This week’s ‘prom to watch‘ is not for the faint hearted. Sunday evening brings an epic performance of Wagner’s opera Gotterdammerung to the Royal Albert Hall. The work is part of Wagner’s famous 18hour ring-cycle, which consists of four dramatic operas depicting the struggles of gods and mythical creatures to obtain a coveted ring that brings the bearer power to dominate the entire world – a bit like the story behind the lord of the rings, only even longer!

This performance is the last of the four movements of the masterpiece. The other three were each performed in the previous three years of the proms so this year is where the Proms Ring Cycle reaches its climax. But don’t worry if you didn’t manage to catch the others because each of the operas can stand alone and are often performed on their own. The work contains some of the most powerful music ever written as well as themes that you will be familiar with from watching movies and TV. Rare instruments will be added to the traditional orchestra and a large chorus consisting of the BBC singers and the BBC Symphony chorus as well as leading soloists such as Sir John Tomlinson and Christine Brewer will be bringing down the house with rousing anthems. The concert will last 256mins but there will be intervals of 60 and 30mins. Make sure you have an early night the day before!

You might be forgiven for not knowing this but the second week in August is actually Elvis Week. This is a week when Elvis Presley fans from around the world gather in Memphis Tennessee - the place where Elvis grew up and went on to live in the huge white columned building known as Graceland.

Among the weeks events are candlelight vigils to commemorate Elvis’s death, or everlasting life, which ever way you look at it, Merchandise and Memorabilia shows and fairs, Music and Movies at Graceland as well as dinners and a whole host of other parties and shows. If you are a fan of the King or just fancy a trip to Memphis when it’s at its most buzzing you should head out there between Saturday August the 11th and Sunday the 19th and get a multiple day Graceland pass for only $20.00.

Visit the Elvis website for more info

This Sunday’s prom is not to be missed. The legendary mezzo soprano Anne Sofie von Otter will be performing music by Faure, and Bizet and my personal favourite Berlioz’s ‘les nuits d’ete’.

This all French programme will be conducted by Marc Minkowski and takes place at the Royal Albert Hall at 6.30pm. Tickets are between £6 and £27.50.

Visit the Proms website for more details.

Want a insanely cheap way to get to the Edinburgh festivals this year? Well why not travel by coach? National Express Funfares allow you to travel to the festivals for as little as £15 each way from London and tickets can be even cheaper if travelling from the north of England. Travelling by coach is fairly hassle free compared to flying and it can be a great way to see some of Northern England and Scotland as you drive past – I just love watching the world go by it’s so relaxing. The only snag is that the trip is quite long, so isn’t great if you get travel sick or are planning to go with children.

Many of the journeys are direct but some involve waits at main bus stations along the way so the time of the trip varies but the quickest journey from London is about 9 hours. However if you take plenty of food and drink and a great CD with you the time will fly by. The journey I picked leaves London at the comfortable time of 12pm and goes straight on to the festival arriving at 9pm leaving plenty of time for evening drinks and, as I hope to be having a nice sleep on the way up, I should have plenty of energy to hit a club or two, not to mention plenty of money to spend!

The BBC Proms is London’s two month long informal music festival and it begins this weekend! With 72 concerts as well as other events such as talks and workshops, the proms are a great place to get your first taste of live classical music. The name Proms comes from promenade where the audience stands in the promenade area of the hall. This is considered today by many as the best place to view the concert but don’t worry there is plenty of seating in the Royal Albert Hall so you don’t have to stand through an hour long concerto if you’d rather not! The fact that there is no dress code and the tickets can be easily bought on the day adds to the informal and accessible nature of the concerts. The Program consists of popular pieces mixed with less well known works so its a great opportunity to explore new music even if your a music connoisseur.

The festival kicks off on Friday with a performance of British composer Elgar’s most famous piece, the concerto for cello in E minor, as well as a short overture by William Walton. After the interval is a performance of the rousing “ode to joy” symphony by Beethoven. The first night of the proms is an exciting event which shouldn’t be missed, especially when tickets are only 7- 36 pounds! Keep an eye out for more prom news as the season’s progresses!

The Hampton Court Flower Show is one of the biggest horticultural events in the UK probably only second to the Chelsea Flower show in May. If you’re in to flowers you’ve probably been excited about this date for some time so I don’t really need to explain to you why it is a fun day out. But even if you’ve never even picked a flower before there are lots of reasons to give the show a visit this year. Firstly you will get a chance to see Hampton court palace and gardens at its best in the middle of summer but this time if you see something in the gardens you like you can probably buy it and take it home with you.

Fashionistas will enjoy the Catwalk in Bloom shows where models will be wearing the latest fashions made out of flowers and plants! Experience Quaglino’s kitchen where you can learn how to prepare fruit and veg from the head chef at the Mayfair restaurant as well as sampling the food and taking home recipe cards. Personally I can’t wait to visit the coffee garden which is sponsored by Revive and designed to remind us of the steam and scent and colours of coffee! Mmmm

Glastonbury kicks off this Friday (22nd June) and if you’re attending you can look forward to a wild weekend of live music and entertainment with an unbelievable atmosphere. If you’ve not been to Glastonbury Festival you should read up about what you’re letting yourself in for! It is the largest green-field music and performing arts festival in the world and is like entering a tent city!

This year the line up is looking pretty damn good, some of the acts headlining on Friday will be Arctic Monkeys, The Fratellis, Amy Winehouse and The Magic Numbers. On Saturday you can catch The Kooks, Paolo Nutini, Lily Allen and The Killers. Sunday will bring to the stage Kaiser Chiefs, James Morrison, Manic Street Preachers, The Who and loads more fantastic bands.

As well as being one of the most famous events in the UK, Glastonbury Festival also recognises the need for positive change and supports charities such as Oxfam, Wateraid and Greenpeace. For full details about the event visit the official website.

With the Ascot Races approaching you are probably wondering how to lunch in style on the day. You may have noticed that you can buy a picnic lunch from the Ascot website. I think this is a great way to avoid the high restaurant prices at ascot and make the most of the outdoors but it is still a bit pricey for what you get. I was searching high and low for cheaper yet equally luxurious picnic alternatives and then I realised that you are not allowed to bring your own food onto the grounds!

However I was glad to discover a website with a truly delicious range of hampers for a fraction of the price of the Ascot lunches at Highlandfayre. With the weather steadily improving a picnic is definitely on the cards this weekend, so I’m going to order a Sumptuous Selection food hamper which is currently on offer at £29.95. This will save me having to rush around Sainsbury’s in the morning making the picnic a much more relaxing experience. If you are dead set on avoiding ascot’s high prices you could leave the grounds at lunch and take one of these hampers with you to one of the gorgeous nearby parks and enjoy your own food in peace and tranquillity there, before heading back to the bustle of the races - a great way to get more for your money.

This might seem like a bit of a strange day to mark in your diary, but if you own a dog and like making it look cute this day might be something you want to celebrate. Before you stop reading because you think this is a ridiculous waste of time, I’d just like to point out that there is a purpose behind all this. The day was created to educate and raise awareness about deaf communication tactics and the use of aide dogs for hearing – they’re not just for the blind you know!

Ok so the day is really aimed at children but can be just as fun for adults – trust me – However, you better drag some kids along to take part too so you don’t look completely insane. You can send off for an activity pack - the Adults pack includes some interesting stuff such as a “learning to sign” guide. Or you can gather together a group of children to take part in the games included in the Kids packs, such as designing and making an outfit for hearing dogs to be entered into a competition. You can make a donation or raise money through the activities you take part in. It is a great way to learn more about ways the hard of hearing can be aided by man’s best friend. Visit the Hearing Dogs website here.

The Royal Ascot Races begin on Tuesday the 19th of June and I can’t think of many fathers that wouldn’t appreciate a ticket to one of the most exciting events of the year. Royal Ascot is steeped in tradition and is a great day out even if you don’t like horses! Ladies day is world renowned chance for ladies at ascot to show off their best dresses and hats, so is something mum would enjoy too. The royal enclosure is quite a spectacle with men required to wear grey top hats and tails and women in equally elegant attire.

There are wide range or restaurants and bars varying greatly in price so there is something for everyone. If you are feeling particular extravagant you could book a table at the Royal Pavilion Restaurant for £750 per head, which includes tickets to the royal enclosure, butler service, meals and drinks all day as well as other unique services. However a general admission ticket at £60 or a Silver Ring ticket at £80 which both include entertainment and access to a host of cheaper bars and restaurants might be more with in your price range. Either way Royal Ascot is a fantastic once a year event not to be missed and being so close to fathers day a perfect present to show your dad how much you care.