The excitement is growing in the village. I can feel it! If you’ve not got your tickets you can still get them from The Fox or from one of the people named on the posters around the village. Why not pop in to The Fox or call one of them? It’s going to be a great fun night!

Latest News! Some of the participants are getting a bit worked up and it is clear from the picture below that some are getting quite belligerent towards their rivals. Clearly they can’t wait to get started!

Others have been having a final try out to see if they are fit enough to compete!

Make sure you don’t miss out. All of those of you who forgot to get your loved one a Valentine’s day gift here’s you chance to make amends. What better present than a night at the Races!!

Only a matter of hours to go. Make sure you don’t miss out!

See you Saturday night at The Races!

Just one week to go until the biggest social event in the village so far this year!

The latest news from the North Luffenham Stables is that a horse has had to be withdrawn following the discovery that it was pregnant and so was not in a state to run. Apparently in June, she is due to give birth to a baby horse. (I know it’s not the correct terminology, but I’ve been told that I can’t use foal language on this site!)

So, on with the details.

Why not use this weekend to snap up some of the final tickets on sale? You can do this either by calling in at The Fox, or giving one of the phone number on the posters around the village a call and the lovely people behind them will gladly sell you some tickets. This promises to be a really fun evening so make sure you don’t miss out!

There will be races throughout the evening that you can try your luck wagering on as well as other games and a raffle with superb prizes all alongside a thriving bar.

The event will be a cash only event so please make sure to empty all the local ATM’s and bring a sturdy shopping bag with you to hopefully cart away all those lovely winnings!

The final countdown has started! Please make sure you’re not the ones missing out a week from now!

See you all next Saturday 6.30pm onwards at the School Hall

As I write this I am pleased to report that a record number of horses have been entered for the races. This makes for an even better than hoped for event. However there has been some interesting news from some of the local stables which I felt I needed to share with you.

Following a recent veterinary health inspection at a North Luffenham Stud, the county’s leading racing Shetland Pony has been rule out of the forthcoming race night with a mystery long term illness. The stud had requested the veterinary visit as Shetland Shifter had been noted to have a very, very sore inflamed throat resulting in a hacking cough. The result of the visit was that the vet immediately ruled Shetland Shifter out of any racing for the foreseeable future with a mystery illness that currently he is unable to diagnose accurately. In making this ruling the vet commented, “I cannot be sure exactly what is wrong with Shetland Shifter but is is patently clear from examining her that she is a little horse!”

We have also had photographic evidence sent to us of another horse due to race who is currently recovering from surgery. The secretly taken photograph, shown below would seem to suggest that the outcome of the operation may not be entirely satisfactory!

Don’t forget, tickets for this great event are available from The Fox or from the people named on the posters that are posted throughout the village.

It really is going to be a fantastic evening, so don’t miss out, make sure you secure your tickets before they run out and then watch this space for more updates!!

Given the interest shown by so many of you for this fantastic upcoming event on Saturday 7th March I thought, in the light of the recent downpours and the ground becoming so waterlogged, that you might be interested in knowing what has happened to the training routines of some of the competitors. Clearly the jockeys and stable hands are taking this event very seriously and have taken to using alternative training methods given everywhere is so wet.

The team training Nobbled Nag found their stable underwater and so have resorted to water polo methods of training, a tried and trusted method for training horses!

Here we see Nobbled Nag and his stablemates at a recent training camp!

And we also have a picture taken secretly at a training facility just outside Empingham following an arduous swim in the swollen River Chater by Equine Enchantress and her hapless stablemate Cunning Fox

Don’t forget, tickets are available from The Fox or from those people named on the posters around the village. Either pop in to The Fox or give one of these lovely people a ring and they will be able to provide you with your tickets to one of the very best race meetings to be held in the UK this year!

Act soon – time is galloping away!

Mid January, dark days and long nights! Is there no end to the gloom?

YES there is! The North Luffenham Fun Club is very pleased to announce the first North Luffenham fun event of 2026. The North Luffenham Race Night to be held in the School Hall on 7th March.

This is going to be an evening of fun and games for the whole community (over 18’s only at this event to comply with legal requirements) . A series of races with tote including the ultimate pig race. These races will be accompanied by other interval games. A guaranteed fun filled evening to drive away the winter blues and usher in Springtime. There is also a licensed bar. Tickets cost £10 and included in that price is your first drink! Posters around the village (and at the bottom of this message) tell you who you can contact to buy your tickets. Tickets can also be bought from The Fox, so just pop in and ask at the Bar. What an excuse to visit the pub in Dry January!

Tickets are proving popular so don’t delay.

Like the pantomime, these fun events are aimed at all North Luffenham villagers, so why not end January with a bang and pick up your tickets for this fun filled event. See you there!

One of the horses currently in training for the big event!

Yes! it’s nearly that time again. I kid you not, the last two rehearsals have been the best yet. Everybody is looking so good this year. We just can’t wait to show you what we’ve come up with this year. Saturday’s rehearsal showed the true talent everyone possesses (it was a very short rehearsal!!!).

The lights are booked again, the sound track is set. Our brilliant make up artist has signalled her readiness. Our great props person has come up trumps again!

This is one you just can’t miss. This has just got to be the best way to start your Christmas week. Don’t forget this extravaganza will be staged in The Fox Car Park on Sunday 21st December at 6.00pm. As always there will be a cash bucket collection so please do give what you can on the night. It is true to say there is nothing like this pantomime anywhere else!! Last year you were all so generous – so a big thank you in advance.

Just to prepare you all here are a couple of reminders from last years pantomime!

Get ready – IT’S COMING TO THE PUB NEAR YOU!

We look forward to seeing you all on Sunday!

The Cast of 2025

Last night saw your intrepid bunch of village thespians once again rehearsing this years pantomime outside in the Fox Car Park. Always an interesting experience dodging the cars coming and going. No one was run over but some of the drivers did seem to have a rather shocked and quizzical look on their faces as they drove by!! This is not surprising give the shenanigans that were unfolding. There appears to be an attempt by the cast this year to learn their lines, a serious departure from previous years, such is their dedication to bring you the very best panto land has to offer this year!

More rehearsals are scheduled and the long term weather forecast is looking good for the 21st December. Remember to dress for out doors events on the night. We are loving getting this ready for you again this year and can’t wait to see you all on the night. What a way to start Christmas!!

Your trusty band of hardy would be thespians are at it again! Now the weather is getting colder and the evenings are drawing in, this Oscar aspiring band of somewhat deranged villagers are banding together again for your theatrical joy and wonderment. Yes! we’ve actually had some rehearsals already.

This year promises an even more spectacular extravaganza than last year. For those of you scared of little furry critters I can promise there will be none of them running across the car park this year! However, there will be new occurrences intermingled with the usual mayhem and live rewriting of the script on the night.

We are all so looking forward to kicking off your Christmas week again this year. Sunday 21st December at 6.00 is the date to have in your diary. Please do be there. Who knows what might happen on the night?!

More postings as we progress in rehearsals (if we progress in rehearsals!!) As always we can’t do this without you all. Our audience is our inspiration! See you there!

Yes we’re having another pantomime! Under the cover of darkness and with several burly security guards on hand the script for the North Luffenham Pantomime 2025 was delivered to a secret hiding place by magic flying carpet in the dead of night last night.

Now we have the script all we need is our thespians. The same rule applies this year as in all others. If you think you can’t act then you are just who we are looking for! We want to see enthusiastic amateurs giving it their all. Those of you who have seen previous pantomimes will know the level of acting that is required (and I use the word “acting” with deep caution!)

So we are holding a first meeting next Wednesday (22nd) at 7.00pm in The upper room at The Fox for all who would like to be involved in this years undoubted five star performance!

It’s always great fun so please come along if you want to be involved. We would love to have you there. If you can feel your Hamlets twitching or you feel you can contribute to our much ado about nothing please come along and get involved.

Oh and just a quick tempter – The Pantomime Title? GoldyFox and the Three Beers!

Hopefully we will see you on Wednesday (22nd) at 7.00pm

Let the fun and the overacting start again!

The dress rehearsal is finished, the props are made, the sound and lighting has arrived, the grease paint is ready to be applied and the cast are raring to go.

Oh yes! we have a total extravaganza for you tomorrow night (Sunday 22nd) at The Fox at 6.00pm. Everyone is so hyped to bring you the best village pantomime yet. We just can’t wait. Me? I’ve not slept for two nights, so excited am I!

The weather forecast is for dry conditions which is all the cast ever ask for. We’ve performed for you in arctic conditions , we’ve even performed on ice! There is some wind in the forecast but, believe you me there’s always an abundance of hot air in our pantomimes so it won’t be a lot different! The show will go on!!

The cast have worked extra hard this year to bring you this wonderful opening to Christmas week. Please don’t miss it! There would be nothing worse than sitting down to your huge Christmas dinner with that glum look on all the faces around the table knowing that they had missed the best start to Christmas anyone could ever have! Don’t be that person!

Romeo had his Juliet, Arthur had his Knights, Romulus had his Remus (classy knowledge eh!) North Luffenham has it Christmas Pantomime!

We can’t wait to see you all there. It will be brilliant!

Whilst many of you will have been hunkering down this morning trying to avoid the worst of this storm your intrepid village thespians were not to be distracted from their task of providing you with your best pantomime yet. Many of the cast bravely fought against the atrocious elements to attend the latest rehearsal today. And their bravery and dedication was there for all to see. Words really can’t sum up this years casts dedication, and they’re doing it all for you! There’s just two more rehearsals to go before the big event on 22nd December in The Fox Car Park and I am positive that the dedication shown by everyone involved will make that night one to remember and probably the best start to a Christmas you will ever have!

We are really looking forward to seeing everyone on 22nd. Only 15 more sleeps to go!! Keep calm!!

Seriously, you must not miss this one!

Last night, as the temperature dropped, the intrepid cast held their first outdoor rehearsal. Up until now it has been too warm for this (fool)hardy team of thespians to venture outside. Nothing like near freezing temperatures to get the juices flowing and for Pete the Piper to wet his lips and have a quick toot on his pipes! Despite several near misses with cars entering and leaving the car park at The Fox our brave band of heroes and heroines battled on with only one thing on their minds (No it wasn’t getting back to the bar as soon as possible) and that thing is to bring you all another blockbuster OSCAR winning pantomime.

The pantomime is on 22nd December at 6.00pm. By then you will have all the presents brought and wrapped, the turkey safely in the fridge, the pigs all cutely wrapped up in their blankets, the pudding lurking in the cupboard. You’re all ready, nothing else to do, so what better way to usher in Christmas Day than watching the Village Pantomime! The cast would love to see you there for another brilliant evening of unending fun!

Please remember we do not charge for tickets but ask that you bring along a cash donation. All profits from this extravaganza go directly to support village good causes, so by donating generously you directly help to make North Luffenham an even more brilliant village to live in than it already is.

Not long to go! Mark the date in your diary and we will see you at The Fox on 22nd December!

I thought it was about time for an update! The date for this years pantomime has now been finalised. This year the Pantomime will be staged on Sunday 22nd December at 6.00pm in the Grand North Luffenham Theatre, better known as The Car Park at The Fox’ as in previous years. Please make a note of this in your diaries. As ever, it promises to be an extravaganza of gargantuan proportions. As in previous years the show is a “turn up and enjoy” event. There are no tickets on sale but as always we will be raising money for good causes within the village so please bring plenty of cash along with you on the night.

The cast have met twice now and I can promise you that, as always, we have hunted high and low to select only the very best of the nations thespianic community to star in this years production. It ceases to amaze me just where we find this talent each year. Some of the cast have actually threatened to learn their lines this year!!

So what better way to kick of the Christmas season that to spend the Sunday before Christmas immersed in some of the best theatre you will see this year.

See you there!!

Yes, it’s happening again. Despite several efforts by the theatrical world to prevent another thespianic travesty in North Luffenham again this year I am pleased to announce that all attempts have failed and there will be another theatrical extravaganza staged in December!

As in previous years we are looking for people who would like to take part in this drama. As you will all have evidenced from previous productions, little or no skill is required to participate!! We would love to have some new faces appear this year as several of our regulars have now got prior commitments this year with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Ballet and the English National Opera, such has been the recognition of their skills in the past!! ( Believe that and you just might believe the storyline this year!!)

If you would like to get involved we are holding a first meeting to reveal this years play and generally re-write the whole thing! on Thursday 24th October at 7.00pm in The Fox. It would be lovely to see you there so please come along and find out all about your hidden theatrical leanings!

See you there!

Simon

The organising group for the Safari Supper met the other evening to discuss arrangements for the Safari Supper on the 8th June as the deadline for people to apply for this extravaganza is fast approaching. Please make sure you don’t miss out on this event by signing up for it as soon as you can. You will notice that the organisers are a bunch of true heavyweights when it comes to organising an event like this so it is bound to be a wonderful evening for all! A reminder the closing date to take part is 22nd April and if you want to sign up please contact the organisers by email on sbrowning@ eye1.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you very soon!

Yes it’s back! The fun social event of the early summer. Balmy evenings convivial atmosphere, the village full of people wandering from one house to the next to be fed or to feed people. What’s not to like?

Saturday 8th June sees this great event make a roaring come back. If you would like to take part please email: sbrowning@eye1.co.uk to register. There are posters all around the village and you should have received an information leaflet through your door. If you want more information please also email the above address. Interest has been high so far and spaces are limited to 36 couples so if you want to be there on the North Luffenham Serengeti Plains on 8th June wandering the village taking part in this grand social event please register as soon as you can. The booking deadline for this not to be missed evening is 22nd April so make sure you do not miss out! The cost is £10 per couple. Even a lion would find that brilliant value!

Last night saw the final rehearsal for this years pantomime. What an evening that was! The cast were on tip top form and the first ever full run through with lights and sound showed that everyone was ready for this evening at one level or another! Tonight will see another fantastic performance I am sure and we can’t wait to give you North Luffenham’s second pantomime. There were those who said it would never happen again. There were an awful lot more who said it should never happen again! We have confounded them all and 7.00 tonight in The Fox car park we will see a rebirth of some of the finest theatre you will see this year. We have even made national radio this morning with the news!

We look forward to seeing you all this evening for a festive night of fun and frolics!

With only one more rehearsal to go on Thursday, Tuesdays rehearsal saw The Two Ugly sisters turn on their worst powers to reduce Sinderella to the depths of despair! It’s hard to tell whether it was their interpretation of the script or just their acting that caused Sinderella to break down, but I fear it was probably the acting! Nevertheless the pantomime is looking truly amazing this year and I know we have a wonderful treat for you all. All the cast are literally itching to show you their thespianic talents. We hope to have found the cause of the itching by Friday!

So with just hours to go, and Lin brewing up the mulled wine for everyone to indulge in, we are looking forward to seeing you all on Friday. Don’t forget the pantomime starts at 7.00pm but there will be much merriment beforehand. Please remember to bring your spare cash along to make a contribution as we are not selling tickets. If you no longer use cash then please visit Lin’s mulled wine emporium where she will be able to take card card contributions as well.

The cast have been so dedicated this year and this year pantomime promises to be even better than last years. According to one theatre critic this will not be an overly difficult task to achieve. Please come along and judge for yourselves! The weather looks to be positively balmy!

The cast all came together for their latest rehearsal today. Given the weather we did wonder whether this should be a synchronised swimming demo rather than a pantomime! But the weather forecast for Friday looks almost balmy so the panto gods are smiling on us!

Just to remind you all the pantomime is in the car park at The Fox on Friday 15th at 7.00pm. There are no tickets for this but we are asking for donations on the night so p[lease do come armed with some cash to donate to this annual extravaganza. Foer those who no longer carry cash there will be an opportunity for you to donate using your plastic or phone via sum up.

The proceeds will go to cover basic panto costs but in the main will go to the village good causes so please do consider donating generously to help these highly worthwile causes.

The cast and panto supporters have worked so hard this year and can’t wait to wow you with another thespian feast next Friday. See you at The Fox. There is no better way to kick off this years festive season!

Just a reminder from last year!