𧹠The Ace of Space - for a Lemmy statue: Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent
At the same time Stoke-on-Trent celebrates 100 years of city status, rock giants Motörhead will hit the historic 50-year milestone in 2025. Both will be marked by their own line-ups of special events, and will actually âcome togetherâ on Friday 9 May (the day following International Motörhead Day) when a statue of Ian Fraser Kilmister (âLemmyâ) is unveiled in his birthplace of Burslem, in Stoke-On-Trent. Local sculptor Andy Edwards has previously done statues of The Beatles, Bob Marley, and The Bee Gees. Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell will lead the celebrations. Created in Staffordshire clay, the statue is now ready to be cast in bronze. Depicting Lemmy at the height of his fame in the â80s playing one of his beloved Rickenbacker basses, the 2.2 metres tall statue - âLemmy Foreverâ - will stand on an eight-foot plinth, in his birthplace.
𧹠Wright of Derby emerges from the shadows
A major exhibition, organised by the National Gallery and Derby Museums Trust, Wright of Derby: From the Shadows, will be staged at the National Gallery in London from 7 November to 10 May 2026. It will be the first exhibition dedicated to Joseph Wright at the National Gallery, and the first exhibition to focus on his âcandlelightâ series. The exhibition is organised in partnership with Derby Museums where it will travel in 2026. This exhibition will focus on Joseph Wrightâs career between 1765 and 1773, during which time he made a series of candlelit scenes. On show will be a number of masterpieces from this period including 'Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candlelight', 'A Philosopher giving that Lecture on the Orrery in which a lamp is put in place of the Sun' and âAn Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pumpâ. This marks the first time in 35 years that these works will be brought together. Seventeen artworks in the exhibition will be coming from Derby Museums, who hold the worldâs largest collection of Wrightâs work.
𧹠Ding-dong! The Bell brings The Spirit of Ecstasy to city centre
A fleet of over 50 classic Rolls-Royce cars, including one which was used by King George V, will go on display in Derbyâs Cathedral Quarter on Saturday 17 May. Wings and Wheels, will see the magnificent fleet of cars, owned by The Rolls-Royce Enthusiastsâ Club, displayed on The Market Place, along Iron Gate and around Cathedral Green in Derbyâs Cathedral Quarter. Included amongst those on display will be iconic Silver Ghosts; a 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith which was used by dignitaries like Winston Churchill; and a Rolls-Royce Phantom which was delivered to the Royal Yacht Brittania in 1926. Making a special appearance on the day, will be a 1970s Rolls Royce Shadow, which the owner says has never been cleaned but is mechanically perfect. As well as the display of vehicles - which will also include a Phantom used by actress Gracie Fields, and English playwright and composer, Noel Coward - there will be a special exhibition of artefacts linked to The Old Bell Hotel itself.
𧹠This weekâs âTop Pickâ @WeightmanPR: Cabaret Vert Festival
Ranked among the top 10 French music festivals, the Cabaret Vert has been entertaining Charleville-MĂ©ziĂšres for 20 years. Named after Arthur Rimbaud's poem of the same name, the Ardennes festival is preparing to welcome festival goers from 14 to 17 August for 4 days of music and other entertainment on 5 stages. The Cabaret Vert, multi-disciplinary since its inception, also features a âcomic stripâ of book signings, masterclasses, round tables, exhibitions, live drawing sessions, and board games, along with a cinema which, orchestrated by the Pellicule EnsorcelĂ©e, screens clips, films and documentaries linked to comic strips, ecology and regional productions. Cabaret Vert has always promoted the Ardennes region while supporting sustainable development. In 2024, it was awarded the "Greener Festivalâ - HIGHLY COMMENDED" certification by the European organisation A Greener Future (AGF).