Dear Reader

We now enter the season of festivals.  July will see the return of Oundle Food Festival with a record-breaking number of producers, see pages 42-43, and The Great British Food Festival comes to Kelmarsh Hall for the very first time, see pages 56-57.  Check out page 32 for inspiration for your own summer picnics, with Camille Ortega-McLean’s recipe for empanadas, or page 38 for jerk chicken burger with mango salsa.
Should you need to burn off some calories after all this glorious food, turn to the pages ahead for ideas for activities in the great outdoors.  You can get a free fly fishing taster session at Pitsford Reservoir, see page 102, or take part in one of the cycling routes arranged by Tour Ride Northamptonshire, tracking part of the  Aviva Women’s Tour, see pages 96-97.  Sky Ride Local will equally be arranging a variety of rides for all the family, see page 82.  So, get on your bike!

If you have young children or grandchildren to entertain this summer, there are lots of holiday activities to choose from.  Our local country parks are putting on a huge selection, see pages 100-101; Kelmarsh Hall has storytelling, see page 86; there are playschemes in several of our villages as well as Kettering by the Sea, see pages 108-109;  Wistow Maze is in the shape of Roald Dahl and the BFG, see pages 66-67; and Oundle School will be putting on an impressive range of sports and drama activities over the holidays, see page 76.

Silverstone Classic returns to our region, see pages 60-61; Gretton Music Festival is in its seventh season, see pages 70-71; KettFest is back for the second time, see pages 8-9, and the delightful Oundle International Festival will entertain us throughout most of July, see pages 88-91.  There is an abundance of flower festivals, fairs, fêtes, dog shows and fun days to attend over the months to come.  Add to those, outdoor theatre at Lyveden, see page 86, and open-air cinema screenings, see pages 112-113, and you will not be short of things to do over what will hopefully turn out to be a great British summer.

Hillcrest House

Church Hill

Geddington

Northants

NN14 1AH

Tel: 01536 744700