Norwich Parkrun

Every Saturday at 9am there is a free, friendly, and timed 5k community event where you can walk, jog, run, or cheer. It is open to all ages and great for families

"parkrun is positive, welcoming and inclusive, there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along"

Imagine starting the weekend with fun exercise, and then feeling smug for the rest of the weekend?

If you haven't run before, I'd recommend trying the "Couch to 5K" programme

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Heigham Park

Heigham Park

Recreation Road, Norwich

Facilities:

• Junior and toddler play area
• Grass tennis courts
• Bowling Green
• Toilets
• Attractive seating areas
• Historical, horticultural,
• Wildlife interest

You can find out about becoming a friend of heigham park here: https://friendsofheighampark.wordpress.com/



Info on this and other parks in Norwich - http://www.thegoldentriangle.co.uk/Parks_and_Gardens_in_Norwich.html

Explore the Parks!

There are over 150 green spaces within the city itself, including 23 parks, 59 natural areas and nature reserves and 10 kilometres of riverside walks. You will find secret gardens, heritage gardens, parks, woodland, activity centres and space to relax and unwind or run around and let off some steam.

Some of Norwich’s best parks hold fantastic historic value and are very well maintained. They offer fantastic leisure activities such as; model boating, pitch & putt, miniature railways, nature reserves, skate parks, children’s play areas, bandstands, tennis, water pursuits and of course are perfect for walking, running and picnics!

http://www.visitnorwich.co.uk/get-to-know/out-and-about/parks



(Bandstand at Eaton Park)

Free session of British Military Fitness

Free session of British Military Fitness in Whitlingham Country Park, Norwich
Monday evening, Wednesday evening or Saturday morning

Described as "the UK’s biggest and best-loved outdoor fitness classes - BMF is the best way to get fitter, faster, stronger and have fun whilst doing so"

Not my cup of tea, but people who I've spoken to about it say good things.

You have to sign up in advance here

NB Whitlingham Country Park does charge for car parking, but you can park further down Whitlingham Lane on the verge for free, or cycle there (bit cheeky, but it's also cheeky to charge for car parking!)

Also available elsewhere in the UK- Classes over the UK

Free Bike Ride

Bicycle Links to the Parks 
Sunday 17th August at 10.00am 
Starting Point & Postcode: The Forum, between Theatre Street and Bethel Street, NR2 1BH 

This is a pleasant ride mixing cycle paths and roads on the Norwich Cycle Network to allow you to see some of Norwich's finest sites. The ride takes in quiet paths by the River Wensum, then visits three of Norwich's parks, via some of the cities most interesting sites and landmarks. Along the route we'll pass Norwich Cathedral, Cow Tower, St Andrews Hall and England's last remaining Swan Pit. The ride finishes with a visit to Bicycle Links - a social enterprise encouraging more cycling and reconditioning unused bikes. Come and join us for lovely two wheeled tour of the city.

If you’re fairly confident on your bike and ready to broaden your cycling horizons, our Steady rides are ideal. At a comfortable pace, and possibly with some modest hills along the way, rides take place on mainly quiet roads with plenty of sights along the way. Rides are between 6 and 20 miles long, at a moderate pace of between 7 and 10 miles an hour.

Part of a schedule of free bike rides with Goskyrides
http://www.goskyride.com/




More info

Picnic in the Park at Whitlingham Country Park.

Picnic in the Park at Whitlingham Country Park.
Sunday 27th July 

Free entry but you may have to pay for parking (you can get around this if you park further away and walk)

More about Whitlingham
Get into Summer magazine

Pride 2014 Day

26 July 2014 : The 6th Norwich Pride!
The 2014 Norwich Pride will take place on Saturday, 26 July 2014.

10am onwards Stalls at The Forum, Millennium Plain

The Pride Village will have over 40 stalls inside the Forum and outside on Millennium Plain. Look out for the Norwich Pride Help Desk where you can find up-to-date information on the day. We’ll also have a Norwich Pride Shop, where you can get your rainbow goodies. Plus, look out for more stalls at Chapelfield Gardens.

10am Breakfast with BLAH LGBT Youth in Fusion at The Forum.

Be the first to see their Proud Schools multimedia exhibition showcasing the work of Norfolk Schools, tackling homophobia and transphobia in the classroom and the playground. BLAH is part of the Norfolk LGBT Project. Proud schools will continue throughout the day.

10am onwards Proud Schools at Fusion in The Forum

A multimedia exhibition showcasing the work of Norfolk Schools tackling homophobia and transphobia in the classroom and the playground.

10:30am Pride Opening Ceremony at The Forum

Join us for the official start to the 6th Norwich Pride!

11.00 – 12.00 Storytime in the Millennium Children’s Library at The Forum.

Includes simple activity aimed at under 8s but any child can join in. Telephone 01603 774781 for more information.

12 noon Entertainment and picnic at Chapelfield Gardens

Bring your family, friends and a picnic and have a bite to eat while you enjoy entertainment from the bandstand by Dead Goats, Bean Juice Electrical Fire, Johnny Jump Band and Ballroom dancing!

2pm The Parade

Follow the fabulous sound of the Norwich Samba Band as we parade through Norwich! We start at Chapelfield Gardens and loop through the city centre, taking in Gentlemen’s Walk and passing City Hall before passing through Millennium Plain and arriving back at Chapelfield Gardens. Bring yourselves, bring your friends and family, gay or straight, dress to impress and help us turn Norwich into a rainbow. Look out for the Sing with Pride Choir, who will be singing their socks off to provide a musical rainbow!

For details see “Norwich Pride Parade 2014“.

3:30 – 5pm Pride show and speeches at Chapelfield Gardens

Join us for entertainment around the bandstand after the Parade with CN Lester, Kimberley Moore, Voter Kernel and Dan Herman!

For details see “The Pride Show & Picnic 2014“.

Theatre Collective production of Gammer Gurton's Needle

Norwich community theatre collective Crude Apache celebrate their twentieth anniversary this summer, with a show that combines everything that this dynamic group does best – open air theatre, broad comedy, a sense of history, and a “louche disregard for convention”, as one reviewer once put it.

Gammer Gurton’s Needle is one of the first English comedies, a hilarious knockabout tale of misunderstandings between larger-than-life clownish characters. “Expect physical comedy, music, song, dance, a fast pace and some memorable moments,” says director Jo Swan.

The show contains some moderate medieval oaths and frequent references to bottoms.
In true Crude Apache style, entry to all shows will be free of charge – although donations will be welcomed.

The tour kicks off at 7.30pm on the 1st of July in the Tudor garden at Stranger’s Hall, and later visits Grapes Hill Community Garden (3 July),The Whiffler at Castle Gardens (6,11, 12 July), the hidden gem which is the Gothic-Italian Plantation Garden (9 July) and a number of city parks.

Full list of tour dates and locations below.

1 July – Stranger’s Hall Garden 7.30pm (no wheelchair access);
2 July – Wensum Park 7.30pm;
3 July – Grapes Hill Community Garden 7.30pm;
4 July – Heigham Park 7.30pm;
6 July – The Whiffler, Castle Gardens (matinee)3pm;
8 July – Waterloo Park 7.30pm;
9 July – Plantation Garden 7.30pm;
10 July – Cow Tower 7.30pm;
11 July – The Whiffler, Castle Gardens 7.30pm;
12 July – The Whiffler, Castle Gardens 7.30pm.

Facebook event page

Lord Mayor's Celebration

Lord Mayor's Celebration Norwich city centre
From Thursday 3rd July  to Sunday 6th July

Four days of celebrations including a street procession, entertainers, fireworks, outdoor stages with music, dance and theatre, a funfair, craft and food markets, street fayre, duck races and lots more. The city's biggest community celebration.

Thursday 3 July
7pm - Norwich School charity fashion show (Open)


Friday 4 July
9am to 8pm - The World Bazaar (Chantry car park, Theatre Street)
7.30pm to 9pm - Crude Apache Theatre (Heigham Park)
7.30 to 9pm - Somewhereto_ (Castle Gardens


Saturday 5 July
9am to 11pm - The World Bazaar (Chantry car park, Theatre Street)
11am to 5pm - Playtime (Chapelfield Gardens)
11am to 10pm - Funfair (Chapelfield Gardens)
11am to 10pm - Disco Shed DJs & The White Rabbit Bar  (Chapelfield Gardens)
12noon to 10.15pm - The Walk Stage (Gentleman's Walk)
12noon to 10.15pm - Bo Nananfafa Social Club Stage (Brigg Street)
12noon to 10.15 & 6pm to 10.15pm - Forum stage (Millennium Plain)
3pm to 10pm - BBC Voices (Chapelfield Gardens)
4.50pm - Lord Mayor's Street 5Km road race (starts on Agricultural Hall Plain)
5pm - The Lord Mayor's Street Procession (starts at St Stephens Road)
1pm to 4pm & 6pm to 10pm - Street entertainers
10.30pm - Fireworks (Norwich Castle)
​​
Sunday 6 July
10am to 5pm - The World Bazaar (Chapelfield Gardens)
11am to 6pm - Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre (Norwich Lanes)
12noon - The Great Nowich Duck Race (from Lady Julian Bridge, Riverside)
12noon to 4pm - Picnic and Play (St Georges Green)
12noon to 5pm - Playtime  (Chapelfield Gardens)
12noon to 7pm - BBC Voices (Chapelfield Gardens)
12noon to 5pm - The Walk Stage (Gentleman's Walk)
12noon to 7pm - Disco Shed DJs & The White Rabbit Bar  (Chapelfield Gardens)
12noon to 7pm - Funfair (Chapelfield Gardens)
1pm to 4.30pm - The Bishop of Norwoch Open Gardens (access via Bishopgate)
2pm - A Firm of Poets (St Gregory's Green)
12noon & 3pm - Bandstand concerts
3pm & 4.30pm - Crude Apache Theatre (Castle Gardens)

More info

MayDay 2014 in Chapelfield Gardens

Sunday, 4 May 2014 in Chapelfield Gardens, Norwich, from 11.00am to around 5.00pm

Come and celebrate May Day 2014, a fantastic free event, with music, activities for adults and for children, stalls, speakers, food, and much more. 
Organised by Norwich & District Trades Union Council

• Live poetry with Russell JTurner and John William Brown
• Acoustic marquee with music, performance, poetry, tea and cake
• Swing dance class (1pm)
• Circus Skills
• Hula Hoop Workshop
• Speakers - WeAreNorwich, Equal Lives, Defend mental health services, UEA etc

Facebook events page

May Day at Cow Tower

May Day at Cow Tower - back for another year.
5th May 2014

Featuring - Free Shop, Maypole, Stalls & Music from The Snakeheads, Stan Skank, Harpy, The Familiars, Chris Keene and more.

From noon til dusk.
Last years' event was great, looking forward to another year.
Particularly the free shop - which I will be running again this year :)

Facebook Event Page

Norwich Parkrun

Norwich parkrun is a 5km run every Saturday at 9:00am in Eaton Park, Norwich. 
You must register before your first run and bring a printed copy of your barcode
We all run for our own enjoyment. Please come along and join in whatever your pace



More about Norwich Park Run

Training for a 5K run with free Couch to 5K podcasts

There are Park Runs all over the UK

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

At the Sainsbury Centre see modern art including works by Pablo Picasso and Edgar Degas, and world art spanning 5,000 years of human creativity. Admission is free to the permanent exhibition and children are welcome plus the building is surrounded by a lake and beautiful parkland again, all free to visitors. In the grounds you will find works by Henry Moore. 

The Sainsbury Centre itself is a world-class Norman Foster building and extremely fascinating to walk around. There is a year round programme of exhibitions and special exhibitions most of which are free of charge. The Modern at the Sainsbury Centre opened this year offering more space, a sculpture garden, bar and restaurant.

Text from http://www.visitnorwich.co.uk/freenorwich.aspx

http://www.scva.org.uk/

Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am - 5pm.
Closed on Mondays, including bank holidays.

May Day Sunday 2013 in Chapelfield Gardens

Click here for the 2014 May Day in Chapelfield Gardens

On Sunday May 5 2013 Norwich and District Trades Council presents a day of music, events, talks and fun for all in Chapelfield Gardens from 12 to 4pm.

(... plus Bank Holiday Monday Mayfest at Cow Tower in the following post ...)

More info from http://norwichmayday2013.tumblr.com/

The Secret Garden

Set in 3 acres in the heart of Norwich on Earlham Road, next to the Catholic Cathedral, there is a secret garden

Open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.    
Entrance fee is £2 (honesty box)

Gothic style fountain.  Medieval style walls and superb creative planting - A beautiful place for quiet meditation or a fun picnic

Volunteers and members help out in various chores ranging from very light activities to the more strenuous. Helpers arrive from 9 a.m. every Tuesday  and continue as long as they like. Good company and a healthy work-out. No experience necessary.  Contact Marj on 01603 446178 for a place on the waiting list.

http://www.plantationgarden.co.uk/

Thanks to Peter for reminding me of this wonderful place!

Park Run

Parkrun organise free, weekly, 5km timed runs around the world. They are open to everyone, free, and are safe and easy to take part in.

Park Run happens every Saturday at 9:00am at 3 locations in Norwich:


Eaton Park http://www.parkrun.org.uk/norwich/
Colney Lane http://www.parkrun.org.uk/colneylane/
Catton http://www.parkrun.org.uk/catton/

Totally free to take part, but please register before your first run. 

They have park runs all over the UK, not just Norwich.

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/