The Lerwick Up Helly Aa is a magnificent fire festival, incorporating the burning of a Viking galley and a torchlit parade. Nearly 1000 people dressed as Vikings or in other fancy dress take to the streets for this community-defining event.

Lewes' famous celebrations of 1605's gunpowder plot downfall are unrivalled across England. Its raucous parade winds through steep, cobbled streets with colourful costumes, flaming torches and ear-splitting bangers. The smoke-filled air is full of shouts and beating drums.  Read more

Leeds' annual Light Night sees the cosmopolitan city make a legitimate claim at being a 24-hour cultural hot spot. Fifty venues around the city are open throughout the night to host a collection of weird and wonderful events and one-off spectacles.

The two actor-guides in the Literary Pub Tour take visitors around old and new Edinburgh with dramatised stories of the city's literary wits. Starting at the Beehive Inn, it takes in historic pubs and quirky landmarks, ending at the Café Royal.  Read more

This unique event follows in the footsteps of the inaugural fixture in 2010 in Manchester. Sees around 200 competitors run backwards for one mile or 500m. It is a really fun and exciting event which anyone can win and is something totally different. The event raises money fro CLIC Sargent a charity for children with cancer.   Read more

Dig out your corset and knee-high leather boots for the London Fetish Weekend this autumn. Experience three days of naughty fun: expect fetish balls, kinky club nights and parties at venues across London.  Read more

Clothing-optional protest against oil dependency and car culture and also to demonstrate how vulnerable cyclists are on the road. The event also takes place in various venues across the UK including Bath, Cardiff, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton and York.   Read more

Tobacco Dock welcomes over 150 of the world's top tattoo artists, performers, DJs and musicians to the London Tattoo Convention. Check out the dancers, opt for a tattoo yourself or simply watch the colourful and painful action.  Read more

New event takes place as part of the Southbank Centre's Festival Of The World, includes sideshows and lots of unsual, weird and wonderful delights. Features a huge Spiegeltent with performances of the best circus, international cabaret and musical performances. Headliners are the Australian circus company Cantina with performers including Acrobat, Circus Oz and La Clique. A new and exciting event not to be missed.   Read more

Work off all those extra sweets by plunging up to your neck in glorious mud, all in aid of charity. Join the Maldon Mud Race to sprint, plod or even crawl across the River Blackwater's estuary in Essex.

Man has always pitted his wits and body against his fellow men, the animal kingdom and the natural world to demonstrate superior athleticism and mental strength. This is never more apparent than during Llanwrytd Wells' annual Man versus Horse Marathon.  Read more

This annual celebration welcomes the return of the cuckoo to Marsden with artistic workshops, an all-day craft fair, banner-making, a village procession, maypole and Morris dancing for two days. Friday night culminates in a folk evening at the Riverhead.  Read more

Get up close and personal with the Cerne Abbas Giant during this ancient May Day celebration. Traditionally the Wessex Morris Men dance on the mighty chalk figure at the crack of dawn before celebrations in the village of Cerne Abbas.

Join us at The BEST WESTERN PLUS Mosborough Hall Hotel as we undertake a paranormal investigation evening on Saturday 14th January 2012. The story of the White Lady, goes back to the late 1600’s. A Governess at the hall had flirted with the squire and found herself to be pregnant. He had promised her monies and a small cottage, but finding himself in some financial restraint had finally refused. The angry voices are reputed to be their last bitter argument when the girl’s final threat to tell his wife led to her tragic death when in a moment of desperation he slit the poor girl’s throat.   Read more

Join us at The BEST WESTERN PLUS Mosborough Hall Hotel as we host our Murder Mystery Evening “A night at the Oscars” evening on Friday 24th February. Two days before the Oscars Ceremony takes place in Hollywood they come to Mosborough. Become a celebrity for the evening as you witness intrigue and deception at this years Award Ceremony. Who will it be that murders the showbiz personality of the year? The mystery begins during pre-dinner drinks as suspicious characters mingle throughout. The murder could happen at any point during the service of the three course meal and the would-be-sleuths complete their solution cards during coffee to discover the murderer. The evening then concludes with a disco until midnight. The event including, three course meal, murder mystery evening and disco is just £26.95 per person. Booking required call 0114 248 4353   Read more

The sound of pealing church bells rings out across the city of Leeds for the five-hour National 12 Bell Striking Contest. Held in a different location every year, the competition is the principal change ringing striking competition in the UK.

With polished cornets and buffed brass bells, scores of British brass players descend on the Centaur stage at Cheltenham Racecourse compete in the National Brass Band Championships finals. Tense but enthralling, it's an absolute must on the brass-band calendar.

The social event for British apiarists and honey enthusiasts, the National Honey Show is a competitive exhibition of fine honey and other hive products, including waxes, candles, crafts and confectionery. Honey-loving visitors zoom to St George's College in Weybridge.  Read more

For anyone suffering from the January blues, CAMRA returns with the National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester's Sheridan Suite. Presenting a selection of 200+ British and foreign beers, ales, ciders and perrys, it's just what's needed for a fun night out.  Read more

Prepare yourself for a strange tradition that's said to aid fertility! Padstow town centre's 'Obby 'Oss Celebrations see two black-clothed hobby horses make a bee-line for every woman they pass, drawing them under their cloaks and daubing them with coal.  Read more