Buy your tickets for new Magic Alley attraction

Tickets went on sale today for a dazzling new indoor attraction based on the Lost Years of William Shakespeare.

Located in the new look Bell Court development just minutes from Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford upon Avon, the attraction is based on a series of children’s fantasy books called The Chronicles of Wizard’s Thatch by Stratford based author Dave Matthews, which were first published nearly thirty years ago.

“Magic Alley: The Lost Years of William Shakespeare” is a brand-new concept that brings together an amazing collection of themed rooms; a thrilling time travelling adventure; special effects and interactive experiences taking visitors on a totally immersive, magical journey.

After collecting their Time Travellers Passports, visitors will play their part in unravelling the Bard’s greatest secret by stepping into their very own adventure alongside the world’s greatest playwright and his magical pals!

The attraction opens its doors to the public for the first time on April 14th after nearly two years of planning and development and utilises a unique mixture of state of the art British animatronics, live action and world class theming.

Dave Matthews has written a brand-new story for the attraction and has worked closely alongside the Magic Alley team to create an experience spread over 4,500 square feet based on the notion that Shakespeare may actually have been a time travelling wizard!

“Opening the doors to the public for the first time,” says Dave, “is going to be an unbelievably exciting event and we’re looking for someone very special to help us out and cut the ribbon for us!”

The search for this very special someone has begun in earnest with the launch of the “I’m a Spellebrity” competition to find the world’s greatest opening spell.

Open to children of all ages, the competition is really easy to enter. All children need to do is write to Dave c/o Magic Alley in Stratford and tell him what they think the world’s greatest opening spell is and why.

Dave adds; “It doesn’t matter whether it’s Alohomora from Harry Potter; Open Sesame from the Arabian Nights; or a totally made up spell – it’s why children think it’s the best that’s important.”

The winner, along with three other family members, will get to shout out their spell as they cut the ribbon to the attraction on April 14th. They will then be the first members of the public to tour the attraction before getting a huge box of Magic Alley goodies (including a complete signed set of Dave’s books), being treated to dinner in Bell Court and then tickets to the Everyman Cinema where they will be treated as “Spellebrities” as guests of Magic Alley.

In fact, the whole prize promises to be a “wicked” day out!

 

Veganism: A new lifestyle choice

For our latest guest blog, we decided to catch up with Dan Perkins, General Manager at All Bar One to discuss the growing trend of Veganism…

“January is the perfect time to embrace new things and this year in particular, many people have chosen to ditch dry January and adopt a Vegan diet instead.

Veganism is certainly growing in popularity and we’re increasingly seeing more of our customers enquire about our Vegan options. There are many ways to embrace a Vegan lifestyle, however one thing all Vegans have in common is adopting a plant-based diet which means avoiding all animal based food including meat, dairy, eggs and honey.

So, why do I think there’s a growing trend towards Veganism? To be honest it’s a lifestyle choice for many, offering a long term healthy alternative to more faddy diets. I think the fact that more restaurants are offering Vegan options and supermarkets are providing a better range of ‘free from’ products is also helping to fuel the rise as more people see it as a viable – and tasty – alternative. I can’t see the trend abating either; if anything, I think we’ll continue to see a rise in Veganism over the coming years as it becomes more mainstream.

We’ve also seen an increase in the popularity of Flexitarianism with people adopting #MeatFreeMonday or being Vegan or Vegetarian during the week and eating what they like at the weekends. Again, this is all about people making healthier lifestyle options and, for some, is a lot more do-able than committing to full Veganism.

At All Bar One we want to ensure our menu appeals to everyone so, for the second year running, we’ve teamed up with global charity ‘Veganuary’ to offer a new Vegan menu.

The menu is perfect for guests who are embarking on their journey towards a Vegan lifestyle, or simply looking for a different option when eating out. Working with a nutritionist has allowed us to ensure the menu has a variety of flavoursome dishes to choose from and it seems to be going down pretty well in Stratford.  My personal favourite would be the chilli non carne tacos or the lentil and cashew dahl, with the coconut and vanilla rice pudding to finish – you’ll love it! This particular menu’s only available until the end of February though so don’t miss your chance to come and try it out.

For anyone wanting to know more about Vegansim, including food plans and information about how it can improve your lifestyle, I’d recommend visiting https://veganuary.com/ and following @weareveganuary and #Veganuary2018 on social media. You can also view our new Vegan menu at https://www.allbarone.co.uk/national-search/east-and-west-midlands/all-bar-one-stratford-upon-avon/vegan-menu , and follow @AllBarOne on Twitter and Instagram, and @AllBarOneBars on Facebook to find hints and tips on making the switch to a vegan lifestyle.

Enjoy and let us know how you get on!”