Dear Reader

As we head into the most stunning season of all, there’s so much to see and do in our area this autumn, from enjoying the beautiful dahlia collection at Kelmarsh Hall & Gardens (page 22) to hearing all about the inspiration behind Golden Globe winning movie Kinky Boots from the man himself at Boughton House on September 20^th (page 58).

Lamport Hall (page 6) is throwing open its doors completely free of charge on September 9^th as part of the National Heritage Open Days festival and has a packed itinerary for visitors including tours with Head Gardener Jake, specialist demonstrations and activities to keep the younger members of the family occupied.

Deene Park (page 10), formerly the home of the 7^th Earl of Cardigan who led the Charge of the Light Brigade, is open on specified dates throughout September and is a must-visit with breath-taking seasonal gardens.

For the art lovers amongst us, September is the best month of the year, with Northants Open Studios (page 28) featuring 223 artists in over 100 free to enter venues, whilst literary fans are in for a treat at the Kettering Festival of Literature (page 30) which hosts a day of poetry and talks from over 20 writers and Oundle Festival of Literature (page 46) gives us unique access to authors in both September and October.

For those in search of light relief, don’t miss the competition on page 52 where two pairs of tickets must be won to see leading UK stand-up comedian, Ed Byrne, at The Castle Theatre, Wellingborough. And we can’t sign off without mentioning the 18^th annual Brigstock Beer Festival (page 18) with its wonderful combination of comedy, food, beer and live music.

Enjoy this beautiful time of year!

Jo Abraham

M: 07920 200626

www.villageconnect.com