“Happy Birthday”, Trentham Gardens!(And everyone is invited to the party, on Thursday, May 29th)

One of Britain’s most visited gardens is celebrating a decade of success this month - and throwing a 10th birthday party complete with cut-price entry, live music, a spot of vintage tea and some cheeky strolling gardeners!

Trentham Gardens re-opened its gates to the public exactly ten years ago, on May 29 th 2004.

Owned previously, for over 400 years, by the Dukes of Sutherland the 725-acre estate on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, had fallen into a state of despair at the end of the last century, when the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, St. Modwen Properties PLC stepped-in to not only to revive the sleeping giant, but to also make it the fourth most visited “paid entry” garden in the country.

With so much to celebrate, The Trentham Estate is inviting everyone to join-in their Birthday Party on Thursday, May 29th.

Entry to the fun family day out, from 9am to 8pm, will cost just £3 per person on the day, with all proceeds going to local Trentham charity, the Donna Louise Children’s Hospice. Annual ticket holders will automatically gain free admission, but are also welcome to make a similar donation on the day.

Several events have been lined-up for the special day - including a Vintage Tea Party, centered around the tearooms, which overlook the gardens and the lake, and featuring live entertainment from the Trentham Brass Band and Rock Choir.

The gardens, statues and fairies will also be coming to life, thanks to the appearance of some very cheeky strolling gardeners, a beautiful giant flower and a mammoth butterfly! The statue of Perseus, which enjoyed a starring role at the Royal Academy of Art in London in 2012, will also be welcoming some very unexpected guests to the Birthday Party.

And while the Head of Garden and Estate, Michael Walker, will lead a Tenth Anniversary Garden Tour at 2pm - telling the full and remarkable tale of what the Daily Telegraph recently described as ‘the makeover of the decade’ - Robin Wright, the creator of “Wishes”, the latest life-sized addition to the Trentham Fairy Trail, will be giving visitors the chance to make and take home wishes with them.

No birthday party would be complete without balloons, of course. So - weather permitting - the Trentham Hot Air balloon will be inflated in the parkland during this special day.

The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust have been invited to help Trentham celebrate its birthday by offering nature related crafts to younger visitors - who will also have the chance to join a wilderness survival team build dens in the woodlands.

And with face-painting, pony rides, and all of the regular attractions available in the garden, Trentham is hoping it will be a birthday to remember.

For further details, visit www.trentham.co.uk.Ends

For all media information, photo-opportunities and images, please contact:Amanda Dawson Tel: 01782 657341 E-mail: adawson@trentham.co.uk

Notes to editors:The Trentham Estate, on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, offers one of the UK’s most diverse days out with a range of leisure activities for all ages.It is one of the country’s top leisure destinations, attracting more than 3m visitors per year and was Highly Commended by VisitEngland in the Large Visitor Attraction category in their Awards for Excellence 2012. The fabulous restored Trentham Gardens at the heart of the Estate attracted 430,000 paying visitors in 2013 – making them one of the most visited Gardens in the UK. Owned by St. Modwen Properties PLC, the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, the 725-acre Estate - which was previously owned for over 400 years by the Dukes of Sutherland - has undergone a massive regeneration programme since 2003. It boasts the famous Trentham Gardens, including the very important Italianate Gardens designed by Charles Barry in the 1830s that have been lovingly restored using top landscape designers. The gardens feature the UK’s first ‘barefoot’ walk, a great children’s adventure play area and maze and a beautiful walk around the mile long lake; the Trentham Garden Centre and Shopping Village, an eclectic mix of shops and eateries; Trentham Monkey Forest - home to 140 endangered Barbary Macaques; Aerial Extreme, an exhilarating treetop high rope adventure course, and a 119 bedroom Premier Inn hotel.