CULTURAL things to do near me

Tulip festival, Tulleys Farm, Crawley, from 5 Apr
Preston Manor, A New Era, Brighton, from 5 Apr
Petworth spring festival, 5-27 Apr
Seaside transport talk, Anne of Cleves House, Lewes, 25 Apr 

Feel the power of the flower amid the seriously stunning scenes (and take some insane Instagram pics) at the tulip fields at Tulleys Farm which open this week. You can roam free around 1.5m tulips and admire 100 varieties – who knew there were so many? It’ll be a rainbow of colour in jewel tones and for added fun there’s even a windmill as well as special moonlight openings for that ‘golden hour’ photo op. The National Trust know how to bring culture to life, and this month is no different as Petworth House are putting on an entire spring festival of events from 5-27 April. These include a Makers Market as well as series of different talks from horticultural experts, a family garden trail as well as demonstrations, a community art installation, and art and craft workshops. The geeks among us and the closet geeks too, ahem, will love to hear from former engineer who designed extensions on the London Underground, Ian Gledhill. At the Transports of delight talk he’ll cover every coastal mode of transport from trains on the pier to miniature railways and cliff lifts, from the weird to the wonderful taking place at Anne Of Cleves House on 25 April. After five years historic house, Preston Manor is opening its doors to visitors again from 5 April. A new visitor experience will guide you through what life was like in 1912 at this elegant Edwardian property. You can learn about the manor’s favourite ghosts as well as the living souls who lived and worked there. Just remember to have a baked treat in the new tea rooms.

FOOD & DRINK things to do near me

South African wine dinner, Buxted Park Hotel, Ashdown Forest 4 Apr
Chef’s dining experience, Bolney Wine Estate, Haywards Heath, 4 Apr
South American wine tasting, Safari Pizza, Haywards Heath, 6 Apr
Vintage bus wine tour of Sussex, departing from Brighton 5, 12, 19, 26 Apr
How to get away with murder dinner, Alexander House Hotel, East Grinstead 25 Apr
New menu, The Jolly Sportsman, near Lewes, from April 

Don’t know much about wine, but know what you like? Well, why not find out even more of the grape based stuff you like at a wine themed dinner. You can taste your way around one of South Africa’s finest vineyards, (the Doolhof Wine Estate) at a wine dinner at Buxted Park Hotel on 4 April. Each stage of the five course seasonal menu will be expertly paired with with. If you want to make a night of it, you can enjoy a room rate starting from £180. While the weather (hopefully) continues to warm up there’s no time like the present to indulge on the Bolney Wine Estate’s balcony overlooking their vines. On 4 April the’ll be a Chef’s Dining Experience of five courses in collaboration with the Prestigious Searcys with locally sourced ingredients and paired wine. Wait, you want more wine? Then coming right up. You can drink your way around the world from the comfort of Sussex, as Safari Pizza is hosting a South American wine tasting on 6 April. Held by sommelier, Alicia Sandeman, you’ll get to sample an elite selection of six South American wines each paired with food. You can choose just do the wine tasting and then order one of the restaurant’s delicious wood-fired pizzas. If you’re keen to try some vino that’s been crafted closer to home then hope aboard the vintage bus wine tour around the Sussex wineland’s every Saturday. Now that it’s warming up, you’ll enjoy standing around sipping wine amongst the vines of Court Garden and Artelium vineyards that little bit more. Best of all you won’t need to do any driving as you hop aboard a vintage bus to drink in all the scenery.   

Love a good crime podcast? Then you’ll want to book into the How to get away with murder dinner on 25 April. where you can have a side of forensics wit your glass of fizz. No, it’s not a murder mystery night (even though they are still a lot of fun), but this is a more shall we say, intellectualised version for those of us who are addicted to true crime. Held at the five star Alexander House Hotel, you’ll be split into teams to address evidence to help the police solve a murder and decide what would make the perfect murder while a three course meal is served. Speaking of food, if you’re hungry for more, now is your excuse to try the new menu at the The Jolly Sportsman when it launches this month. With inclusions in the Michelin and Good Food guides and a AA Rosette, you won’t be disappointed. It’s all about sustainability and seasonality at this gastro pub. So far they’ve only teased us with the new starters which feature wasabi cured stone bass, braised lamb cigar, house smoked brisket croquette and charred leeks and wild garlic hummus. Just remember to wear an elasticated waist!

ART & CRAFTS things to do near me

Fragrance workshop, The Star, Alfriston, 4 Apr
Polly the Food Truck at Lancing College Chapel, 7-11 Apr
Easter clay workshop, Chisel Pottery, Chichester, 12 Apr
Brighton Gem Fair, 24 Apr
Macaron masterclass, Fair Cake, Brighton, 24 Apr
Exploring pottery surface, design and decoration, 26 Apr 

Sniff out the right scent at a one day Fragrance Workshop run by Jo Fairley – leading entrepreneur, co-founder of Green & Black’s (err, wow) and The Perfume Society. Held in the beautiful The Star hotel in Alfriston on 4 April, you’ll take a deep dive into the world or perfume and even improve your sense of smell. After that, you can get to work on your sense of taste and enjoy afternoon tea with fragrant baked delicacies. Struggling to get the kids into some culture? Join the club! But you may be able to bride them to join you on a look around the incredibly beautiful Lancing College Chapel with a stop off at the pop up food truck named Polly serving homemade cakes and pastries to visitors, as well as fresh coffee and teas from 10am-4pm, 7-11 April. Hurry! If you’re wanting to play hostess with the mostess over Easter then sign up to one of Chisel Pottery’s Easter workshops on 12 April in Chichester. There are two courses to choose from – where you can make a butter dish or serving dish. You’ll have expert tuition in a relaxed studio space and be free to let your creativity run free and then display it for guests to admire. 

Fans of sparkly things, so that’s all of us then, will want to get tickets to the Get Stoned Gem Fair, when it lands in Brighton on 24 April at the Jewellers Academy. The event was created to give everyone a good idea of what they need to know to be confident when buying gems. The event exclusively focuses on natural gemstones and promotes local gemstone jewellers to you can make connections to help with your own collections and even commission a piece, or two. The little parcels of perfection which are macarons may be delicious, but mastering the art of making them is not quite as appealing as eating them. Until now. Fair Cake school in Brighton is hosting their first ever macaron class on 24 April which is suitable for absolute beginners. Phew. You’ll learn how to pipe delicate shells and also discover what it takes to make flavoured ganache based fillings. Then it’s down to the really hard work: eating them. Novice potters or those with experience are welcome to join in a two part workshop Exploring pottery surface, design and decoration at The Clay Studio, Heron’s Ghyll on 26 April. that’ll show you how to apply colour and pattern to raw clay and then go bold and bright with a glaze transfer onto fired ceramics. 

WELLBEING 

Awaken and rebalance spa day, The Relais Cooden Beach Hotel & Spa, Bexhill, all month
Star gazing and wellness retreat, Bailiffscourt, Climping, 24-15 Apr
Facial and body rejuvenation webinar, The McIndoe Centre, 17 Apr
Wild garlic foraging and fermenting day, The Enchanted Glade, Ardingly, 27 Apr

Curious but cautious is how most of us feel about going under the knife, especially for cosmetic reasons. But you can put to bed any concerns during a webinar on Facial and body rejuvenation with Mr Sam Orkar, Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeon at The McIndoe Centre on 17 April. The online (obvs) talk will discuss facial rejuvenation and fat grafting to the face as well abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and liposuction ad how to maintaining result. Hello flat stomach! He’ll also cover correction of breast asymmetry and you can submit questions to be answered on the day. To focus on the inside too, you can soothe away any stress at a special 4-hour spa day (from £90, usually £120) on an Awaken and rebalance spa day at the newly opened facilities by the beach at The Relais Cooden Beach Hotel & Spa. Over four luxurious hours you can enjoy a 70-minute treatment, including body brushing, full-body exfoliation, a detoxifying mask, followed by a soothing body wrap and a lymphatic facial massage with cryo globes. Then you can enjoy the sauna and hydro pool before having a two course lunch overlooking the hotel’s private beach. What on earth is mindful stargazing? Well you’ll want to find out at a wellness retreat (24-25 April) with a stargazing twist at Bailiffscourt, you can bathe yourself in star light as you’re gently guided through the sights in the night sky while practising self awareness and meditation. The retreat will blend yoga and astrophysics via group discussion, a dusk Qigong workshop and dawn Zen yoga session. Bliss. Head off for some sanctuary in nature at the beautiful woodlands of the Enchanted Glade who are inviting us all to forage for wild garlic on 27 April and learn about pickling, fermenting and cooking with it. It’ll be informal and educational with the option to add on lunch and a trip to their wild spa. We know what we’ll be doing after picking garlic: laying back in wood fired hot tub and sauna.

KIDS

Brick and build, Battle Abbey, 12-21 Apr
Splatter and sketch with ArtPod, Brighton Marina, 18-21 Apr
Centenary celebrations, Drusillas Park, Polegate, 19 Apr
Kids stay free, The Beachcroft, Felpham, 5-22 Apr

Is there anyone out there who doesn’t love playing, whoops, sorry, we mean building, with Lego? Thought not. Battle Abbey – part of English Heritage – are putting on a special build to help bring history and East Sussex heritage to life. At Brick and Build event kids can watch the inc Battle Abbey Gatehouse be recreate out of Lego while having a go at their own medieval masterpiece themselves. Over Easter (18-21 April) kids can paint, splat and doodle in a way they’re never usually allowed to at the Splatter and Sketch by ArtPod. Taking place at Brighton Marina they can go wild with paint and art by drawing, painting and splashing paint on props, walls and canvases. To mark 100 years since Drusillas Park opened, there’s a series of events on Centenary Saturdays throughout the year, the first is which takes place on 19 April. The zoo will have a series of special keeper talks, entertainment, giveaways and even a vintage car show. No one deserves an Easter break more than parents (yes, any excuse) but here’s a really good option. At the Muddy award winning Beachcoft Hotel and Beach Huts kids stay free on trips from 5-22 April. The Easter bunny will be making a special delivery while you’re in the perfect spot to explore Arundel Castle or kick back on the beach.

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