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.