2010 Calendar of Events
JANUARY
Friday 1st New Years Day - Public Holiday
Monday 25th Burn’s Night - The birthday of Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns (1759-1796), celebrated with great festivity by the Scots.
FEBRUARY
Sunday 14th - Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year (Tiger)
Tuesday 16th - Shrove Tuesday - Pancakes are often served.
MARCH
Monday 1st -St David's Day (Patron Saint of Wales)
Thursday 11th - Sunday 14th - Crufts - A famous annual British dog show which started in 1928. It is held at the NEC in Birmingham.
Sunday 14th - Mother’s Day
Wednesday 17th - St Patrick's Day (Patron Saint of Ireland)
Sunday 28th March - British Summer Time Begins (daylight savings = clocks go forward 1 hour)
APRIL
Thursday 1st - April Fool's Day: A day of jokes and tricks. You have to play the joke before 12 o’clock midday; otherwise the joke is on you.
Friday 2nd Good Friday - Public Holiday
Saturday 3rd - The Boat Race: Oxford and Cambridge universities compete along the Thames.
Sunday 4th Easter Sunday
Monday 5th Easter Monday - Public Holiday
Thursday 8th - Saturday 10th - Grand National at Aintree
Wednesday 21st - Queen's Birthday (actual date and a private celebration) It is traditional for soldiers to fire cannons to celebrate royal birthdays or other national events.
Friday 23rd - St George’s Day. (Patron Saint of England)
MAY
Saturday 1st - May Day - Traditional English May Day celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and dancing around a Maypole.
Monday 3rd - Public Holiday
Monday 31st - Public Holiday
Cheese Rolling - For hundreds of years the Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling has been taking place in May on a steep hillside in the English countryside. The winner takes home a cheese: a 7-8lb Double Gloucester, but not the same one they chase down the hill.
JUNE
Wednesday 2nd - Coronation Day: Gun salute to mark the anniversary of the day when the Queen was crowned (in 1953). A 41-gun salute at 12 noon fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park, London
Saturday 12th - Queen’s Official Birthday - Trooping the Colour
Tuesday 15th - Saturday 19th - Royal Ascot Horse Racing
Sunday 20th - Father’s Day and Summer begins - the longest day of the year.
Monday 21st - Sunday 4th July - Wimbledon Championships
Wednesday 30th to Sunday 4th July - Henley Royal Regatta-The River Thames and the town of Henley on Thames are transformed into one large sporting and social arena where the world's best rowers compete.
JULY
Saturday 3rd - One Day International England v Australia
Friday 9th to Sunday 11th - F1 Grand Prix Donnington Race Circuit
Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th - Swan Upping
The census of swans takes place annually during July on the River Thames in a ceremony known as Swan Upping. Swans are counted and marked on a 70 mile, five day journey up the River Thames.
Thursday 15th - St Swithun's Day - 40 days of bad weather will follow if it rains on this day
AUGUST
Friday 6th to Monday 30th - Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world.
Friday 13th to Sunday 5th Sept - Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival presents a rich programme of classical music, theatre, opera and dance in six major theatres and concert halls and a number of smaller venues, over a three-week period in late summer each year.
Sunday 29th & Monday 30th - Notting Hill Carnival - Around a million people take to the streets of Notting Hill in West London for the Notting Hill Carnival - Europe's biggest carnival.
Monday 30th - Public Holiday
SEPTEMBER
Date TBC The Great Rive RaceLondon
Over 200 different rowing boats race along the River Thames, from Ham House (Richmond) to Island Gardens (Isle of Dogs).
Date TBC Heritage Open Days England, Wales & Northern Ireland
Free entry is offered at many National Trust properties across the UK.
Saturday 11th - Last Night of the Proms - Famous classical music concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
OCTOBER
Sunday 31st - British Summer Time Ends (daylight savings = clocks go back 1 hour) & Halloween Night
NOVEMBER
Friday 5th - Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night)
Sunday 14th - Remembrance Sunday: The Queen, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries lay wreaths and observe a minute's silence (at 11am) at the Cenotaph to commemorate those who gave their lives for their country in both world wars.
Saturday 13th - Lord Mayor's Show & Fireworks Display
Tuesday 30th - St Andrew's Day (Patron Saint of Scotland)
DECEMBER
Date TBC Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park London
A Big Wheel and other rides, an ice rink and a Christmas market
Thursday 2nd tbc - Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, London
Saturday 4th tbc - Great Christmas Pudding Race, London
Teams dressed in fancy clothes race around an obstacle course in Covent Garden.
Tuesday 21st - Winter Solstice: Shortest Day of the year
Saturday 25th - Christmas Day
Sunday 26th - Boxing Day
Friday 31st - New Years Eve
