The Reader in Calderstones Park announces new season of events for Spring

The programme includes the return of Sunday afternoon Garden Parties, deep dives into literary classics, a Teddy Bear’s sleepover in the Storybarn and roast dinners to celebrate Easter and Mothering Sunday.

Liverpool-based charity The Reader has announced its biggest ever programme of events, and activities to celebrate the arrival of Spring in its Calderstones Park home.

The Spring season begins with Sing into Spring on Sunday 3 March where Liverpool-based socially inclusive community choir The i Choir will be welcoming the arrival of Spring with a joy-filled day of song and creativity.

The Easter foodie delights begin on Good Friday with showstopping Easter Tea Parties for all the family featuring handmade treats. The Reader’s resident Storyhunters will be on hand with fun Easter-themed crafts and games to entertain our younger guests, and for under 2’s, a special Baby Bunny afternoon tea is available with food made specially for little hands.

The Reader’s in house chefs will be preparing traditional three-course roast dinners with all the trimmings to treat mum on Sunday 10 March for Mother’s Day and celebrate with all the family on Easter Sunday on 31 March, both served in the historic Theatre room which overlooks the beautiful private garden and accompanied with live music.

Garden Parties return for the warmer months on Sundays 5 and 19 May where guests are invited to pull up a deckchair or lay out their picnic blanket to enjoy an afternoon of live music, crafts and street food prepared by The Reader’s chefs. Hampers of handpicked stories and poems for children and adults will create a library on the lawn for all to explore.

As always, The Reader will bring people together and books to life through literary events including the latest edition in the popular Sunday School series on Sunday 14 April with a pilgrimage to Medieval Canterbury led by the work of Geoffrey Chaucer. The days is an opportunity to delve deeper into this great work and includes a light lunch and refreshments. An uplifting Spring Wellbeing Workshop takes place on Sunday 12 May inspired by American novelist Wendell Berry.

The workshop begins with Shared Reading with The Reader’s experienced practitioners before a guided walk through Calderstones Park and the chance to build a personal poetry collection to take home. As throughout the year, drop-in Shared Reading sessions which bring people together to talk, connect and share experiences through stories and poems continue at The Mansion House and venues across the city.

The ever-popular Makers at the Mansion is back on Sunday 2 June and invites Liverpool’s wonderful makers to the beautiful Mansion House. The best local and handmade candles, soaps, jewellery, home décor, clothing, art, crafts and more will be available to browse and buy throughout the house and garden along with delicious food.

For families, the Reader’s magical play space for children The Storybarn presents its first-ever Teddy Bear’s Sleepover on Friday 19 April. Children will bring their favourite furry friends along for games and bedtime stories, before tucking their soft toys into a cosy bed and saying goodnight.

The next morning, they will return to the barn to be reunited with their pals, enjoy a breakfast of croissants and juice, and watch a presentation of what the teddies got up to the night before. Each child will receive a mini photo album of their soft toy’s sleepover adventure to take home.

For the first time, the Storybarn will celebrate everybody’s favourite multicolored elephant with Elmer Day on Saturday 25 May. There will be Elmer stories, Elmer crafts and lots of Elmer themed excitement to be had.

Specially themed sessions will run in the Storybarn throughout the Easter and May school holidays with games and storytelling taking families outside into the great outdoors and School Holiday Clubs will provide all-day entertainment, enrichment and adventures around the park for selected weeks.

The Mansion House will be open seven days a week with guided tours exploring the history of the house every Tuesday at 2pm, and the History of the House exhibition, and the ancient Calder Stones which give the local area its name on display every day.

See the full events list below:

Sing into Spring with The i Choir
Sunday 3 March, 10am – 4pm
The Mansion House
£3

Easter Holiday Club
8 – 12 April, 8.30am – 5pm
The Storybarn
£30 £25 sibling

Easter Roast
Sunday 31 March, 12pm – 3.30pm
The Mansion House
From £29

Sunday School: Chaucer
Sunday 14 April, 11am – 3pm
The Mansion House
£10

Teddy Bear’s Sleepover
Friday 19 – Saturday 20 April, 4.30pm & 10am
The Storybarn
£15

Garden Parties
Sundays 5 & 19 May, 11am – 5pm
The Reader Garden
Free Entry

Spring Wellbeing Workshop: Wendell Berry
Sunday 14 May, 1pm – 3.30pm
The Mansion House
£5

Elmer Day
Saturday 25 May, 10am & 12.30pm
The Storybarn
£6

May Half-Term at the Storybarn
26 May & 1 –2 June, 10am & 12.30pm
The Storybarn
£6

May Holiday Club
27 – 31 May, 8.30am – 5pm
The Storybarn
£30 £25 sibling

Makers at the Mansion
Sunday 9 June, 11am – 5pm
The Mansion House
Free entry

Shared Reading
All year round, various times, various venues
Free entry
Find a group here.