A lfred Wainwright is one of the most famous hill-walkers of all time.

As easily associated with the Lake District as Kendal Mint Cake, his pictorial guides to the Lakeland fells have been an essential read for anyone exploring Cumbria’s national park for the past 50 years.

Wainwright has inspired further books and television shows, but more importantly, has encouraged many of us to pick up a pair of hiking boots and head to the hills.

In ‘An Evening With Alfred Wainwright’ – at the Courthouse tomorrow – John Burland takes on the persona of Alfred Wainwright as he explores his life, from his humble upbringing in Blackburn to his final journey to the summit of Haystacks.

John is the founder of the Wainwright Society, an organisation for the preservation of Wainwright’s work and the protection of the landscape his books came to fame. The piece was first presented in 2009 as part of the Ilkley Literature Festival, and since then John has toured it across the north of England, raising thousands of pounds for charity.

And do you fancy a night where birdmen’s mouths are padlocked to stop them telling lies and lovers win girls by pretending to take poison? Well, on September 28, Young Opera Venture will be bringing fantastic stories and characters to the Courthouse in its new production, Opera Appetizers.

Opera Appetizers features highlights from four operas – Carmen’s Bizet, Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Nicolai’s The Merry Wives Of Windsor and Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte. The evening promises to be entertaining, whether it is your first or 50th time watching opera!

Last, but by no means least, the Courthouse is currently recruiting for a new centre manager. Details of this and all the events are available at the otleycourthouse.org.uk website.