Manager Mark Mullen said: “After a difficult 18 months or so we’re all looking forward to spreading a bit of festive cheer this Christmas and our Golden Ticket giveaway is the perfect way to put smiles on the faces of four lucky families. “The competition is a key component of our..

Town centre businesses will have the chance to ‘get Northampton gleaming’ as part of a dedicated tidy day ahead of the busiest shopping period of the year. The concerted clean-up campaign will see business owners team up to get the town centre looking its best and make it even more appealing to visitors this Christmas. The event, which takes place from 9am to noon on Monday, November 8 and will get underway in Market Square, has been organised by Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) - an organisation working to make Northampton a better place to live, shop and work. It forms part of a series of projects to tidy up Northampton town centre, and follows a previous tidy day held in August which saw almost 50 people collect more than 100 bags of rubbish from known litter hot spots around the town centre. Mark Mullen, Northampton Town Centre BID operations..

A national football tournament held in Northampton for ethnic minority communities saw teams have fun while improving their fitness and promoting “multi-cultural togetherness”. The seven-a-side tournament, featuring 16 teams from across the country, was held at the University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus on Sunday, October 24. Organiser Naz Islam said: “Integrating minority groups into wider society is vitally important and this tournament was the perfect way to start that process for many people who may not feel comfortable playing football against teams from outside their community. “Teams from all backgrounds took part, it was open to everyone. “Football is a brilliant way to get fit while having fun and we wanted to give everyone the chance to improve their health and wellbeing while enjoying themselves and making new connections to last a lifetime.” The event raised money for the tournament’s charity partner, an orphanage and school in Bangladesh which aims..

Hamm Tun Deli, home to the award-winning Cobblers Nibble cheese, is to open a new premises on the grounds of Whittlebury Park countryside hotel and spa in November. The second venture for the popular Northamptonshire deli, due to open on 13 November, will include a farm shop, deli and cafe and will serve a range of groceries and locally sourced products as well as eat-in breakfasts, lunches and takeaway coffees. The deli, farm shop and cafe, which has another premises in Long Buckby, will complement Whittlebury Park’s five food and drink outlets, including the hotel’s fine dining three AA Rosette Murrays restaurant, the contemporary Aston’s restaurant, the Atrium Bistro situated within the Atrium Clubhouse, the Silverstone Bar, and the Terrace café in the leisure club. Hamm Tun Deli is owned by Rachael Bradshaw. Rachael commented: “Our new premises at Whittlebury Park is a big step forward and will allow us..

Stand-up comedy for kids and adults, murder and corruption, and rude songs – Pulse’s Sammy Jones takes you through October’s theatre-highlights. Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery comes to the Derngate stage for a six-day stay (Oct 4-9) with the return of Chicago. Step back into the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s once more. Your casting for this run is a good one; Former Corrie star Faye Brookes is Roxie, stage star Darren Day is Billy Flynn, and Sinitta makes her return to the stage as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton. Jonny & The Baptists invite you to Dance Like It Never Happened (Oct 9), and when you think about just what has happened over these past 18 months, that’s a hefty ask. But J&TB are learning to accept and engage with their grief, which involves sharing their story of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. They’ll do it with lots..

Christmas is coming, and it’s pink! Each year, after a period of hibernation, Lush’s most popular Snow Fairy Christmas range emerges. Following the success in 2020, Lush has announced they will be bringing back a sweet treat to local high streets and shopping centres as they reveal destinations for Lush’s Snow Fairy pop-up! You can experience the magic of Snow Fairy for limited edition goodies, personalised presents and a whole lot more! The first stop will be Rushden Lakes. The Northampton Lush team will welcome visitors to the external shoppable trailer.  The pop-up will have stairs and a ramp to access. Opening Times - Lush Snow Fairy Pop-Up at Rushden Lakes SATURDAY 16TH OCT 09:00 - 20:00 SUNDAY 17TH OCT 11:00 - 17:00

PYO pumpkins are back this Autumn and are the perfect excuse to pick up a pumpkin just in time for Halloween. Whether you’re looking for something to do this half term with the kids or fancy making some pumpkin soup, here are some places to go across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes. Saxby’s Cider After last year's fantastic event, Saxby’s Cider is reopening its farm once again for PYO pumpkins. The pumpkin picking opens from Saturday 16th October and will be open at weekends, then every day throughout half term. Their cider bar and shop will be open which will be serving their award-winning cider as well as teas, coffees, soft drinks and hot food. Plus, they have an impressive pumpkin display for you and the little ones to take lots of photos. Tickets are just £2.50 per car and must be booked online in advance via their website. Overstone Grange..

Shoppers are being urged to support their favourite local traders this weekend as part of ‘FiverFest’ - a new campaign aimed at promoting Northampton town centre’s independent retailers. Retailers and food outlets have been encouraged to put together a series of special £5 offers as part of the two week initiative, with visitors to the town centre encouraged to ‘keep their money in the town’ by buying from independents. FiverFest is a national campaign organised by Totally Locally. It has been adopted locally by NLive Radio and Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) and will run from Saturday, October 9-23. BID Operation Manager, Mark Mullen, said: “People spending just £5 per week in their local independent shops can have a huge impact on our town centre. “FiverFest is a chance for independent businesses to encourage people back to Northampton, to say thank you to customers who have supported them..