See a play at the Little Theatre

The Little Theatre does exactly what it says on the tin: it's little and it's a theatre. If you like small theatrical venues, then this is the place for you. Located right in the centre of town, just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from the Cultural Quarter (consisting of the Curve, the Phoenix and an array of trendy bars), nestled amongst the best bars and clubs in town and conveniently opposite a generously sized car park, the Little Theatre doesn't attract the large audiences - as they won't fit in, it's very little - of other venues like the Curve or De Montfort Hall but does put on some quality performances.

I have previously seen a very delightful rendition of Agatha Christie's Spider's Web and a lively performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Gondoliers, but the variety is wide and well-received. At the moment, I'm particularly interested in a comedy thriller called Death Trap by Ira Levin and A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare (of course!).

Mostly run by amateurs, home of the Leicester Drama Society and steeped in history, the Little Theatre has the honour of naming Lord Richard Attenborough as a previous performer and honorary life president. Also, somewhat inexplicably, Sir Anthony Hopkins is a patron. It holds a popular pantomime at Christmas time and has a laugh when the comedy festival is in town. All-in-all it is a lovely venue and one not to be missed on the cultural circuit of Leicester.

De Montfort Hall

No matter what your music tastes, there is sure to be something you will enjoy at the De Montfort Hall.

It is a grand old hall in the heart of the city, named after our forefather, Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester. The hall overlooks the bustling Victoria Park and is adjacent to the University of Leicester.

De Montfort Hall is a must-see on any trip to Leicester; not only for it's architectural attraction, but also the massive variety and quality of performances it holds each year: Cats, Swan Lake, Old MacDonald Has a Farm, Fame, Philharmonia Orchestra, The Human League, Frank Skinner, Blood Brothers, Arijit Singh, Elvis Presley, Russell Brand, Starlight Express, Bootleg Beatles, Lee Mack, Scooby Doo, Peter Andre, The Mousetrap, The Nutcracker, Jimmy Carr and Cinderella are just a few of the acts of past and future.
Boyfriend treated me to an afternoon at the De Montfort Hall (or just the 'DeMont' if you're local) to see the Bardi Symphony Orchestra, a local orchestra of the highest standard who played impeccably and beautifully. If you have never been to a live concert I urge you to go; the feeling you get sat high up in the balcony is completely incomparable to listening to a recording. Those goosebumps are unique!

The only advice I will offer is to park early. There are two very small car parks on Victoria Park, or you can pay a fortune for limited parking provided by the hall or find an on-street spot around the park or along most of the roads leading away from the venue. But a good option (weather permitting!) is to park at one of the multi-storey car parks in town and take a nice walk to the Hall: it's about 1 mile from the city centre and you can even walk up the scenic pedestrian street, New Walk.

Staunton Harold Reservoir

Just a hop over the Leicestershire border, between Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Melbourne, and you'll come across the lovely Calke Abbey; get lost while trying to find the car park and you'll come across the equally lovely Staunton Harold Reservoir.

This happened to myself and friends this weekend. Undeterred by our mistake and blinded by the glorious spring-time sunshine, we found a spot to park our car and took ourselves (and an indulgent picnic) to a beautiful spot overlooking the water.

There are plenty of places to park along the reservoir; we found an area at the end of Broadstone Lane, near the village of Ticknall. Just a short walk in one direction took us past the Staunton Harold Sailing Club and onto the busy, ice cream-selling visitor centre. If you have children they will love the play area and there's even a mini beach. If you're more of a bird watcher, you'll find cormorants, terns, gulls, buzzards and ducks-galore! The path runs through some woods and follows the waterline, but is paved and easy to walk, cycle, scoot... whatever your preferred method of transport. The actual dam isn't accessible to the public, which is a shame because the view over the water would have looked beautiful in the sunshine. But you can carry on along various footpaths around the reservoir. There is also another parking area to the south of the reservoir, which would give you a bit of a longer walk as well as supberb views looking north.

Download Festival - Donnington Park, Castle Donnington

I have come to the realisation that at the tender age of 25 it is unlikely I will go to Download Festival again. I've hung up my Rammstein hoody and packed away the black hair dye, for good. But I'll give you a retrospective look at the greatest rock festival in the UK as it is truly a unique Leicestershire experience.

I've been twice: once aged 17 and again at 22 and Download never failed to impress. The festival is set in the Donnington Park race track - yes the stage is right in the middle of the ring, stalls line the track and campers find a soggy spot somewhere in the mud. I've seen the likes of Slipknot, System of a Down, Korn, Prodigy, Whitesnake, Journey, Marilyn Manson, Feeder and Black Sabbath. Huge names have graced our humble Leicestershire ground in this world-famous festival. Rock-lovers far and wide travel to see the biggest, best and blackest-eyeliner perform (and have a jolly good weekend at the same time).

Ideally located so close to East Midlands Airport you can almost touch the planes as they fly over, right off the M1 and a stone's throw from East Midlands Parkway train station (which links to Leicester, Nottingham and London in a flash). There is no excuse for any self-respecting rocker to miss out.

Download has a great atmosphere, unparalleled with other festivals. Due to the range of music, from young punk to classic rock, you'll find that all ages are welcome. This festival doesn't try too hard to be cool so you won't be striving to keep up with 'festival fashion'. Instead, you'll find yourself relaxing on the hill over-looking the main stage, soaking up the sun while you listen to the dulcet tones of Ozzy Osborne!

The festival takes place in June every year. Look here for more information.

Sutton Cheney and Bosworth Battlefield

Today we braved the February weather and headed to the canalside. Leicestershire is replete with canals and all provide an easy escape to the countryside, though in this wet winter prepare for mud and make sure you pack your wellies.

Starting off at Sutton Cheney Wharf take an easy stroll down the path towards the battlefield visitor centre. I love walking in the woods, remember to look out for fungi amongst the trees. Up on the hill is the battlefield site, this is where Richard 3rd lost his life. There are lots of interesting signs which lead you down the hill to a quaint little railway station at Shenton. It was lovely and quiet along the canal on the way back, only a few hundred ducks to keep us company.

I love a good walk especially when there's a pretty good café at the end of it, so don't forget to pop back into the Wharf for a cuppa.