The weather is improving and we are all looking for something different to do to fill our time. Check out our top pick of things to do in and around the county this weekend.

1# Laugh your socks off at the Playhouse Theatre, Cheltenham 

Cheltenham-based comedy improv group 'Comic Sans Script' have a remedy for the winter blues and Brexit-induced anxiety with a return to the stage at Cheltenham's Playhouse Theatre.

The group will be showcasing their latest improvised comedy show, Impro-Clash (think, Whose Line is it Anyway? but better!) where two teams resolve the dispute about which team are better via a series of quick-witted improvised games and challenges.

If their previous sell-out successes are anything to go by, their new show will have you and all the family laughing your way through the rest of the year with their hilarious, original material.

Visit www.comicsansscript.com for more information or https://www.facebook.com/comicsansscript or www.twitter.com/comicsansscript

2# Let your children unleash their inner creative at Taurus Crafts, Lydney 

With activities every day from Saturday, February 16, until Sunday, March 3, this is the go-to venue for families looking for an easy one-stop-shop for entertainment, local crafts, art, and café serving delicious lunches, coffee and cakes.

The family-friendly visitor centre has exciting new activities in this holiday's programme; workshop leader Jay will provide artistic guidance and all the materials you need to personalise your own Squishy with special paints and she will also be making pine cone bird feeders to help garden birds this winter.

The creative opportunities aren't limited to making or performances. Visitors can also try their hand at 'edible crafts' by decorating their own cupcakes with Isabell's Bakehouse or painting your own chocolate with onsite artisan business The Chocolate Bar.

Not to be missed are the centre's more traditional activities on offer including Arnie Kazam magic show, fairy & dragon homes, puppet show & puppet making, slime making, reptile handling, a free trail, soap making, pottery painting and pottery throwing on a wheel.

The list of activities often gets added to, so it's well worth keeping an eye on Taurus Crafts' Facebook page and website.

For more information, call 01594 844841 or visit www.tauruscrafts.co.uk

3# Meet two special guests at Gloucester's YA Book Club 

A Gloucester-based book club for young adults is set to welcome two special guests over the next few weeks.

Waterstones Gloucester's YA Book Club is preparing for visits from Gabriel Dylan, author of Whiteout, on Sunday, February 17 and Tracy Darnton, author of The Truth About Lies, on Sunday, March 3.

Gabriel Dylan is a first-time author who teaches English at St Peter's in Gloucester.

Come along to Waterstones Gloucester from 2pm this Sunday to meet him and discuss his book.

He will tell the group about his writing journey towards becoming an author, answer any questions and join members for a cuppa, cake and maybe some quizzes.

The book club (Waterstones YA Gloucester), which meets at Cafe W, upstairs in Waterstones Gloucester, from 2-3pm every other Sunday, is always on the lookout for new members. It's open to teens and young adults who enjoy reading and is ideal for students in Gloucestershire.

The club has its own Facebook page www.facebook.com/waterstonesyagloucester/ and is also on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WaterstonesY and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waterstones_ya/?hl=af

Bethany Winter, organiser of the club, can be reached on Twitter and Instagram as @BethanyJWinter if you have any questions or require further details.

4# Toe-tap to country classics at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury 

Europe's No. 1 country music show, which comes to the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury this Sunday (February 17), has been seen by over 250,000 fans and comes direct from Ireland.

The 2019 tour will showcase highly acclaimed tributes to Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline and Kenny Rogers and features brand new tributes to icons Jim Reeves, Charley Pride, Patsy Cline, Glen Campbell, Tammy Wynette and Don Williams in this must-see extravaganza.

The show features four fantastic singers who are all backed by the superb Keltic Storm band, all who perform on an authentic stage set that will transport you all the way to Nashville.

One thing's for sure: If you like country music this is the show for you!

5# Visit some 'feathered fiends' at Birdland, Bourton-on-the-water 

Birdland is staging a 'Birds Behaving Badly Week' to celebrate feathered friends over the February half-term holidays.

From blood-sucking songbirds and puking penguins to stinking storks and spitting swallows, keepers at the Bourton-on-the-Water wildlife attraction will reveal revolting facts about some of the world's baddest birds.

With its combination of woodland, riverside and gardens, Birdland features more than 500 birds, ranging from the UK's only colony of king penguins and parrots to cassowaries and cranes in a mix of free-flying and aviary displays.

Among the species on display are black-cheeked lovebirds, village weavers; famous for their extraordinary nest-building prowess as well as a flamboyance of flamingos featuring no fewer than 36 individual birds.

Other species include touracos, starlings, guinea fowl, exotic ducks and the impressive-looking southern and northern ground hornbills.

Plus don't miss the new Pandemonium of Parrots display showcasing these highly-intelligent and brightly coloured birds. Famed for their mimicry skills and playful personalities this new integrated feature provides visitors with the chance to get close to over nine different species including rainbow lorikeets, rare golden conures and a range of macaws and cockatoos.