SouthseaScene

In under two weeks' time, Portsmouth will mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day with a programme of events in honour of our Normandy veterans. The national commemoration event on 5 June is being organised by the Ministry of Defence on behalf of HM Government in conjunction with the Royal British Legion. On that day Portsmouth will host an international event for D-Day veterans attended by the Queen and world leaders. The official commemoration ceremony will be televised by the BBC and shown on big screens on Southsea Common. It will include a Royal Navy frigate firing a naval gun salute followed by a spectacular flypast of up to 25 historic and modern RAF aircraft including the Red Arrows and the iconic Spitfire. Later in the afternoon the Red Arrows will return for a breath-taking display above Southsea Common. That evening the public are encouraged to wave off The Boudicca - The Royal British Legion's chartered ship - as it departs Portsmouth taking up to 300 veterans to N

Half term is upon us, and with the weather set to be dry and bright where better to spend the week than in Southsea? Whether you are looking to brush up on your history and culture at one of the city's museums, or to spend a fun-filled day at the arcades at Clarence Pier there is something for the whole family. Clarence Pier Southsea is one of the largest amusement parks on the south coast and hosts arcades, rides and activities for the whole family. If the weather turns there is always the option to head into Pirate Pete's; one of the largest indoor children's playgrounds on the south coast, catering for children and toddlers with a variety of fun, soft play areas. For those looking for somewhere to rest their feet and grab some food, there is also a great selection of food and drink outlets along the seafront and around Clarence Pier. Southsea is alive with history and there are many museums and cultural landmarks to visit including Portsmouth Historic Dockyard,

The Portsmouth Chamber Music Series for 2018-2019 concludes on Monday 20 May with a second visit by Ensemble 360, albeit of a completely different configuration. They have formed a piano quartet to bring us two great composers not normally associated with chamber music, Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. The Mahler quartet is a hauntingly beautiful single movement in A minor, composed when he was just 16, and yet already displaying a sure mastery of the style. The Strauss is a wonderful work in four movements, showing influences of older composers together with a clear sense of his own developing voice. The very sunny and lyrical Brahms A major quartet which ends the programme needs no introduction as it is a firm favourite for those familiar with the classical music programme. Tickets for this concert are £18 with £16 concessions, available in person from the Guildhall or by calling 023 9387 0200. The series, which is sponsored by the University of Portsmouth, will start again in

As I enjoyed the sunshine during the May Bank Holiday, I made a list of some lovely events you can enjoy this month. The award-winning circus theatre company Ockham's Razor performs at the New Theatre Royal this Friday 10 May and Saturday 11 May. Good for anyone aged 5 and above. On Saturday 11 May Portsmouth Cathedral hosts a Rumfest. Enjoy live music whilst sampling a whole host of different rums, in partnership with the Portsmouth Distillery Company. Portsmouth Light Orchestra is in concert on 11 May at the Church of the Resurrection in Drayton. Tickets £7 from 02392 371135. Flo & Joan are the British musical comedy duo, and sisters, Nicola and Rosie Dempsey. They return for a hometown show at the Wedgewood Rooms on 12 May. Expert Touch Tour guide Jo Bressloff leads a fascinating tour of The D-Day Story’s Overlord Embroidery on 14 May. Spaces must be booked in advance from 02392 834744 or email mvs@portsmouthcc.gov.uk . Portsmouth Films Society runs the Green Festival on 15

Enwezor Nzegwu is the founder of a new initiative called Be Locals and we had a quick chat with him recently to find out more. Here's what he said: "We're lucky enough to have many fantastic local food producers in and around the Portsmouth area. As a former Great British Bake Off contestant, I'm a complete foodie and into good quality produce which for years I've found it really hard to access especially when we all have such busy lives. Over the past year, I've been really looking into what is available locally and I've been amazed at the quality and diversity of the produce. There's a problem though - many of us have very busy lives so we don't have time to find quality local food producers and local producers don't have the skills or resources to get into the local market. I set up Be Locals to solve this problem, to create a local market that connects local consumers with local producers. Why does so much of our food have to travel

Bound and Gagged Comedy Presents Sh*t-faced Shakespeare®: A Midsummer Night's Dream “A great night out to get properly pucked up. It’s what Willy would have wanted” Time Out ★★★★ The smash-hit, internationally acclaimed, award-winning, multi sell-out fringe phenomenon is finally off on a UK tour with their version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Sh*t-faced Shakespeare® is the hilarious combination of a completely serious adaptation of a Shakespearean classic, with the addition of a completely shit-faced cast member. With one person from the cast selected at random and given four hours to drink before every show, we present to you classical theatre as it was always meant to be seen: with a gin in one hand, a cup of wine in the other and a flagon of ale at the ready. What could possibly go wrong? This is your chance to see a truly unique adaption of a play Samuel Pepys called “the most insipid ridiculous play that I ever saw in my life” – things are bound to get more ridiculo