Sport and leisure
Gardeners’ Question Time celebrates Arboretum’s 150th with two broadcasts from Walsall
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On Tuesday 4 February a BBC Radio 4 institution, Gardeners’ Question Time, was recorded at Walsall Arena & Arts Centre, capping off a wonderful year celebrating the 150th anniversary of Walsall Arboretum.
Panelists Bunny Guinness, Marcus Chilton-Jones and Matthew Wilson answered questions from Walsall residents and those from further afield, spanning how to grow ginger, taming rhododendrons, how to discourage red ants and even the panelists’ favourite plants.
Two programmes were recorded in front of an audience of around 150 people. The first show is due to be broadcast on 21 February with a repeat on the 23rd. The second show, featuring interviews with members of the Arboretum’s team, is due to be broadcast on 7 March with a repeat on the 9th.
“ This event was a fantastic and fitting conclusion to a year celebrating 150 years of Walsall Arboretum. We are immensely proud to host the show here in Walsall, and I look forward to hearing the shows over the coming weeks. “
Walsall Arena’s upcoming programme includes shows from comedians Jason Manford, Milton Jones and Al Murray, the Pub Landlord; Taylor Swift, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and Barbra Streisand tributes as well as an evening with singer and presenter Aled Jones and performance by British folk-rock legends Steeleye Span.
Explore what’s on here: www.walsallarena.com
ENDS.
Notes to Editors
Walsall Arena and Arts Centre
Walsall Arena and Arts Centre, Hawbush Road, Leamore, Walsall. WS3 1AG
0300 555 2898. Box Office open Monday to Friday 10am - 2pm.
Walsall Arena is a multi-purpose performance space located in Leamore, just 2 miles from Walsall town centre and 10 minutes from Junction 10 of the M6. It hosts a diverse range of events from live pop music, tribute acts, orchestral concerts to theatre performances, pantomime and comedy. The Arena has multiple spaces to hire and can accommodate large scale performances, conferences, exhibitions along with smaller meetings and seminars.
About Walsall Arboretum
Walsall Arboretum is a rural retreat at the heart of Walsall town centre. First opened in 1874, it now spans 170 acres and includes Hatherton lake, the country park and the extension.
The site attracts over a million visitors a year, with people of all ages enjoying events such as the annual fireworks, funfairs, fun runs and activities such as: cricket, tennis, bowling, informal football, walking, cycling, and running. The Saturday parkrun attracts hundreds of people every week. In summer, the splash pad and children’s play area also attract thousands of visitors. With a trim trail, skatepark and multi-use games area there really is something for everyone. And, in amongst all this activity, there are spaces for quiet contemplation and opportunities to enjoy the vast array of plants and animals that inhabit the space.
Find out more about Walsall's parks and green spaces here: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/parks-and-green-spaces
Arboretum facts and figures:
- Attracts over 1 million visitors each year.
- It spans 170 acres and includes the heritage core of the park, the extension as well as Walsall country park.
- The Arboretum is part of the UNESCO Black Country global Geopark with spans the region. It was formerly the site of limestone mines that were active between 1770-c.1835
- Holds a place on Historic England’s National Heritage List for England, a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites
- Home to 10,000 different species of trees and shrubs. A report published in July for the Ancient Tree Inventory revealed that the Arboretum boasts the highest concentration of ancient and veteran trees in the entire region
- Home to the ‘Devil’s Toe’ – a glacial ‘erratic’ boulder which was carried from North Wales on an ice sheet around 400,000 years ago.
