Sutton Wakes Up to Spring
As we cast off the dark days of winter and emerge blinking in to the sunlight, what’s going on in Sutton Coldfield to make ending our hibernation worthwhile?
Time Travel in Sutton Park
First stop, as spring is asserting itself, is Sutton Park. A great way to explore the park is to take one of the Friends of Sutton Park Association (FOSPA) archaeology walks. Would you have known that the park (long before King Henry Viii gifted it to the town) was inhabited by our bronze-age ancestors? Or that over 800 years ago it was a prestigious deer park, owned by the earl of Warwick. Pick up the FOSPA leaflet which contains 3 different walks and charmingly weaves in these stories of old.
Springtime Arts
What to do in the evening after a bracing day out in the fresh spring air? How about a dip into a Turkish bath? At Sutton Arts Theatre, Neil Dunn’s ribald classic Steaming is running from 20th to 29th March.
The Royal opera House comes to the Empire cinema with an “as live” screening of A Winter’s Tale on 28th April and there is a great line up of other London productions following. It’s as near to the real thing as you can get, without the expense of trekking to London.
Also not to be missed, and with more of a local feel, is Swinging on a Star, a big band music night with the fabulous Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra at Sutton Town Hall on 21st March.
Made in Sutton
If your winter hibernation has left you more in a shopping frame of mind, choose Saturday 15th March to make your trip into the town centre. That’s when local arts promoters Made in Sutton take over the shopping centre, presenting a day of arts, music and dance activities to accompany your retail therapy.
This spring it’s all about getting out there and enjoying all that Sutton Coldfield has to offer, from the natural oasis of Sutton Park to the vibrant arts and culture of our Royal town. Enjoy!
This article appears in Recommended magazine, delivered free to 40,000 homes and businesses in the Sutton Coldfield and surrounding areas.
Fitness – It Takes Two
If you and your partner have decided to get fit together then you should try out some sports designed to be played in pairs. You might find out more about your partner than you ever would have done normally; they could be a crack shot or hopelessly uncoordinated, either way you’ll feel like more of a team. There are plenty of options in Walmley and Sutton Coldfield.
Something like badminton is really easy to learn, requires little equipment and is delightfully indoors; perfect for this time of year! Jogging together is not only a fun way to enjoy the outdoors and increase fitness but is also safer if you are an evening exerciser. You could even indulge in some his and hers jogging outfits to really look the part!
Dance classes are the perfect way to include some romance into your workout regime. Tangoing your way to trim bodies and learning something new together will keep the sizzle in, whilst you sweat out those toxins.
For fun at home, the Wii could provide the source for some serious amusement. Whilst being aerobically effective, it can unfortunately bring out the dark competitive side in us; virtual boxing matches quickly advance to shin kicking and gouging in my experience. There are plenty of less aggressive games on the Wii for two to enjoy; tennis, tug o’ war, golf and baseball to name but a few.
If you argue a lot, have you thought about some constructive stress relief? Learning to wrestle could iron out plenty of marital problems and expose who really wears the trousers. With professional coaching, it is an extremely effective all-round exercise and is a constructive therapy for working out those disagreements.
Spending time exercising together can be a way to make the most of the time you have outside of work and other commitments. It will keep you both looking fabulous and, if you are lucky, could see you exercising your dog together in the park well into your 90s!
Carrie Cartwright-Owen
thinkbigpublishing 