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Site of world’s first factory to open as Museum of Making, in Derby

Past. Present. Future. Derby’s rich history of innovation will be celebrated at a new £17m ‘Museum of Making’, opening in September. Located in the city centre – within the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site – and on the site of the world’s first factory, the museum will profile the city’s 300-year history of “making”, displaying over 50,000 objects. Revealing the whole building to the public for the very first time, the transformation of this striking and historic property will be one of the most significant heritage developments in the UK when it opens in 2020.

Dickens and White anniversaries to put Hampshire on the map in 2020

Ever heard of Gilbert White? In 2020 you’ll likely hear more about the Hampshire man often called “the world’s first ecologist”. July 18 2020 sees the 300th anniversary of his birth and his former Hampshire home, Gilbert White’s House & Gardens in the village of Selborne, tells his fascinating story. It is also home to the original manuscript of his book The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, which inspired generations of naturalists, including Darwin, and has never been out of print since being published in 1789. There are plans to celebrate the tercentenary with activities in Selborne, throughout Hampshire and across the UK in 2020. Meanwhile, Hampshire’s Charles Dickens’ Birthplace Museum will be marking the 150th anniversary of the death of the author, in 2020. Dickens was born in the small terraced house in Portsmouth, on 7 February 1812. For 2020, the Museum will be helping to commemorate the author’s links with the county

Mark the 200th anniversary of the Lady with the Lamp

Two centuries after her birth, the lasting legacy of ‘Lady of the Lamp’, Florence Nightingale, will be celebrated globally in 2020 – which has been declared the Year of the Nurse and Midwife in her honour by the World Health Organisation. Though born in Florence, Italy, she was brought up in England and two places closely associated with this iconic nursing pioneer – Derby and Hampshire – will be offering visitors a chance to follow in her footsteps in this anniversary year. From staying in her countryside childhood home in Derbyshire, to visiting her final resting place in the rural church near her family estate In Hampshire, 2020 will offer a host of opportunities to celebrate her life and work

England’s first chief spymaster turns 500… as James Bond hits 25

He may have none of the glamour of Raleigh or Drake, but for Queen Elizabeth I, one man was by her side for 40 years. 2020 marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of William Cecil, Elizabeth’s most trusted minister (13 Sept 1520). Lincolnshire-born Cecil was her chief intelligence gatherer, his home, Burghley, in Stamford, will host lectures, exhibitions and a self-guided trail, while in June there will be a service in Westminster Abbey, where his final resting place, St Martin’s Church, Stamford, will host a service in September. Cecil established a huge espionage network, in effect England’s first secret service, and 2020 sees a celebration of a more modern secret agent – the 25th James Bond movie

Discover a forgotten ‘warrior queen’ in Staffordshire

Summer 2020 sees Tamworth Castle unveil a new state-of-the-art gallery celebrating the town’s Anglo-Saxon history – including a forgotten ‘warrior queen’. While a hidden heroine of history, if you are hooked on smash hit TV series The Last Kingdom – set for a fourth season on Netflix airing around spring 2020 – the name of Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great, may be more familiar. Learn more about the real-life inspiration at Tamworth from where Aethelflaed, one of the most powerful figures of her time, ruled the Kingdom of Mercia. The “Battle and Tribute” gallery will feature cutting-edge audio-visual technology and showcase pieces of the Staffordshire Hoard as well as artefacts from Tamworth Castle’s collection. www.tamworthcastle.co.uk

Isle of Wight is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

2020 will see the first full year of the Isle of Wight’s status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The status it achieved in 2019 is internationally recognised, and illustrates the way in which the Island is now recognised as offering one of the best areas in the world for managed landscapes where human impact does not detract from the landscape and wildlife. The UNESCO accolade builds on its own sustainable tourism initiatives, including the recently launched Slow Travel Guide to the Isle of Wight; and highlights its appeal as an outdoors and ‘wellbeing’ destination.

Visit “Hockney Country”

The National Portrait Gallery in London, will stage the first major exhibition devoted to David Hockney’s drawings in over 20 years from February 27 to June 28. David Hockney: Drawing from Life, explores Hockney as a draughtsman from the 1950s to the present. For those who admire Hockney’s artwork, East Yorkshire is the place to discover the inspiration behind some of his most celebrated landscapes. The Yorkshire Wolds provide the backdrop for a series of paintings that span 50 years of Hockney’s work – and an interactive map launched by Visit Hull and East Yorkshire offers visitors a chance to follow in the footsteps of the iconic British artist

Trentham’s magical Spring Bulb Festival will smell as good as it looks

Award-winning Trentham Gardens was a riot of colour for its first ever Spring Bulb Festival in 2019, and for 2020 one of England’s most visited paid for gardens is promising an even bigger display. And while spring colour has always been in vogue at Trentham, for 2020 it’s also going to be about the fragrances. Hot colours will definitely be ‘in’ – yellows, reds, and psychedelic pinks; but fragrant flowers and scented shrubs will fill this Staffordshire garden with the sights and smells of spring. Trentham’s team of gardeners have been busy throughout autumn adding more than 130,000 extra bulbs. Combined with the 50,000-plus bulbs planted for the 2019 Festival, the colour palette of pot and flower bed displays will see Trentham spring to life like never before in 2020

Explorer who named Australia returns to Lincolnshire after 200 years

New walking and cycling trails are set to be launched as part of commemorations in 2020 when the remains of a Lincolnshire explorer who gave Australia its name will return home, more than 200 years after his death. The remains of Capt Matthew Flinders, born in Donington, near Spalding – discovered during construction in London – will be reinterred inside Donington’s village church later in 2020. As the first person to circumnavigate the continent and who popularised its name, Flinders is a national hero in Australia, where more than 100 geographical features are named after him. New visitor trails will be unveiled featuring historic links between Lincolnshire and Australia – not only Flinders, but also Lincolnshire-born explorer Joseph Banks (with 2020 also marking the 200th anniversary of his death).

 Potteries once again set for a prime-time slot

Stoke-on-Trent and The Potteries will be featured on prime-time television, in 2020. Middleport Pottery – one of the oldest, and most historic factories in the UK – is once again hosting the crew and contestants for a new series of The Great Pottery Thrown Down, which goes in search for Britain’s best amateur potter. The show will be returning for a new 10-part series, following 12 potters as they strive to create their most intricate and imaginative work. Previously shown on BBC, the switch to Channel 4 will also see new host Melanie Sykes take over as presenter alongside returning judge and master potter Keith Brymer Jones plus new judge and award-winning ceramicist Sue Pryke. Middleport Pottery reopened to the public in 2014, following a £9-million restoration project led by The Prince’s Regeneration Trust; and is now operated by the United Kingdom Historic Building Preservation Trust

Sea the change in Hull

Hull is redefining itself as a key city of the North and Yorkshire’s Maritime City is planning a multi-million pound project to transform some of its historic maritime attractions, making Hull’s 800 years of seafaring history even more of a key part of the city’s tourism offer. Initial work has already begun and by 2021 a new maritime route will be created, guiding visitors through the heart of the city to the River Hull, highlighting the city’s outstanding maritime heritage http://bit.ly/2m4Rq7I

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