Featured Events in Barnes Bay in June 2025 (August Updated)

Join the multi-award winning author illustrator Nadia Shireen in the wonderfully weird forest of Grimwood where anything can happen - and probably will! Find out how you can create your own funny story and have a go at drawing some of her quirky characters yourself. Awooga! Suitable for ages 6+ Buy a ticket for the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival and unlock a 6-issue trial subscription to The Week Junior magazine for just £1. Please especially note that ticket holders 11 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult (who must also purchase a ticket unless otherwise indicated for specific events) in order to gain entry to a venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. The Festival reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied ticket holders who are 11 years of age and under. See our website for more details: www.barneskidslitfest.org/terms Information Source: Barnes Children's Literature Festival CIC | eventbrite

Information Source: Barnes Common | eventbrite

Join us for our July session in our Summer Series offering talks, walks and workshop on nature, growing and ecology. Come and discover the origins of perfumery and the remarkable role of aromatic plants and their oils in this immersive short workshop with Tanya Moulding, aka The Perfume Mistress. Lavender, Lemon; Rosemary; Thyme; Rose; Jasmine; Orange and Clove are familiar plants and fragrances to many. Modern day perfumery can trace its origins from humble beginnings; a simple burning of resin incense, the strewing of herbs, a splash of floral water or the scent of a pomander ball. Plants have been used in many forms since antiquity, to fragrance the air, combat ‘mal-odours’, to anoint, cleanse, beautify and to stir the senses. Enjoy a hands-on, interactive session embracing the theory and creative art of botanical perfumery, you will: • Learn about the origins and history of perfume from Cleopatra to Chanel • Understand perfume vocabulary – the art of smelling and training the nose • Perfume structure – Top, Middle, Base notes • Fragrance classifications • Secrets of blending essential oils & dilutions, safety and storage. This talk will take place at the Pavilion at Vine Road Rec. About Tanya Moulding Tanya is a practising clinical aromatherapist, aromacologist, botanical perfumer and educator. She has taught historical perfumery, natural cosmetics and many other sensory engagement activities for numerous English Heritage sites and Museums and delivers public and corporate events on olfaction, wellbeing and botanical themes. To keep up to date with all our events, conservation work and more, become a Barnes Common Friend! Information Source: Barnes Common | eventbrite

Do you often find yourself looking for something to do as a family when your children finish school for the day? From January 2025, we will be running an after-school family session every Monday afternoon at the Growing Project. Your children will have a chance to take part in lots of different gardening activities - sowing seeds, planting vegetables and creating habitat for wildlife to name but a few! At the end of each session, the children will have a chance to write and draw in their garden diaries, noting down anything they have enjoyed or noticed that day. Over the year, they will see the garden grow - from winter dormancy to summer abundance! The sessions are open to all children of primary school age, accompanied by a parent or guardian. Younger siblings are welcome to join in as well. Arrival time is between 3.30 and 3.45pm, and there will be an activity to join in as you arrive. From 3.45 to 4.15pm we will do some seasonal gardening activities, and at 4.15, we will complete our garden diaries. The session will finish at 4.30pm. The session is free to attend, but booking is essential. Please book via Eventbrite. Please note, dogs will not be admitted at this event except guide dogs. All our events are dog free unless specifically mentioned in the event listing. To keep up to date with all our events, conservation work and more, become a Barnes Common Friend! Information Source: Barnes Common | eventbrite

Join us on an evening stroll led by our trustee Adrian Podmore to discover where Swifts are nesting in Barnes. In late April and early May, one of our most iconic birds returns from its wintering grounds in Africa to once again, share our urban environment. Though Swifts only spend three to four months with us, departing by late July and early August, they bring spectacular aerial action as they wheel around the skies, especially in late summer when family parties of birds can be seen screaming through the air in aerial chases.  These birds do everything on the wing, including eating, sleeping and mating and only land when they’re ready to nest. It is believed that while flying, they can ‘snooze’ by switching off one side of their brains. Living for as long as 20 years, in one day, they can travel 500 miles and eat 20,000 insects, washing them down by catching raindrops in the air or more usually, by flying low over water and skimming a mouthful from the surface.   After leaving the nest, the youngsters will keep flying non-stop for three years!  However, the Swift is in trouble with the population of these amazing birds plummeting by around 60% in the last three decades. Swifts are now on the Red List of conservation concern. This is primarily due to the declining insect population as a result of pollution and pesticides but building renovations have also substantially reduced access to suitable places to nest, particularly under eaves and in roofs.    The good news is that there are things we can do to help, particularly putting up nest boxes. Birds are communal so a minimum of two to three boxes is usually best while sound equipment playing the calls to attract birds can also be helpful.    As a first step towards helping our local Swifts, we are asking for your sightings of these birds in Barnes, especially if you think they may be nesting so please include date, time and location and email us at website@barnescommon.org.uk. The best time to discover where Swifts are nesting is usually an hour before dusk so partly based on any sightings we receive, we will organise two walks at 8.30pm around Barnes for 16th June (contingency 18th) and 30th June (contingency 3rd July) to see if we can find any breeding pairs.  Depending on how the walks go, we would then look to contact building owners or occupiers to see if they would be interested in putting up some Swift boxes - BCL will initially fund one or two boxes depending on demand for any one building or household but would also look to undertake installation where access is possible.  So please do send us your sightings over the next few weeks and hopefully we can build up a better picture of the local population in Barnes.  Please note, dogs will not be admitted at this event except guide dogs. All our events are dog free unless specifically mentioned in the event listing. Not a member of Barnes Common yet? Why not join us and support all of our activities? Find more information and join at http://barnescommon.org.uk/membership Tickets: All proceeds from ticket sales support future learning and conservation activities and we would encourage you, if you can, to pay full price. We do not want cost to be a barrier to our activities, so if for any reason you are unable to pay for the full price tickets, we have a limited number of discounted concession tickets. Please contact development@barnescommon.org.uk for more details. Refund policy: Unfortunately, we are unable to issue refunds on cancellations made within 2 weeks of the event. In some circumstances we may be able to offer a rebooking for a similar event. Please contact development@barnescommon.org.uk with any questions. Information Source: Barnes Common | eventbrite

Join Stephen Mangan and Anita Mangan, the funniest author-illustrator, brother-sister duo for fun and games, draw-alongs and silly sibling stories. The bestselling creators of The Fart that Changed the World are back with a hilarious new adventure, The Fart that Saved the Universe. Giggles guaranteed! Suitable for ages 7+ Buy a ticket for the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival and unlock a 6-issue trial subscription to The Week Junior magazine for just £1. Please especially note that ticket holders 11 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult (who must also purchase a ticket unless otherwise indicated for specific events) in order to gain entry to a venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. The Festival reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied ticket holders who are 11 years of age and under. See our website for more details: www.barneskidslitfest.org/terms Information Source: Barnes Children's Literature Festival CIC | eventbrite

Join the beloved author illustrator Lydia Monks for a sparkling storytelling adventure and live illustration featuring all your favourite characters from her bestselling What the Ladybird Heard series. Suitable for ages 3+ Buy a ticket for the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival and unlock a 6-issue trial subscription to The Week Junior magazine for just £1. Please especially note that ticket holders 11 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult (who must also purchase a ticket unless otherwise indicated for specific events) in order to gain entry to a venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. The Festival reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied ticket holders who are 11 years of age and under. See our website for more details: www.barneskidslitfest.org/terms Information Source: Barnes Children's Literature Festival CIC | eventbrite

Join Blue Peter award-winning author Pamela Butchart for some guaranteed laugh out loud fun from her hilarious new series, Diary of a Future Billionaire. Just how far will one boy go to be a fully-fledged billionaire? Suitable for ages 7+ Buy a ticket for the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival and unlock a 6-issue trial subscription to The Week Junior magazine for just £1. Please especially note that ticket holders 11 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult (who must also purchase a ticket unless otherwise indicated for specific events) in order to gain entry to a venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. The Festival reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied ticket holders who are 11 years of age and under. See our website for more details: www.barneskidslitfest.org/terms Information Source: Barnes Children's Literature Festival CIC | eventbrite

At the Growing Project, we grow fruit and vegetables for the local community using organic and regenerative methods, and you will have the chance to get involved in lots of different activities including pruning, weeding, planting and harvesting. We welcome all abilities and energy levels! All tools and equipment will be provided, and there will always be someone on hand to offer guidance. Refreshments will be provided; just wear suitable clothing and footwear for the weather. Sessions run at our polytunnel at Vine Road Park every 3rd Saturday of the month from 1 to 2:30pm (see exceptions on the calendar). T o keep up to date with all our events, conservation work and more, become a Barnes Common Friend! Information Source: Barnes Common | eventbrite

Weeds: pesky and pernicious invaders, or valuable, wildlife-friendly plants? In this workshop, we will look at how to identify the most common weeds and discuss how best to keep them at bay without using chemicals. We’ll also look at the benefits of allowing some weeds to grow in your garden. You’ll have a chance to taste a few common weeds – you might be surprised at how flavourful and nutritious they can be! All workshops will run on the 3rd Saturday of the month unless otherwise stated. The workshops will run from 10am to 11am, and you are welcome to stay afterwards to chat, look around the growing area and ask the workshop leader any questions. If you attend the training, you will also receive an emailed resource sheet afterwards with links to websites, videos and books you might want to use. This workshop will take place in the polytunnel in our growing area at Vine Road Rec. Hot drinks can be purchased from the Vine Road Community Café in the Pavilion with a 50% discount for attendees. Please note, dogs will not be admitted at this event except guide dogs. All our events are dog free unless specifically mentioned in the event listing. To keep up to date with all our events, conservation work and more, become a Barnes Common Friend ! Information Source: Barnes Common | eventbrite

Travel through time back to Ancient Egypt with the bestselling and award-winning author of the Adventures on Trains and Twitchers series, M G Leonard. Discover how a trip down the Nile inspired her newest fast-paced adventure Hunt for the Golden Scarab. Explore the Valley of the Kings, where the tombs of the Pharaohs can be found, unravel the ancient art of mummification, learn about heart scarabs, the Book of the Dead and the possible location of the lost tomb of Nefertiti. This event is perfect for adventure enthusiasts, budding Egyptologists and time travellers. Suitable for ages 8+ Buy a ticket for the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival and unlock a 6-issue trial subscription to The Week Junior magazine for just £1. Please especially note that ticket holders 11 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult (who must also purchase a ticket unless otherwise indicated for specific events) in order to gain entry to a venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. The Festival reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied ticket holders who are 11 years of age and under. See our website for more details: www.barneskidslitfest.org/terms Information Source: Barnes Children's Literature Festival CIC | eventbrite

Think you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood? Think again... Join us for a side-splitting, toe-tapping, wolf-dodging adventure as Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes leaps off the page in Paul Patterson’s gloriously gory musical setting! With a bold heroine, a sneaky wolf (or two…), and an ending that’ll make your jaw drop, this is no ordinary fairy tale. Featuring a fabulous live ensemble - flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn and piano - and a wildly entertaining narrator who might just need your help... Perfect for kids and grown-ups who love their fairy tales with a cheeky bite! Not for the faint hearted, but definitely for the fun hearted! Suitable for ages 5+ Buy a ticket for the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival and unlock a 6-issue trial subscription to The Week Junior magazine for just £1. Please especially note that ticket holders 11 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult (who must also purchase a ticket unless otherwise indicated for specific events) in order to gain entry to a venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. The Festival reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied ticket holders who are 11 years of age and under. See our website for more details: www.barneskidslitfest.org/terms Information Source: Barnes Children's Literature Festival CIC | eventbrite

Join bestselling children’s author, Abi Elphinstone, as she introduces the latest book in the series Ember Spark and the Unicorn’s Secret. Abi reveals where she finds her ideas - from shower gel bottles and street signposts to real life adventures in Mongolia and the Arctic - showing how easy it is for kids to set off on story-hunting adventures of their own. Suitable for ages 7+ Buy a ticket for the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival and unlock a 6-issue trial subscription to The Week Junior magazine for just £1. Please especially note that ticket holders 11 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult (who must also purchase a ticket unless otherwise indicated for specific events) in order to gain entry to a venue and to remain in the venue for the duration of the performance. The Festival reserves the right to refuse entry to unaccompanied ticket holders who are 11 years of age and under. See our website for more details: www.barneskidslitfest.org/terms Information Source: Barnes Children's Literature Festival CIC | eventbrite