FEBRUARY

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra 2012 Opening Gala Concert, Saturday, 11 February, 7:30 PM, Marina Theatre, Lowestoft, www.marinatheatre.co.uk.  Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, Dvorák Symphony No. 9, ‘From the New World’ , Rossini ‘The Italian Girl in Algiers Overture’

Garden Open:  Snowdrop & Hellebore Day, Sunday, 19 February, 11-4 PM, Gable House, Halesworth Road, Redisham NR34 8NE (between Beccles and Halesworth).  Plantsman’s garden with  hundreds of varieties.  NGS Garden open for charity.

MARCH

APRIL

Aldeburgh Big Broadway Shout, 1 April 2012, 2-4 PM, Snape Maltings Concert Hall.  www.wherecanwego.com/whatsonengland/suffolk.events, £2, Box office – 01728 687110.  Wonderful afternoon of singing along with some of the all-time great musical theatre numbers.  Everyone is the star of the show!  You don’t need to be able to read music – fun for all the family.

Suffolk Garden Show, 6-9 April 2012, Suffolk Showground, 10-5 PM.  www.wherecanwego.com/whatsonengland/suffolk.events

Beethoven’s Ninth, 6 April (8 PM)/8 April (4 PM) 2012, Snape Malting Concert Hall, Box Office:  01728 687110, Tickets £24-£10, Under 27s half price.  Beethoven’s Ninth is at once a touchstone, a landmark in musical history and a work so powerfully universal that its ability to shock, to thrill and to uplift us is as great as ever.

MAY

High Tide Festival, Halesworth 3- 13 May 2012, www.hightide.org.uk 18 world premieres of plays performed by award-winning actors including this year “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs”. Performed in New York,  the staging for High Tide is one of its first outside the USA.  The Festival premieres new playwrights and new work with world-class partners the Public Theatre, Nuffield Theatre and Headlong.   Venues include the Cut, the Rifle Hall and the Printworks.  A must for theatre lovers.  Telephone 020 7566 9767 for more details.

Beccles Antiques Street Market, 6 May 2012, 8AM-4:30 PM, Beccles Town Centre, NR34 9HA.  For more information, contact kates.lee@virgin.net

Norwich & Norfolk Festival, 11-26 May 2012, www.nnfestival.org.uk, www.visitnorwich.co.uk/norwich-festivals  International arts festival for the East of England.  Sixteen days of the best music, theatre, dance, circus and visual arts.

Wings and Wheels, 13 May 2012, Henham Park, Beeches, nr Lowestoft  NR34 8AM, www.wherecanwego.com/event/330986-wings-and-wheels-2012/events A one-day event run by Halesworth Lions Club in aid of charity.  Classic cars, aircaft, displays, stalls.  10-4 PM

Southwold Food Festival, 25-27 May 2012, Henham Park, nr Southwold NR34 8AN, 10-5 PM, www.flavoursof.co.uk.  Three days of fantastic specialist local produce, food and drink, cookery demos and much more….

JUNE

Suffolk Show 7th/8th June 2012, Trinity Park, Ipswich  www.suffolkshow.co.uk

Royal Norfolk Show, 27-28 June 2012, Norfolk Showground, Dereham Road, Costessy, Norwich NR5 0TT, www.royalnorfolkshow.com

Lowestoft  Seafront Air Festival 23/24th June   www.lowestoftairfestival.co.uk

JULY

Latitude Festival at Henham Park  4 days from Thursday 12-Sunday 15 July 2012.

Peasenhall Pea Festival, 15 July 2012, www.peasenhallpeafestival.co.uk.  With an Olympic theme, this year’s festival includes a World Pea Podding Championship, Pea throwing, lots of Pea eats and other whacky pea-themed games, competitions and treats.

Film Festival:  Electric Picture Palace, Southwold, July 20-22.  Featuring films from legendary film maker Ealing Studios.

AUGUST

Snape Proms, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, 1-31 August 2012.  For full programme see www.aldeburgh.uk

Gig in the Park, 10-12 August, Halesworth Town Park, www.giginthepark.com.   ”A music festival for the whole family“    www.halesworth.ws

Beccles Carnival 18-19 August 2012.  Teddy Bears’ picnic at the Quay on Saturday afternoon and Carnival procession on Sunday.  www.becclescarnival.co.uk for more details.

Southwold 3rd Annual Comedy Festival, dates tba    www.redcardcomedyclub.com

Halesworth Antiques Street Fair Sunday 26th  August  2012 (the day before the Bank Holiday Monday) 10am – 4pm   www.halesworth.ws.  Free entry but £1 donation encouraged for East Anglia Air Ambulance.

SEPTEMBER

Framlingham Sausage Fest, 01 September  - 31 October (exact dates tbc)  www.framsausagefest.co.uk, www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk.  Forget your “bangers”, this is a celebration of sausages as you have never seen them before!

Henham Steam Rally, 15-16 September 2012, www.henhamsteamrally.com

Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival 29-30 September 2012 (Dates tbc) , www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk

Westhall Village Yard Sale (our village)!    11th September

OCTOBER

Southwold Beer & Cider Festival, 01-31 October 2012 (dates tbc), www.southwoldrfc.co.uk

35th Norwich Beer Festival, St Andrews & Blackfriars Hall, 24-29th October.  Organised by Norwich & Norfolk branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.  Unmissable!

NOVEMBER

Southwold Literature Festival 2012, 8-12 November.  www.visit-suffolkcoast.co.uk

DECEMBER

Things that you missed….

JANUARY

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: paintings and passion.  Sat., January 14, 7:30 PM, Rendham Village Hall (next to Rendham Church on B1119).  Talk by John Carrington, Jr.  Johnny Carrington trained in Art History and his particular enthusiasm is for Rossetti, Millais, Burne-Jones and the other pre-Raphaelites.  His talk will be illustrated by examples of the Brotherhood’s pictures.  Cost:  £6 or pay at the door.  Contact: hpaygre@aol.com, 01728 663 485 or 01728 663 295

Weekend Wildlife Walks (2.5-3 hours), Sun., 15 January, 9:30 AM, RSPB Minsmere.  Contact RSPB Minsmere Saxmundham to book.  Adults:  £7.00; Members £5.00; Children half price.  Enjoy a seasonal walk to look for breeding birds, flowers, insects, migrants, wintering ducks and a host of other wildlife that may be present at the time.

Novelty Cupcake Workshop, Tues., 24 January.  Sugarplum Cupcakes, 36 Chapel Street, Woodbridge, IP12 4NF.  Spend 4 hours mastering the art of hand modelling with sugarpaste to create four unique animal cupcake designs.  Cost:  £55-70.  For details and booking, call 01394 386 032  orwww.sugarplumcupcakes.com.

A Taster of the 2012 Aldeburgh Festival, Fri., 27 January, 6:15 PM. , Snape Malting Concert Hall, Peter Pears Recital Room, Snape, IP17 1SP. Admission Free (including a glass of wine) but booking essential - 01728 687100.  Aldeburgh Music Chief Executive, Jonathan Reekie, and Head of Artistic Planning, Dan Whitefield, preview the 65th Aldeburgh Festival (8-24 June) with musical illustrations.  This is an excellent opportunity for a behind the scenes introduction to selected highlights of the Festival.

Weekend Wildlife Walks (2.5-3 hours), Sat., 28 January, 9:30 AM, RSPB Minsmere.  Contact RSPB Minsmere Saxmundham to book.  Adults:  £7.00; Members £5.00; Children half price.  Enjoy a seasonal walk to look for breeding birds, flowers, insects, migrants, wintering ducks and a host of other wildlife that may be present at the time.