17 Aug ONE MONTH UNTIL THE NEXT AGEING WELL FESTIVAL
By David Gledhill, Marketing & Communications Lead
In just one month’s time, we will be throwing open the doors of the Riviera Centre in Torquay for the eighth Torbay Ageing Well Festival.
We are getting very excited about welcoming you all back in person on Saturday, September 17th after two years online because of COVID and we promise you that it will be bigger and better than any of the festivals that have gone before.
We have learned a lot down the years, particularly around what you want to see and do at a festival and we have brought together the cream of the Bay’s talent to make sure you have a day out to remember.
The entertainment is, as usual, stellar, and we are bringing back the very best talent by popular request and will include the ever-in-demand Sandy Sparkle, who will be performing as well as compèring the main stage alongside committee member and main stage organiser, Richard James.
We have the Old Gaffers singing out sea shanties at the top of their lungs as well as theatre from the South Devon players who will be delivering a bit of swordplay from their production of Beowulf.
Vivien and Barry will be back singing duets and recounting their fascinating lives in TV and film. The Torbay Rock Choir intends to shake the rafters belting out a whole range of contemporary hits in two performances on the main stage.
Our ever-popular Flash Mobbers will be back to provide us with a medley of their greatest hits. As usual, it will be lively, energetic and sure to get your toes tapping in preparation for what follows.
What AWT Festival would be complete without Clare Parker (on Anne George’s behalf) shaking her stuff and getting others to join in to boogie the afternoon away with an end-of-festival dance party?
As usual, there will be lots of opportunities to try new things, whether tai chi, yoga or a whole host of other exercises and we have also lined up an array of top-notch speakers.
John Risdon will be regaling us with tales of Brixham Past and Present, and Kevin Dixon will be taking us on a rollicking Great Saturday Night out in Torquay. And there are also talks from the past and present of Oldway Mansion.
Add to that talks by the Disabled Sailing Association on their work in the Bay, advice on Tax and Care from Silvertime Legal and a talk about The Drinking Fountains of Torquay by David Hinchcliffe.
Come and meet your Community Builders in their ‘patch’ on our ‘map’ of all our neighbourhoods right across the Bay. This is your chance to meet all the lovely people who come to our fabulous groups, find out what we are really like and how our groups work!
You could join a coffee morning, drop into a knit and natter, dip into a craft group, meet Friends of Clennon Valley and find out where the walking groups go. What do they do at ‘the Shed’ in Chelston? Who will you meet at the Crafty Fox? What’s Music at the Museum like? You could explore a community garden, join a band, have a go at ‘pitch and putt’, meet some drama queens or try on costumes.
What’s your thing? Classical music, a quiz, pyrography, yarn bombing, mosaic, lunch club, dominoes, skittles, pool, board games, books, bikes, writing or a memory café? There are lots of short activity demos too – all strutting their stuff throughout the day.
Parking is very limited and mostly restricted to disabled blue badge holders who will need to book their place ahead of the event by emailing [email protected] or by ringing 01803 212638 and leaving your details including name, phone number, make of car and registration.
The centre is well served by buses, which we would advise you to use and this year we will be running a connecting shuttle from the bus stop down by Torre Abbey up to the event for those who might struggle.
See you there.
Regular updates for the festival, along with details on how to volunteer are available on the festival webpage at www.ageingwelltorbay.com/awf22
