So, here we are, half way through Feast Week already and looking forward to the big event on Saturday - the Caribbean-themed Carnival itself!

Here at thebestoflutterworth we're having a busy week supporting the Town Events Committee, as well as getting busy with ideas for decorating our Carnival float and also helping the Lutterworth Chamber of Trade and retailers with their float and Carnival marquee.

On Monday evening at the first 'Lutterworth's Got Talent' heat at The Whittle Inn we were entertained by a young magician, a young martial arts expert and a lady with a HUGE voice! Bekkii Fleming was the eventual winner and you can catch her next performance in the final on Carnival Day.  

Last night 'thebestof' team turned in a fantastic performance to come 2nd (out of 17!) in the Feast Week Quiz at Lutterworth Cricket Club. The winners were a team of 3 called 'Clueless', who were anything but... I'm told they win a lot of quizzes, so I think our team's performance was wonderful! Thanks to Rob, Pete, Rowena, Jane and Matt for being great teammates!

'Where's Wally' has got many people in the town hunting high and low for photographs of our Town Mayor in best Wally pose! This is a new competition for Feast Week, sponsored by thebestoflutterworth and the Chamber of Trade, and 30 of the town's retailers have taken part and provided prizes to make up a huge hamper of goodies to be awarded to the winner on Carnival Day. This prize is likely to be worth around £300, so well worth winning! If you haven't started yet, get a move on! Your entry form has to be submitted to Flackies Meats by 4pm on Friday.

There's lots more going on this week - check out our Events listing for what else is coming up. Tonight's 'Lutterworth's Got Talent' heat is at The Shambles - pub winner of Lutterworth In Bloom. There's also the Wii Challenge at the Council offices.

Tomorrow thebestoflutterworth will be helping with the judging of the shop window competition.

Phew! However, alongside all of this fun and frolics, we've had several new businesses join the town over the last few weeks:

• Lutterworth Pets is a new pet shop - the only one in town - run by Heather Toward. It's on Linden Drive. Go and check out Heather's selection of pet products and small animals and have a chat to Heather - she's very knowledgable and helpful.
• Parchment Express is in Shambles Court. Run by Sandra & Jez, with demonstrations from Jez's mum, Pauline, this shop has an amazing range of stock which I am sure could be used for many different hobbies.
• Bartram & Co Estate Agents opens this week - tomorrow (Thursday) in fact! MD Trish Perrone, along with Kirsty, are looking forward to providing a high level of service to local home buyers, sellers and renters from their Church St premises.
• Quantum Ink Tattoo Studio, in Shambles Court, has been open a little longer but is still fairly new to town and deserves a welcome. Here is the place for your tattoo dreams - walls & books filled with lots of artwork ideas that can be turned into your own tattoo.
• Change of A Dress, on High St., has also been open for a while now but is still new enough to warrant a warm welcome! Rachel's dress agency seems to very popular and is truly an Aladdin's Cave of clothing, bags and shoes. We received a lovely recommendation from one of her customers recently, which we are looking forward to sharing with her.
• Alphabet Gifts is the next new store, due to open on High St on August 21st, selling baby & children's toys & gifts. I met Catherine yesterday, busy painting and decorating, and I'm sure her store will be another welcome addition to the town 
• JLT Crafts is due to open in September, at Nile House on Leicester Road. Specialising in papercrafts and scrap-booking, Sandra is currently gearing up for her opening day.

As well as the above, I did hear that there is to be a new occupant of the empty store next door to Whites Florist on High St - another piece of good news if so! thebestoflutterworth wishes all the new businesses a warm welcome to Lutterworth and very best wishes for their success. We hope to start to receive recommendations for them over the next few weeks - if you have tried them, let us know what you thought!

So, lots of great news about our town - fun and games and lots of new businesses to take a look at - who says there's nothing in Lutterworth??