<![CDATA[FESTIVAL STOKE - News]]>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:06:50 +0000Weebly<![CDATA[Tremendous Trees and Muddy Fun]]>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/tremendous-trees-and-muddy-funWow what a wonderful session we had at Nature Connect Club on Saturday 7th February. At 10.30 it was raining cats and dogs and not looking hopeful but within 10 mins a family all kitted out for rain appeared and gradually others joined them. Did they love playing in the muddy puddles?… oh yes!! They painted with mud, identified and found out how old some of the trees are, made tree spirits from clay ( & used clay to slip and slide about on), drew with charcoal and warmed up with hot chocolate drinks!  What a brilliant time we all had and it was great to get creative in the outdoors in winter.
]]><![CDATA[Wonder Women enjoying Winter]]>Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/wonder-women-enjoying-winter​Wonder Women have been very busy during November and December planting Snowdrops, Crocus and Cyclamen in Stoke Minster grounds as part of our Pockets of Paradise project.
They also helped with the tidying up at plot 33 after a bit of storm damage
They have been getting festive making wreaths and having a Christmas celebration down at the Artstop
It is now time for a well earned break and Wonder Women will be back with Anne and Rachel in the new year for lots more adventures
]]><![CDATA[Nature Connect Club is back!]]>Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:17:04 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/nature-connect-club-is-backWe're excited to be hosting another series of Nature Connect Club during autumn throught to spring 2026.
Hosted by environmental artist Francesca and our own artists Anne and Rachel, the sessions will take place in the nature-rich grounds of Stoke Minster. 
Each session has a different theme and Francesca will bring some fun and interesting activities suitable for adults and children to enjoy.  On Saturday 15th November the theme was Paint and plant, where the group helped to plant lots of spring bulbs around the Minster grounds, they also got the opportunity to paint a bean-can planter and plant a spring bulb to take home and watch it grow.  Keep your eye on our socials for more dates.  
]]><![CDATA[More Activing at the Wallace Centre]]>Mon, 03 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/more-activing-at-the-wallace-centrePupils from Carmountside school have kindly helped Anne and Rachel plant a playful grass border in the new garden at the Wallace centre in Abbey Hulton.  New summer houses have been installed and on Friday 31st Oct 10:30-1pm they returned to finish off the planting and members of the public were invited to join in.
]]><![CDATA[Wallace Centre Community Garden]]>Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/wallace-centre-community-gardenAnne and Rachel have been working at the Wallace Centre in Abbey Hulton for a couple of months starting to create a sensory and play garden to go alongside the new Family Hub.  With help from people in the community they have built raised beds, garden seats with bedding. This involved shifting a LOT of top soil.
]]><![CDATA[Allotment Produce Day]]>Mon, 01 Sep 2025 18:28:14 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/allotment-produce-day​What a fabulous time we had yesterday at the Richmond Street Allotments annual produce show.
The Wonder Women won a few 1st, 2nd and 3rd awards
There was fabulous live music
It was lots of fun, and as always delicious cakes and refreshments
]]><![CDATA[Wonder Women Summer]]>Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/wonder-women-summer​Summer Outside sessions in beautiful weather, weeding, tidying up and harvesting tomatoes, digging up potatoes, harvesting salad leaves, cucumbers, beans, edible flowers, carrots, spring onions, beetroot etc.
We also decorated our own individual tote bags to carry all the produce home!! Also lots and lots and lots of watering
]]><![CDATA[Brightening up Wallace Sports & Education Centre]]>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/brightening-up-wallace-sports-education-centreAnne and Rachel have been out and about again!
This time building and installing the lovely woodblock seating and planters outside The Wallace Centre in Abbey Hulton on two of the hottest days of the year.
We were assisted by very hard working Jane, James and two fabulous women on their way out of the gym!
Once built we filled them with soil and planted with drought resistant plants
Finished off today painting with wood preserver.
All part of a bigger project installing a sensory garden in the grounds.
Wallace Sport And Education Centre
#community #gardening
]]><![CDATA[Marvellous Moths]]>Mon, 16 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/marvellous-moths​Nature Connect Club: Marvellous Moths.
We set the moth trap overnight in the allotment. In the morning we were excited to find more than 15 moths inside, including such species as - Buff Ermine moth, Cinnabar moth, Tawny Marbled Minor moth, Heart and Dart moths and Beautiful Plume moths.
The children enjoyed identifying the moths and transferring them to jars for observation. The Buff Ermine sat on a young girl’s hand. There were moth models to make, Lino cut print moths and a nature notebook to draw pictures of the moths too.
We learnt that there are 2,500 varieties of moths in the UK.
All moths were returned to the wild.
Many thanks to everyone who came along, it was a lovely interesting session on our allotment Plot 33.
]]><![CDATA[Nature Connect Club: Batty Bats]]>Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.festivalstoke.co.uk/news/nature-connect-club-batty-batsWe had a lovely evening in Stoke Minster grounds Bat watching on Friday 30th May.
Lots of people came along, families, couples and individuals!
Lots of fun was had making bat puppets, following trail, sharing stories and finally as dark came on, detecting and observing bats around the church.
We distributed bat detectors to hear them through the frequency and echo location.
It was a great session and very exciting!
Many thanks to everyone who came along.
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