Muddy’s pick of the month:

Bookworms, rejoice! Literary festivals abound this month including our top pick: The Bury St Edmunds Literary Festival from 11 – 23 October at two locations around Bury: the Unitarian Meeting House on Churchgate Street and the Guildhall. The line-up this year is the best yet with a wide range of genres and events for everyone. The headline events include talks with Clare Chambers, Janice Hallett, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston. There are also three children’s events and this part of the festival operates on a ‘pay what you can’ basis making it accessible for all families.

ARTS & CULTURE

suffolk punch horse show at NHRM October 2024

The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket is hosting two displays of Suffolk Punches on 6 October 2024. You can enjoy demonstrations by the rare breed of work horse (more endangered than the Giant Panda) in the Museum’s Peter O’Sullevan Arena at 11 am or 2:30pm and have an opportunity to meet the horses and learn more about this world-famous breed. Tickets £15 (which includes admission to museum) or £5 for the display only. Children under 16 go free.

Also on at The National Horseracing Museum this month s your last chance to catch the exhibition ICONS – The Photography of John Reardon. John was a former photographer at The Observer and The Guardian and the exhibitioncovers everything from thoroughbreds through to Michelin-starred chefs. There’s a special behind the scenes tour and talk about the exhibition on 19 October.

On Sat 12 Oct, Burwash Manor will hold its annual Apple Day in celebration of the beloved autumn fruit. Nurse a cider, take a ride on a miniature steam train, have a go on the fairground, try your hand at the pony riding or the Rodeo Bull or watch displays of many traditional activities – from willow weaving and bee-keeping to basket weaving. There will even be some less traditional treats too –such as the assault course.

apple day October 2024 cambridge — Apple Day at Cambridge Botanic garden by Howard Rice

Cambridge’s Botanical Gardens also have an Apple Day event on 20 Oct, featuring apple tasting, apple identification, apple cultivation and activities like crafts and garden tours as well as live music, food trucks and local craft stalls.

FESTIVALS

There’s a glut of film festivals this month around our region including Lavenham’s inaugural film festival from 1 – 8 October. The festival will showcase indie films in some of the medieval villages most stunning venues.

Later in the month it’s The Suffolk Short Film Festival on 26 October at The Riverside Woodbridge. No awards this year however the organisers will be selecting films with a Suffolk Connection for a special screening.

In Cambs there’s the 43rd Cambridge Film Festival from 24 – 31 October at The Cambridge Arts Picturehouse with a wide ranging programme of over 100 titles with something for audiences of all ages and tastes.

Are you someone who can shop till you drop? There’s a festival with your name on it… the East Anglian Festival of Shopping on 19 October at the iconic Millennium Grandstand at Newmarket Racecourse where you can get ahead of the Christmas rush.

DAYS OUT

IWM Duxford’s flying season comes to an end this month with the Flying Finale on 5 Oct. Expect all the usual aeronautics and a showcase of the highlights from the past year including a special appearance from The Red Arrows and the Avro Lancaster.

In Newmarket the racing season also comes to a spectacular end with the Dubai Future Champions Festival on the 11 and 12 October and the final meet on 1 and 2 November.

Planning a wedding? Hintlesham Hall in Suffolk is holding a Wedding Open Day on 13 October where you can check out the gorgeous venue and meet top wedding suppliers from the local area.

FOOD & DRINK

Lederhosen at the ready – it’s Oktoberfest season! In Suffolk you can get your fill of Bavaria and beer at Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club on 19 October and at Christchurch Park in Ipswich from 11- 12 October.

Is there anything nicer than cracking open a good bottle of red wine on an autumn evening? If this sounds like your idea of heaven head to the Salthouse Harbour Hotel in Ipswich this month to enjoy the Burgundy Wine Night on 29 October, where you get to indulge in a decadent three course meal with wine pairings selected from the vineyards of Burgundy by Liberty Wines.

Over at sister hotel, The Angel Hotel in Bury St Edmunds, there are a couple of brilliant seasonal foodie events too – a steak night in The Vaults on 3 October and an underground supper club on 17 October.

At the end of the month treat yourself to a special roast dinner at High Lodge Leisure in Darsham on the Suffolk coast. On 27 October, work up an appetite by firing some clays or enjoying an archery session and then head inside for their once a month carvery that is well known in the area for being top notch.

MUSIC

English touring opera on stage with Blond Eckbert — Image: English Touring Opera

This month classical music enthusiasts will be in their element this autumn at the Cambridge Music Festival Autumn series. Highlights include Boris Giltburg playing Chopin & Rachmaninov at West Road Concert Hall on 16 October, Mendelssohn’s Elijah on 1 November at King’s College Chapel, Mozart’s Requiem on 15 November at King’s College Chapel and Jail Bakary Konteh on 21 November at the Old Divinity School.

English Touring Opera’s autumn programme comes to our region this month with The Snowmaiden at Snape Maltings on 12 October and at Saffron Hall in Saffron Walden on 19 October. The company are also hitting the high notes in Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert at Snape Maltings on 11 October and Saffron Hall on 18 October.

If you like to eat while you listen head to the The Angel Hotel in Bury St Edmunds for their next Sunday Sessions on 6 October where you enjoy a Sunday Lunch accompanied by chilled acoustic music, with songs from the 50s to the present day, performed by the wonderful Serena Grant. Can’t make it? You can also catch Serena Grant at the Friday Night Sessions on 25 October in The Vaults.

Lover of 80s music? Pop icon Adam Ant is bringing his new tour ANTMUSIC to The Cambridge Corn Exchange on 18 October. The show will raise the roof of the venue with Ant’s signature blend of heavy drums and guitar solos, and he’ll be performing all his chart-topping hits and personal favourites including Goody Two Shoes, Antmusic, Vive Le Rock, and Stand and Deliver.

Book now for Legend – The Music of Bob Marley at The Cambridge Corn Exchange on 15 November. With hit after hit that’ll transport you to Jamaica for a few hours, the talented cast of this show celebrate Bob’s distinctive vocals and flawless musicianship singing everything from Could You Be Loved, Is This Love, and One Love, to Jammin’, Buffalo Soldier, and I Shot the Sheriff. Book here.

THEATRE & COMEDY

pirates of penzance on stage — Pirates of Penzance by Scott Rylander

Loads of brilliant theatre to catch in Cambridge this month. Our top picks at the Cambridge Arts Theatre include The History Boys from 1 – 5 October, Black is the Color of my Voice from 10 – 11 October, The Pirates of Penzance from 14 – 19 October and 1984 from 22 – 26 October.

Over the road at The Cambridge Corn Exchange you’ll want to nab tickets quickly for Sarah Millican: Late Bloomer from 10 – 12 October. Strictly fans will be in heaven at Legends of the Dancefloor on 15 October when Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Pasha Kovalev, Vincent Simone and Ian Waite take to the stage. Suffolk residents can also catch this show at the Ipswich Regent on 5 October. Everyone’s favourite Chateau owners will be sharing untold stories and insights at Dick and Angel: Forever Home on 17 October and the month rounds off with a loads of belly laughs courtesy of Nish Kumar (24 October) Al Murray (26 October and also Ipswich Regent on 12 October) and Milton Jones on 31 October (also at Ipswich Corn Exchange on 30 October).

Head to the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds this month for some drama in the form of The Highwayman from 2 – 5 October, Murder for Two from 9 – 12 October, and The Deep on 24 October. Meanwhile fans of Frankie Valli won’t want to miss Oh What a Night! on 26 October, the ultimate celebration of one of the world’s greatest Rock & Roll bands.

Over at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds foodies will enjoy an evening with Jay Rayner on 3 October while footie fans will want to get their hands on tickets to see Sky Sports legend Jeff Stelling on 9 October.

In Ipswich, Father Ted fans will want to join Joe Rooney for A Celebration of Father Ted on 10 October at the Corn Exchange. On the same night at the Ipswich Regent it’s a laugh a minute with Katherine Ryan in her show Battleaxe.

KIDS

You can always rely on Ferry Meadows in Peterborough to provide some budget-friendly half term activities and October 2024 is no different. There’s a Fungi Holiday Trail on every day of half term where kids have to answer questions and follow the trail to receive a prize. They’ll also love the pop-up fun park, a zone featuring inflatables and fairground rides from 26 October to 3 November. Other brilliant family friendly activities include autumn craft sessions on 29 October, and a climbing wall taster on 31 October.

Half term boredom kicking in? Head to Gainsborough’s House in Sudbury on 29 October for Tom’s Tuesdays – The Big Draw 2024, a festival of drawing Come and discover the dynamic and ever-changing nature of drawing where kids can explore animation, discover movement within the Camera Obscura, and experiment with different ways of drawing. £5 per child with up to two adults.

The National Horseracing Museum has a couple of fabulous events for kids this half term. First up is Love N Skate Creative Workshop on 30 October from 11am – 3pm, where kids can have a go at screen printing t-shirts from two exclusive NHRM x Love n Skate designs as well as designing their own skateboard artwork! It’s free with museum admission and there’s no need to book.

HALLOWEEN

Plenty to scare both young and old silly this season in our region…

Head to Suffolk’s Seckford Hall Hotel & Spa on 25 October for the annual Halloween Party, a spook-tacular evening where you can get dressed up and dance the night away (alongside the hall’s resident ghosts). The evening includes a three-course meal, welcome drink, spooky live music and a souvenir photo, all for £59pp.

Back at the National Horseracing Museum it’s NightMARE at the Museum (see what they did there!) on 27 October from 5:30 -7pm. Children (and adults if they fancy!) are invited to dress up in their scariest costumes and help find the museum’s resident miniature Shetland pony, Kizzy, who has been captured by the ghosts of Palace House. Follow a magical mystery trail around the grounds of the Museum, and collect the ingredients along the way to help break the spell to bring Kizzy back! Adults £6, children £4.

Johnsons of Old Hurst is always a hit in the holidays but this October it’ll be frightfully good with their Halloween event running from 30 October – 1 November. Expect face painting, a spooky woodland walk, pumpkin carving, marshmallow toasting and lots more.

If it’s pumpkin picking you’re after then fear not, there are more than enough pumpkins to go round this October. For Suffolk readers there’s Rougham Estate where you can choose from 20 different varieties every weekend in October; Siam Hall near Sudbury, which has moved to a larger field to grow even more pumpkins and has a café on site; Southwold Maize Maze, which has pumpkin picking alongside a cheeky monster maze, trick or treat maze, go-karts, a fortune teller, a haunted house and pumpkin carving.

In Cambridgeshire you can PYO pumpkins at Ickleton’s ever popular Pumpkin Jim’s which has hay bales to climb, trampolines and food and drink. At Skylark Events, in Wimblington, you can visit the pumpkin patch as part of their wider Week of Wickedness from 19 – 31 October, which includes pumpkin carving, magic shows, tractor rides, scarecrow smashing, den building and pig racing. There’s also the Milton Maze Pumpkin Patch open each weekend this month from 5 October and all of half term and which promises a choice from over 60,000 pumpkins including white pumpkins, warty pumpkins, stripey pumpkins and even pink pumpkins. Finally Bury Lane Farm in Meldreth the PYO pumpkin patch and halloween shop is open from end of September.

Want to give yourself a good fright? Head to Kentwell Hall’s Scaresville Haunted Village, running nightly from 16 October – 2 November. This live action immersive experience is not for the faint-hearted or anyone under the age of 14!

Kentwell Hall also has an event for younger visitors called Halloweenies from 27 October – 3 November with activities like wand-making, a broomstick challenge and learning to sew potions at the School of Sorcery. Meanwhile Hollow Trees Farm in Semer has a Return of the Beasts event running from 25 October – 3 November, where kids can explore the eerie Witches Mansion, take a Wild Walk with Shuck the black dog, and brave the Beastly Barrel Train.

In Cambridge Halloween hits the river with lots of different themes putting tours to choose from including The Traditional Punting Co’s Halloween Punt and Hunt event from 26 October – 3 November and Rutherford’s Ghost Tour punting from 27 – 31 October.

It wouldn’t be Halloween in Cambridge without Sacrewell Farm changing its name to Scarewell for the week. For 2024 it’s the Big Halloween Mash-Up from 26 – 31 October with a mad scientist lab, a zombie zone, a spider walk, a witches’ lair, a monster mash glow disco and a scarecrow village.

All aboard the ghost train… Audley End’s Halloween themed Miniature Railway is one of the best in their calendar in my humble opinion, and as well as a train ride there are plenty of other kid-friendly events to fill a full day out. Running from 26 October – 3 November.

WELLBEING

The Four Bells Glamping in Hawstead have just launched The Field Spa an open air relaxation and a Nordic spa experience. Book an appointment to use one of their wood fired hot tubs and then take a dip in the cold plunge, which is proven to improve circulation, muscle relaxation and sleep. There are lovely changing facilities on site too with rainfall showers and heated floors. Highly recommended.

The Studio Bartlow, near Linton has a fabulous themed event coming up this month on 11 October, Autumn Vibes: Stretch & Sketch, where you can relax with gentle stretches and unleash your creativity inspired by the beautiful colours of fall! Can’t make that one? Book ahead now for the winter version on 8 November.

Last chance to benefit from a special offer for Muddy readers on Featherlight Living’s Flourish in the Fens sessions. Flourish in the Fens is a unique coaching and meditation mini-retreat hosted aboard the Moon River, a spacious boat moored in the tranquil Fens. This half-day retreat offers a life audit, cyclical living coaching, and values alignment, empowering women to gain clarity and direction in their lives. It provides a valuable opportunity to step away from the chaos of daily life and reconnect with oneself in a serene and natural setting. Read my review here and then use the code MUDDYFLOURISH at the checkout for 20% off. Offer expires on 20 October.

Steph at Featherlight Living is also running an Effortless Creativity Workshop on 27 October at The Unitarian Meeting House in Bury St Edmunds. The 3-hr workshop costs £45 and provides you with the space to learn how you can reclaim your time, harness your power, connect to your intuitive voice, and most of all, feel effortless in your creativity.

Hello autumn! 50+ things to do in Suffolk & Cambs this October

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