For ten days every year, the village of Wray in Lancashire is overrun with scarecrows of all shapes and sizes, from four centimetres to four metres tall…
Archives for North West
Support your local indie shop on Record Store Day
This year’s Record Store Day will take place on Saturday 21st April with a whole host of events and special releases for music fans to enjoy…
Scenic walks, music, beer and trains combine for festival
Celebrate the beautiful landscape and local history with walks, talks and music at the ride2stride Settle-Carlisle Walking Festival this May…
Hidden gems and microbreweries on the Real Ale Trail
The Real Ale Trail runs every Spring and Autumn across Wales and the Wirral, allowing participants to visit rural pubs and enjoy some decent beer. So, if you like real ale and fancy a day out, why not catch the trail bus?
A day dedicated to the humble damson in Cumbria
Every year in Cumbria, a celebration takes place to herald the arrival of spring and the damson blossom. Damson Day takes place in the Lyth Valley with local crafts, produce and entertainment on offer to visitors…
Coconut puts intercultural relationships in the spotlight
Coconut, a new play based on writer Guleraana Mir’s real experience of interracial and intercultural relationships, will embark on a UK tour from this month…
The best Easter events for adults in 2018
That gloriously long Easter weekend is almost upon us and to help you prepare for some quirky fun, we at Contrary Life have put together a round-up of the more unusual events happening this year…
The best quirky Easter events for families
Looking for some inspiration on how to spend the Easter break? Contrary Life has compiled a round-up of alternative family friendly Easter events taking place this year, including a hunt with a difference, an inflatable park and a fun afternoon tea…
The ten best quirky events for Easter 2018
Looking for some inspiration on how to spend your long Easter weekend? Contrary Life has compiled a round-up of the quirkiest Easter events taking place this year, including the best of the UK’s customs and contests, such as coal carrying races and marbles championships, chair lifting and bottle kicking…
Orange-themed trails and activities at the Marmalade Awards & Festival
The 2018 World’s Original Marmalade Awards & Festival will take place on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th March in Cumbria, with tastings and orange-themed activities…
A new season of quirky outdoor cinema events
Picnic Cinema has carved out a national cult following for their ‘cinema parties’ over the past six years and are upping the ante with a season of seriously offbeat films for 2018…
Thought-provoking theatre with The Nature of Forgetting
The Nature of Forgetting, a powerful, explosive and joyous piece about what is left when memory and recollection are gone, will be touring the UK this Spring…
Strange and imaginative theatre in Manchester
The Bare Project’s On the Outskirts Of A Large Event, a piece of theatre that promises to be as strange and bright as a lump of ice, will be on at HOME in Manchester from 21st to 24th February…
An intimate tale of lighthouse keepers
Point of Echoes is an intimate tale of lighthouse keepers, designed especially for village halls, set to tour town and country this Spring…
The Heritage Museum hidden in a hardware store
Our latest Curiosity of the Week is a wonderful little museum in Cockermouth, Cumbria. This hidden gem can be found in the traditional hardware store, J.B. Banks and Son at Market Place…