From messy churches to letting youngsters get behind the wheel of a car, plenty is happening in Shepton Mallet this weekend as we start to count down the days to the half-term holiday.

Here's just a few of the events that caught our eye this week:

Messy Church

Sun 5th Feb, 16:00–17:00

St Aldhelm's Church, Church Ln, Doulting

Family time in church with tea, crafts, bible teaching and songs

Ghost hunt and sleepover

Saturday 4th - Sunday 5th Feb

Shepton Mallet Prison

Notorious for being home to the Kray Twins, this event will be welcoming Dave Courtney - former gangster, now author and celebrity - to the prison. He is closely linked with The Kray brothers and Lenny McLean, and arranged security for The Krays funeral.

He will be talking about his time with Reggie & Ronnie and will be sharing some inside knowledge about what they would have got up to in Shepton Mallet Prison.

The ghost hunt will include Ouija Boards, Table Tipping, Glass Moving and some intense watch-and-wait vigils with ghost hunting equipment. 

Young Driver

5th February

Bath and West Showground

Youngsters get to drive a Vauxhall Corsa or similar vehicle, with a fully-trained driving instructor on a specially laid-out course, complete with junctions, traffic lights, manoeuvring zones and more.

The realistic road layout even includes viewing areas for parents and families, so you can watch proudly on as they take their first steps on their journey to learning to drive – and all before they're 17!

No licence needed. As long as they're aged between 10 and 17 years, they can have fun and learn new skills at a Young Driver lesson!

Lessons start from £39.99. Visit youngdriver.com to book your experience right now.

Po Tay Toes GIF - Potato Potatoes Tates - Discover & Share GIFs

Somerset Potato Day

5th February

Caryford Community Hall, Maggs Ln, Ansford

Annual event for gardeners, seed potatoes for sale by the single tuber, Heritage & Heirloom seeds, Fruit trees and bushes and lots more.

Community groups - Castle Cary Allotments, refreshments in aid of Caryford Community Hall.

Free admission. Free parking

Coming up:

Don't miss the ultimate pop-up shopping event when it arrives at the Bath & West Showground on 18-19 February!

Join other new & expectant parents and shop hundreds of products and essentials at the best prices, all under one roof. Discover a huge line-up of exhibitors including many new and exciting brands, enjoy product demonstrations, free baby-first aid workshops with the Royal Life Saving Society, complimentary Pura goodies and so much more. 

Stretch your baby budget even further with an incredible best-price guarantee on all pushchairs, prams, travel systems, car seats and nursery furniture – save time and compare all the top brands in one place. 

There will be food and drink available at the show, and superb facilities, including the Pura Baby Changing Area filled with complimentary eco-friendly nappies & plastic-free wipes and the Baby & Toddler Feeding Area. Plus, there's plenty of free parking so you can travel & arrive in comfort. 

Book a pair of free tickets, worth £32 with code BH21

For more information on what to expect at the show, including tickets, opening times, the list of brands and travel information, visit babyandtoddlershow.co.uk and click 'book tickets', then enter the code in the box at the top.

2020 Guys and Dolls - Staines Musical Theatre Group

CATS presents "Guys and Dolls"

Ansford Academy, Maggs Lane, BA7 7JJ

Theatre

15th Feb 2023 - 18th Feb 2023

You can see Guys and Dolls at Ansford Academy from the 15th to 18th of February at 7:30pm, so please come along, support us and have a fun evening out!

We hold a raffle each evening, and drinks are available to purchase during the interval. What more could you ask of a night out on the town?

Aladdin Logos

Croscombe Frolics present "Aladdin"

Croscombe Village Hall, Croscombe, nr Wells

16th Feb 2023 - 18th Feb 2023

The Frolics will be celebrating 50 years in 2023 and so are particularly pleased to announce that their half-term panto is back with a production of "Aladdin".

Come and enjoy our very funny, traditional family-friendly panto at Croscombe Village Hall on Thursday 16th to Saturday 18th February at 7:30pm (note - no matinee performance).

Tickets and info from The George Inn, Croscombe or [email protected] (01749 939485) or via www.croscombevillagehall.org.uk/upcoming-events .

The Bath and West Showground is the Shepton Mallet Nub News What's On sponsor. Without community-minded partners like the Bath and West Showground we would not be able to produce the locally-relevant, clickbait-free news to the people of Shepton Mallet.