Yahoo News What's on in and around Herefordshire: Nine-year-old girl's special event
LOOKING for things happening in and around Hereford?
We've compiled some upcoming events to keep all the family busy in the city, including a special event run by a nine-year-old girl to raise money after her friend suffered a heart attack.
These are three of the events published in the what's on section of the Hereford Times this week (July 4).
The Talbot Hotel
Lee Smith (Image: NQ)
A LITTLE girl has joined forces with a local pub to help people with heart problems after a friend suffered a heart attack.
Nine-year-old Willow Williams, of Ledbury, has a diagnosis of autism and extreme anxiety but she also has a big heart to help others.
Willow, whose condition means she can't always go to school, met Lee Smith after she and her parents struck up a friendship with a group of people at the Talbot Hotel in Ledbury.
Her parents said: “When one member of this group, Lee Smith, aged 51, suffered two heart attacks, Willow was determined to do something to help her friend.
“Willow designed a ‘Cardiac Unit’ box and gathered the group to brainstorm ideas for a fundraising event to support the charity and the specialists who saved Lee’s life, twice.”
Willow and Helen, the landlady of The Talbot Inn, came up with the idea for an event at The Talbot on Sunday, July 21.
Willow hopes the event, ‘Have a Heart for Lee,’ will raise at least £1,000 for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity.
Willow’s parents Lindsay and Ben Williams said: “The Talbot Hotel hosting the event will not only raise awareness of this worthwhile charity, it should help to push a vulnerable little girl’s confidence through the roof, by allowing her to think that she might succeed in making a difference and bring a community together for a good cause."
Willow said: “I thought it would be a good idea because it might raise enough money for the hospital and because I want them to make Lee and people like Lee better.”
Lee Smith, from Ledbury, coached and played competitive cricket for Eastnor Cricket Club and described how he fell ill last June after batting in a match initially brushing off a pain in his chest as indigestion.
He said: “The pain grew more and more noticeable with a crushing pain moving down my left arm. I knew something was seriously wrong.”
Lee arrived at Hereford Hospital having a heart attack. He was blue-lighted to Worcester coronary unit where within 15 minutes he had a blockage removed and a stent fitted.
“My family and friends have been my rock,” he said.
Hereford Apple Fest
(Image: Apple Fest)
CELEBRATING Herefordshire’s iconic apple heritage, Hereford AppleFest will be returning from September 28 until October 13, with two weeks of incredible apple-themed events taking place across the county.
The festival will commence with the Hereford Apple Fest Kick-Off on 28 September, a day full of live music, performances, artisan cider, perry and apple juice, children’s activities and more. Last year saw hundreds flock to Hereford city centre to enjoy one of the city’s biggest events of the year, and 2024 is set to be just as exciting.
Fringe events will take place in various locations across Herefordshire during the two weeks, with activities and events ranging from cider and perry talks and tastings, orchard tours, live music, and much more. Many of Herefordshire’s most distinguished cider and perry producers will be offering exclusive experiences.
The Apple Fest Banquet will bookend the two weeks of Hereford Apple Fest with a unique experience sure to excite any cider and perry enthusiast, offering a pome-themed banquet hosted in the distinguished Assembly Hall of Hereford Town Hall.
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Charley’s Aunt
(Image: Crescent Theatre)
CHARLEY’S Aunt is the best-known and probably the most loved British farce and, with Birmingham’s Crescent Theatre always offering something special, this is a sparkling new adaptation by the Crescent’s own Michael Barry.
The Crescent company in rehearsal As Michael Barry, adapter and director, explains: “Charley’s Aunt is a perfect summer play.
“It’s funny, zany, a bit of a romp and exactly what you want for a summer evening: to watch something that is unashamedly light-hearted fun.
“Nothing dreadful happens in Charley’s Aunt. I want our audiences to forget all the difficulties and troubles in the world and just ride on the cloud of the jokes, the actions and the silly situations that arise and believe for that time that everything is fine.”
Audiences can catch Charley’s Aunt at Hagley Village on 7 July, Selly Manor on 10 and 11 July or Harvington Hall on 13 and 14 July. All information is on the Crescent’s website: www.crescent-theatre.co.uk
