Calendar of Events | Weekly Events | Island Events |


5th-10th April 
Muriel Owen Painting Course
4 day watercolour course with 5 nights Dinner, Bed and Breakfast - £385
Muriel Owen, past Vice-President of the Society of Women Artists, is a well known painter in watercolour, with also many years of art-teaching experience. A complete exhibition of her work was purchased by English Heritage and is permanently hung in Queen Victoria's home at Osborne House on the IOW.
Tuition, guidance, and demonstrations throughout the day and a friendly review of work every evening.

April 12th 
Sunday Lunch with Easter egg hunt
There will be the annual Easter Sunday family lunch followed by a children's Easter egg hunt in the grounds of Farringford, at our usual price of £14.95 for three courses per person, with children under five at half price. Alternatively why not park your car at Farringford, enjoy a walk on Tennyson Down and return to Farringford for our Easter tea, available from 3-5.30pm and from £5.95. Booking is recommended.

Saturday 2nd May 2009
Gala dinner with music by Mendelssohn
Tennyson's poems put to music, Cherry Ripe, Long Long Ago and Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words
Amanda Pitt soprano/ David Owen Norris piano
Saturday night dinner and entertainment £35 per person

Monday 4th May
Bank Holiday Monday buffet lunch (hot and cold) with the sounds of jazz band Unity Stompers
Monday buffet lunch with jazz - £20 per person

Friday 22nd May
Garden Restaurant Art Exhibition
Friday 22nd May saw the launch of this season's revolving exhibition of paintings of established local artists.
name. The exhibition will run throughout the summer and details of prices for individual work are available at reception.

11th of June
Patti Smith in Concert
Farringford are honoured to host a performance by Patti Smith of spoken word and music on her forst visit to the Island. A unique and intimate event not to be missed.

30th June - 2nd July
'Walking in Tennysons Footsteps'
A three day event to expand your understanding, enjoyment and skills of poetry

30th June - Day 1  
Guests arrive during the day. Residential workshop to start, with cocktail party and dinner.  Brian Hinton MBE will give a short three-tiered talk, to include a general introduction to Tennyson's poetry, a look at how he structured his poems and the form they took, and how in a practical sense one might attempt to write his type of poem oneself.

1st July - Day 2   
Guided tour of house in the morning, followed by lunch and an afternoon 'Walking in Tennyson's Footstep' with Andrew Motion for residential guests.
Evening: Talk open to the public starting at 7.30pm. Tickets £15.00 to include a drink.
200 people maximum including residential guests.

Thursday 6th August
Lord Tennyson's Bicentenary
On this special anniversary Farringford is privileged to have two of the world's leading Tennyson scholars visit Farringford. Details of their talks are as follows :

2.00-3.00 Professor Marion Shaw
"Sheep, Tourists and Friends; Tennysons Visitors to Farringford"

3.00-4.00 Professor Leonee Ormond
"Close to the Ridge of a Noble Down; Tennyson, Poet of the Island"

4.30 - 6.00 Afternoon Tea.

Tickets cost £22 available at reception.
All profits for tickets sold will be equally divided between the Earl Mountbatten Hospice and the Watts Gallery Hope Appeal

Thursday August 7th -September 9th
Exhibition 'Tennyson at Farringford'

Our first exhibition, guest curated by Veronica Franklin Gould, will show many important items from a wide variety of sources that will bring to life the Tennyson household. Due to the generosity of many lenders, both institutions and private collectors, we have managed to produce an exhibition that truly reflects Tennyson's years at Farringford while giving insight into the many important visitors he attracted.
More detailed information click here

Weekly Summer Events
18 July - 30 August 2009
Monday
Bicycle Ride
Leave from the hotel reception at 10.30am to travel along the old railway track to Yarmouth, where there will be time to stop off for coffee if you wish. Bicycles are available for hire.
Wednesday
Quiz Night
9pm in the Garden Restaurant. Prizes for the winner.
Friday
Children's Disco
5pm - 7pm in the Garden Restaurant.
Saturday
Walk the Tennyson Trail
Assemble in reception at 10.30am. We make our way from the green gate in the hotel grounds to the Tennyson Monument, returning to the hotel via Dimbola Lodge (Julia Margaret Cameron Museum) where the Cafe will be open.


Current Events
Tuesday
Curry Night at the Garden Restaurant
Prepared and cooked on the premises by our award-winning chef using the finest seasonal ingredients. £10.95 per head. Separate children's menu available. Live music.
Thursday
Barbecue
From 6.30pm in the Garden Restaurant. £12.50 per head, children £7.95 per head. Live music Cool Connection
Sunday
Traditional Sunday Lunch
12 noon - 2.30pm in the The Ruskin . Enjoy spectacular views over Afton Down. £11.95 for two courses, or £14.95 for three courses.

Island Events
9 May to 24 May
The Isle of Wight Walking Festival
The Isle of Wight Walking Festival is still getting bigger and better!! Still boasting over 300 walks in the programme. The comprehensive Walking Festival Programme will be available from 1st February. www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk

29 May to 31 May 
Old Gaffers
Yarmouth - During the Festival, Yarmouth's picturesque harbour will be filled with life and colour with more than 100 visiting traditional sailing, steam and motor vessels, including the cream of the Old Gaffers fleet. On shore there will be a huge range of attractions keeping the thousands of visitors entertained from morning till night all weekend.

20 June
JP Morgan Fleming Round The Island Yacht Race
- One of the world's largest and most famous yachting races, the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race takes place in Cowes, Isle of Wight, England and in 2008 attracted a record entry of more than 1800 boats.
www.roundtheisland.org.uk

Saturday July 25th & Sunday July 26th
Medieval Spectacular - Return of these splendid days with Medieval Siege Societies parading from Muster to Battlefield, with Living History Archers, Men at Arms, & full Battle in the afternoon.

1 August to 8 August
Cowes Week
Cowes - Cowes Week is one of the UK's longest running and most successful sporting events and is a key highlight of the British sporting summer. It has been held in early August every year since 1826, except during the two world wars.
www.cowesweek.co.uk

15 August to 16 August
Garlic Festival
A curious mixture of late sixties pop festival ambiance, country fair and garlic cuisine. Well worth a look as is one of the largest fairs on the Island.
www.thegarlicfarm.co.uk/garlicfestival.asp

August 14th, 21st & 28th 7.30pm 
The Twilight World of Owls at Appuldurcombe House

28th - 31st August
Annual Steam Show, Havenstreet
Action-packed show for a great family day out with traditional fairground, entertainment and lots more!

5 September to 6 September
Wolverton Manor Garden Fair
Wolverton Manor - The most popular Island Garden Fair in aid of Age Concern. A wonderful family outing with interesting and unusual local and mainland nurseries along with a whole range of activities and entertainments
www.wolvertonmanor.com

19th - 27th September   
Isle of Wight Cycling Festival
With wonderful scenery in areas of outstanding natural beauty, picturesque villages and a great network of cycle tracks, bridleways and quite lanes cycling is a great way to explore the Isle of Wight and is the best way to see close up what the countryside has to offer.
http://www.sunseaandcycling.com/