A FASCINATING talk about a widely respected local garden will be given in Otley this month.

The Courthouse will welcome Meg Morton on Wednesday, March 25 to hear more about York Gate, at Adel.

Recognised as one of the UK’s finest examples of 20th century garden design, the site packs 14 individual gardens into one acre.

Each has its own distinct character but they have also been designed to collectively offer a series of stunning vistas.

When York Gate re-opens this April visitors will be able to see the many changes that have been made since last autumn. This talk, described as an illustrated tour, will give the audience a chance to be among the first to hear about those changes and what to expect following the re-opening.

Meg has been a volunteer at the garden for 18 years.

She will also describe the work of Perennial, the horticultural charity that now owns York Gate, on the night.

And details will also be shared about the garden’s history and development - and the Spencer family, who designed and cared for it.  Plants grown at the garden will also be available for sale.

The event starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £8 or £7 for Courthouse Friends.

Magical family fun, meanwhile, will be on offer at the Courthouse on Saturday, March 28.

The award-winning Box Tale Soup theatre company will present Little Grimm Tales at the venue at 2.30pm.

Suitable for ages three and up, the show is a new adaptation of some of the most magical tales collected by the Brothers Grimm.

The audience is being invited to enter a world where wishes are granted and magic is real, populated by beasts and breadcrumbs, wolves and witches, and frogs and fairies.

The stories will see Hansel and Gretel heading into the woods, little elves helping to make beautiful shoes, a slimy frog becoming a prince and a princess who is a hide-and-seek champion.

A co-production with the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, the production features ‘wonderful puppets, innovative theatre and spellbinding, original music.’ Tickets cost £9 for adults, £7 for children.

To book places for these or other forthcoming shows visit www.otleycourthouse.org.uk, call (01943) 467466 or pop into the Courthouse, on Courthouse Street, Otley.