Louise Goss speaks with Bonnie Kirkwood, who has moved from the London design world to the rural setting of Rutland. Bonnie has recently launched her own brand of textiles, weaving together high-quality design, traditional craftsmanship and sustainability

Hywel Pratley is an eminent sculptor of international renown. He is a member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors and the Royal Society of Sculptors as well as being a principal instructor at the Florence Academy of Art. He also worked on the legendary ‘Spitting Image’ as Puppet Sculptor. He has created a very special statue of Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II for Rutland – the first in the UK to be commissioned – and it was unveiled in its new home behind Oakham Library on Sunday 21 April. Amander Meade spoke to Hywel about the project and the process

When the new cast of the five-star West End musical ‘Hamilton’ was announced, it included former Stamfordian, Declan Spaine, in the title role. Amander Meade caught up with Declan during rehearsals for the smash hit musical

Musical theatre and TV legend Paul Nicholas leads a stellar cast in a brand new production of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, opening at Curve, Leicester, on November 22. Amander Meade spoke to Paul about his role in this joyous comedy, which tells the story of a group of British retirees as they embark on a new life in India

The third major show of Christopher P. Wood’s paintings is being held at Goldmark gallery in Uppingham from 19 February until 19 March 2022

Aren’t we due a bit of magic in our lives? Dianne Pilkington thinks so. She is starring in a brand-new production of ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks’ at Curve, Leicester, this month and tells Amander Meade about the production

Nicholas Rudd-Jones met Vicky Floros, who runs the Mr & Mrs Clarke estate agency in Stamford & Rutland, to discuss her very personalised approach to selling your most prized possession

To universal dismay in August 2020, much-loved local broadcaster Rob Persani signed off his final breakfast show for the former Rutland Radio. When the station was sold, what must have felt like a devastating blow for Rob and his fellow broadcasters unexpectedly transformed into a new and exciting opportunity. Rob tells Amander Meade about the brand new radio station he helped to launch in March 2021: Rutland & Stamford Sound