Young Harrogate musicians will play alongside one of the most famous brass bands in the world at a free concert in Valley Gardens next month.

Tewit Youth Band will join Black Dyke Band at the event at 3pm on July 4.

The event aims to kickstart live performances again after almost 18 months of lockdown.

The concert has been funded by Arts Council England‘s Culture Recovery Fund, which awarded Black Dyke Band a grant to play with a budding group of its choice.

Tewit Youth Band, which is a charity that encourages young people to learn brass and percussion instruments, meets on Wednesday evenings in an old Methodist Chapel in Huby. It has about 100 members.

Many former members have gone on to play for the country’s top brass bands.

It has four groups ranging from ages six to 18 and its senior band will perform at this event.

Colin Gibbs, president of the Tewit Youth Band for 30 years, said:

“We’ve always had a friendly link with the Black Dyke Band, with a couple of our former members going on to join their ranks.

“So when they were given a grant from the Arts Council, they chose to come and do a concert with us, which is very exciting for everyone.”

Black Dyke Band, which is based in Bradford, dates back to 1855 and has included some of the world’s most talented conductors and musicians.

Harrogate’s annual comic art convention has announced an all-star line-up of artists and writers.

More than 400 artists and exhibitors are already set to attend the Thought Bubble Comic Art Convention.

Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk and Batman and Sin City artist Frank Miller are among the guests.

Other artists include Joelle Jones (illustrator and writer for Batman and Catwoman), Doug Braithwaite (artist for many Marvel and DC comics including Wolverine, Thor and Batman) and many more.

The convention will take place on November 13 and 14, at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Activities in store include panels, live drawing, workshops and meet and greets. There will also be a kids’ zone with crafts and a quiet area for reading.

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Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite characters, and there will be a competition for the best homemade cosplay outfits.

A wider Thought Bubble comic art festival will also be taking place during the week starting November 8 across Yorkshire. Film screenings, art exhibitions and other events will be open to people across the county.

Tula Lotay founded Thought Bubble in 2007 and it began in the basement of Leeds Town Hall. It is now one of the biggest comic art conventions in the UK.

She drew the first official art for the convention, and it has been policy that the official artwork be drawn by a female artist ever since.

This is in response to a lack of diversity within the industry when she started; she hopes to open it up to other marginalised groups in years to come.

You can find tickets for this year’s convention here.

This article is sponsored by RHS Garden Harlow Carr

As summer begins to bloom in the Harrogate district, don’t forget to add these dates to your diary!

In the last year, RHS Harlow Carr has been a wonderful place for local residents to enjoy the fresh air. As the seasons change and restrictions lift, Harlow Carr is increasing its capacity for visitors.

As well as being a spectacular place to connect with nature, the garden is now able to plan special events and activities again. These give people the opportunity to source wonderful locally-produced items and also develop their own skills and discover new pastimes.

In the Bath House from 22 May to 27 June, the Designer Makers Market features original art and crafts by local practitioners, including textiles, ceramics, glass, paper collage and wood art to browse and buy.

Visitors can also enjoy daily demonstrations by visiting artists. The Bath House is open every day and admission is included with garden entry.

For those who found solace in creativity during lockdown, the RHS has the perfect programme of courses and workshops to develop your skills further. Each course is led by a friendly and knowledgeable tutor and places are limited. There’s a whole host of topics covered, starting on 24 June with an Introduction to permaculture.

For avid gardeners, other courses include one focused on aquatic plants and ponds on 7 July, advanced propagation on 15 July and a range of other one day workshops on different aspects of growing and garden design. Creative craft workshops include floristry, textiles, printing, photography and wood carving.

The garden will also be welcoming Harrogate & Ripon Beekeepers Association for a number of one day courses through the year, which will inspire many more keen gardeners to foster these vital pollinators.

The full courses and workshops programme has been confirmed for the rest of 2021, so why not take a look and see if you can find inspiration in them?

The Garden Centre at Harlow Carr stocks a comprehensive range of plants, seeds and tools and the friendly team is always on hand to offer advice, giving visitors the opportunity to take inspiration home to their own garden. The shop also stocks a beautiful range of high quality gifts, stationery and books. The garden centre and shop can be visited without booking a garden ticket.

Watch this space for more 2021 events and garden features which will be announced in the coming weeks. Whether you’re an avid gardener, a complete beginner, or someone who doesn’t garden but likes to admire the amazing work of the horticultural team at Harlow Carr, there is always a reason to visit.