After the resounding successes of their previous shows, hugely talented local theatre group X-entricity are preparing to thrill audiences with another spectacular piece of 'Musical Magic'.

Now under the direction of former performing member Steve Liddle, X-entricity are renowned for the sheer quality of their performances. Past productions have included 'Godspell', 'West Side Story', 'Return to the Forbidden Planet', 'Les Miserables' and, most recently, 'Jekyll & Hyde'.

For three days in October, the 12th, 13th and 14th, audiences at the Larruperz Centre will be spellbound, as X-entricity bring the very best of the West End to Ross on Wye. Featuring scenes and musical numbers from a host of award winning shows, from well-loved classics including 'Phantom of the Opera' and 'Blood Brothers', to exciting new musicals such as 'The Lion King' and 'We Will Rock You', 'Musical Magic' promises to be an unmissable treat.

With powerful ballads, hauntingly beautiful choral selections and electric ensemble numbers, 'Musical Magic' has something for everyone. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be dancing in the aisles. You'll be humming the tunes for days afterwards - this certainly won't be a night you'll forget in a hurry!

This outstanding show comes to the Larruperz Centre, Ross on Wye, on the 12th, 13th and 14th of October, and tickets are available from the Centre (01989 565465)

Stop press (Edit the html): Extra night added due to popular demand! Tickets now available for Saturday, 21st October!

If you thought the Rolling Stones were gluttons for gigging punishment, then you haven't met Britain's biggest blues band The Hamsters, who play at the Savoy Theatre in Monmouth on October 7. In the 20 years they've been strumming guitars and stomping the roads together, the band has amazingly played nearly 4,000 shows, right across the globe. This makes Mick and Keef look as lazy as Thom Yorke's droopy eye doesn't it?

Interestingly, the band's website includes an animation of Simon Cowell being peed upon, which just about sums the band up. They hate all things X Factor and love the blues. In fact, rumour has it that if you cut lead guitarist Slim he'd bleed blue blood, which isn't really that surprising bearing in mind God of blues, Albert Collins, declared him one of his children.

Loved by Radio 2's legendary disc shufflers Bob Harris and Johnny Walker, The Hamsters have supported three chord riff kings Status Quo, get a whopping 1000 hits a day on their website, and were voted the UK's best blues-rock band by the readers of Blueprint magazine. Featuring Reverend Otis on drums and Zsa Zsa on bass, it is the band's frontman and guitarist Slim whose blistering fret board antics have kept thousands of fans coming back for more. Voted one of the top 100 guitarists of all time in a radio poll by LBC, Slim's hamster graffitied guitar and gifted fingers have earned the band the honour of being one of the most highly respected performers of the music of Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top. Be prepared though to be blown away by their own tunes as well. Tickets £12 in advance. Box office: 01600 713007.

The Great Pretender himself, the enigmatic Freddie Mercury, would have been 60-years-old this month, making Saturday's (Sep 30) performance at the Savoy Theatre in Monmouth by Queen On Fire, even more special. Britain's best-loved Queen tribute act - formally known as Killer Queen - paid homage to the rock icon with a show hailed by die-hard Queen fans as one of the best around. And frontman Scott Maley, the band boasts arguably the best Freddie Mercury impersonator to have ever donned that famous regal-yellow jacket.

Explaining how the band begun, Scott said: 'We began as a cover band called Kid Gluvz and we used to end each set with a Queen medley. The whole thing just snowballed from there and we became Killer Queen back in 1993.' Now known and loved by thousands of Queen fans across the globe as Queen On Fire, the band is officially one of Europe's biggest tribute acts. In fact, the band has grown so big they rarely get a break from touring, with a stack of gigs pencilled into their diaries right up until the end of the year.

Highlights for the band include headlining the International Queen Convention, playing to 10,000 people on the beach at St. Tropez for the world famous HOG rally, and topping the bill at two sell-out shows at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta Queen On Fire also includes gifted fret board magician Simon Lilley as Brian May, sticksman Stephen Tromans as drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist David Jenkins as John Deacon. Tom Bissell plays keyboards.

A 'Gardeners' Question Time' with BBC Radio Presenter, Mike George and Gardening Guru, Reg Moule took place at Ross Bowling Club during the evening of Tuesday, 26th September. All proceeds from the event went to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and will be used by the local NSPCC, within the county of Herefordshire. A great evening was enjoyed by the many gardeners who attended, raising funds for this extremely worthy cause.

Thanks go to all who sponsored the event. Plants for sale on the evening were kindly donated by Ross Garden Store and prizes for the raffle were donated by many local businesses. An excellent buffet was provided by the .Rumbling Tum' and Herefordshire College of Technology were the main sponsors of the event.

Pictured below during the evening are Betty McAllen, Gail Whyte, Grazya Roberts, Joy Kinsman and Ann Dew, all of the NSPCC with Gardening Guru, Reg Moule and BBC Radio Presenter, Mike George.

Along with schools all over the country, John Kyrle High School held a non-uniform day for years 7 and 8 on Tuesday to celebrate European Awareness day. Pupils came in costumes typical of a European country or national colours. The canteen staff prepared a healthy international menu which was greatly appreciated by the pupils.

During the day, lower school pupils arrived at the modern languages department and were treated to a Blockbusters quiz about France or Spain, games of Lotto in three new languages - Welsh, Russian and Italian and a treasure hunt which led the pupils around the school hunting for such items as 'un trombone' (not a musical instrument!).

Many staff took the register in a foreign language, including Klingon and taught part of a lesson in a different language. Staff were surprised to find a pupil asking to do her English work in German and a pupil from Latvia discussing her mother tongue text book with her Physics teacher.

Mrs Hughes, head of Modern Languages said, 'Everyone involved thoroughly enjoyed the day that brought the Continent a little closer to home'.

Twin cellists Andrew and Jonathan Evans, pictured below with Suzuki teacher Barrie Moore, passed their Associated Board Grade 1 exam with flying colours - a distinction each with 131 marks.

'It was amazing that they should each have achieved identical totals, because they had different marks in different parts of the exam, but it will have been good for domestic peace' said Barrie 'I'm very pleased with their progress and soon they will be playing in our junior orchestra.'

The Ross-on-Wye Suzuki class meets at the Ryefield Centre on Monday afternoons in term time. Children aged between 4 and 8, with no previous experience, can join to learn violin, viola, cello and double bass, all of which can be hired in reduced sizes to suit any child. Research has shown that learning to play an instrument motivates and raises achievement in other fields.

Ask about joining Ross-on-Wye Suzuki Group at The County Collection, 1 Market Place, or ring Robin Symonds on 01989 563883 (daytime) or 730439 (evenings).

A special activity day will be taking place on Sunday 15th October 2006 at Bishopswood House in Ross-on-Wye between 11am and 4pm to mark World Rural Women's Day and to celebrate the role of women in Herefordshire and the world.

Starting with a debate at 11am on the modern day input of women in rural areas, the day offers a range of activities for all ages. There will be a five mile walk/run in the Wye Valley; a treasure hunt for kids; stalls held by local businesses with an emphasis on women's businesses; workshops and private sessions in shiatsu, reflexology, stress management, spiritual healing, manicures, pedicures and belly-dancing. Local and Fairtrade produce will be served for lunch around midday. The day will cost £10 per adult (£5 for under 18s and free for under 5s) and all proceeds will go to Concern Universal, the Herefordshire based charity which is working to relieve the affects of poverty around the world.

Marcelle Lloyd-Hayes on the debate panel said: 'I'm delighted to have been asked to speak at the World Rural Women's Day event and will be in good company on the panel. I'm looking forward to taking part in the walk, too.' Of rural women's issues, she said: 'I would like to see more political representation of rural women both here and abroad. I want to see women achieve more, but under their own merit. They shouldn't have doors opened for them. Women make excellent politicians because we are able to see the far-reaching consequences of our actions. We have a holistic approach to problems, working through co-operation and collaboration. And after all, we are known for our multitasking!'

Facts about rural women: In the UK exactly half of all employees in rural areas are women and a third of all self-employed people are women. And in Herefordshire, a fundamentally rural county, there are more female workers than male (not including the armed forces and agriculture). There are at least 1.6 billion rural women - that's more than a quarter of the total world population. These women produce more than half of all the food grown around the globe, yet they own only 2% of the land and receive only 1% of all agricultural credit. However, despite their economic input, the number of rural women in this country and overseas living in poverty has doubled since 1970. That's according to the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) who are working to raise awareness of these problems and to encourage governments to direct more resources to women in rural areas.

With these facts in mind the debate which headlines the activity day is entitled, 'Are women leading the way in diversifying rural incomes the world over?' The hour long debate will seek to link the experiences of rural women from developed and developing countries, to consider the common causes and to discuss what lessons can be learnt from one another. The panel consists of: Marcelle Lloyd Hayes (councillor, former mayor of Hereford), Bev Haywood (of WiRE - Women in Rural Enterprise), Felicity Norman (speaker for the Herefordshire Green Party), Roslyn Aubrey (of MONEW - Monmouthshire Enterprising Women) and Carey Glyn-Jones (dairy farmer who diversified into ice cream making and also has international development experience).

John Kyrle's Head Boy and Head Girl, Jacob Stroud and Roberta Fisher, attended the 2006 National Student Voice conference at London's impressive Café Royal on 28th of September. The event, run by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, provided an invaluable opportunity to communicate with specialist schools across the country.

During the course of the day delegates took the opportunity to exchange ideas with students of all ages and backgrounds, on subjects as varied as personalized learning and eco-schools.

The day was a notable success, providing inspiration for the improvement of learning in schools and allowing student voices an impact on national educational issues.

If you have a local news item or story of local interest which you would like to appear on Wyenot News you are very welcome to submit it by email, telephone or by post.

Please advise as early as possible if you would like me to photograph your local event so that I can put it in my diary. This service is offered strictly on a first come, first served basis.

Many Wyenot News photographs appear in various local newspapers and magazines. This does not imply that Wyenot News or any other part of this web site belongs to those publications. Wyenot News is a totally independent news magazine.

Contacting Wyenot News:

Email: please click here.

Telephone: 01989 763217 - Mobile: 0779 683 4077

Postal address: Wyenot News, 1, Hillview Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. HR9 7EY

Although it is fine to submit if you are submitting an event taking place in a pub / shop / restaurant etc., please make sure that your story does have real news value and is not simply an advertisement for your business. It would be unfair to those who support Wyenot.com and Wyenot News by advertising to publish blatant advertisements disguised as editorial material.