WHILE Neil Jones gets to gallavant off on holiday for two weeks, the pleasure of giving you the low down to keep your summer jam-packed full of fun and frolics is down to me.

With the V Festival over for another year, (for all the news, reviews and great pictures, see the V Festival section of the Gazette website), and as the ringing in everyone's ears gradually subside, thoughts turn to bank holiday weekend and how to relax into the final part of the summer holidays.

JB Priestley's novel Dangerous Corner is adapted for the Mercury Theatre stage from Monday until Saturday, starring Corrie star Chloe Newsome. Set in a classic 1930s country house, the audience can expect plenty of skeletons tumbling out of then closet and even a little of what seems like time-travelling.

Outdoorsy-types can also enjoy the theatre on Wednesday, but in the open air, as Mad Dogs and Englishmen Theatre Company performs Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in Upper Castle Park.

The Clacton Beer Festival will raise some cheer between Wednesday and Saturday while the Clacton Airshow will guarantee some oohs and ahhhs....just be sure not to go from the beer festival to the airshow - the results might not be so pretty.

But back to some good old fashioned English summer sport - cricket.

The Colchester Cricket Festival is taking place in Castle Park from Wednesday until Sunday so get out those sun hats (or umbrellas) and cream teas.

Swing your way into the bank holiday weekend with a Swing n' Sinatra night at the Princes Theatre in Clacton, or if you're feeling more energetic try the Salsa Night at Colchester Arts Centre on Saturday.

But there's no time to relax over the weekend.

Saturday sees the start of the West Mersea Carnival and Mersea Island Lions Festival in Legion Field, West Mersea. The theme for this year's carnival is International, which should offer something for everyone - no time to get bored here!

The carnival begins at Willoughby car parl and parades through the street to The Legion Field, where the Lions festival will burst into full swing. A hog roast will keep bellies satisfied and various entertainments and a live band will polish off what's expected to be a bumper event.

Then there's the Coggeshall Annual Flower Festival all weekend, Ticklish Allsorts in Upper Castle Park on Sunday and the craft fair at Layer Marney Tower on Sunday.

But of course there's a chance to sit back and relax to some summer sounds too.

Enjoy a spot of dinner at The Food Factory with some live jazz on Friday, or heighten your senses with the Lyrebird Operatic Production in Coggeshall on Saturday.

While kids will enjoy many of the activities throughout the week, there are some that will be particularly appreciated by youngsters.

This week's Kids Corner is all about getting down and dirty with wildlife and nature, with a bit of Thomas thrown in.

Both Abberton and Fingringhoe reservoirs have lined up a host of workshops and acitivities throughout the week, to get youngsters out and about pond dipping, minibeast hunting and much more. For dates and times of acitivites, call Abberton Reservoir on 01206 738172 and Fingringhoe Reservoir on 01206729678.

Adventurous types can explore High Woods County Park in Colchester with the Junior Ranger Club between 10.30am and 12 noon Monday to Friday.

And if you prefer working with your hands, get creative with the Green Man at Colchester Castle. Have a go at modelling your own Green Man - thought to be an important motif all around the world - with clay. Call Hollytrees on 01206 282940 for information.

And for a good old English children's story visit East Anglian Railway Museum in Chappel over the weekend from Friday to spend a Day Out With Thomas between 10.30am to 5pm. Call 01206 242524 for information.

Phew!

By the end of this you'll need a holiday.