Silk georgette chemise dresses with lace collars were a nod to a romantic Edwardian sensibility.Valentino is part of a dwindling generation who design ready-to-wear fashion, and are also at the helm of a haute couture studio. But it also places a burden on Mr Gorick, Dr Cheshire and future generations to ensure the church and grave remain forever intact, or else suffer Shakespeare’s curse.. It is a sign of the currently cautious mood in fashion that the garment many designers in Paris are promoting for autumn/winter 2005 is, simply, a pair of trousers. He cut his trousers from camel-coloured corduroy or black wool, and paired them with 1960s-style capes with epaulettes, or fitted jackets Valentino designs are not known for informality. He is famous for dressing European royals, such as Princess Rosario of Bulgaria, who sat on the front row with Milla Jovovich and Stefano Gabbana, who wear his haute couture line “I want my clothes to walk the streets,” he said “Although my ultimate goal is .. to try and make a woman beautiful, sexy, glamorous.”.

Ironically, this also gave him responsibility for its maintenance. He was aware that close to the chancel was a charnel-house, where the bones of those dug up to make way for new graves were laid and the curse was clearly designed to prevent his remains suffering the same fate. The Rev Martin Gorick, the vicar, said: “It seems wrong that, considering that the Church of England is the established church, there is no state funding for important buildings such as Holy Trinity.”The Friends have so far raised £200,000 but £140,000 of that has been spent and those visitors who already pay a contribution of £1, raising £70,000 annually, contribute to heating and staffing.Shakespeare’s place in the chancel came not as a result of his fame but because he bought, for £440, a right to a share of the income of the church from local taxes. It was part of a £17.5m package of grants to religious buildings.Dr Cheshire says this is inadequate.

“The architects told us £1m is the minimum needed immediately but a more realistic target is £2.5m over five years.”Parts of the churchyard and church might also have to be cordoned off to protect visitors from falling stones. He added: “The spire isn’t about to fall down, but we have to do a lot of firefighting… to preserve the place.”Unlike in other European countries, the Government does not routinely make money available for the upkeep of places of worship and funds have to be sought through campaigns and from bodies such as English Heritage, which last week gave £16,000 to investigate the spire and a further £34,000 for repairs. Nava, the cider capital of Spain’s northern province of Asturias, celebrates the region’s tipple on the second Saturday in July. The festival includes free tastings, competitions for the best brews and top pourers, and plenty of cider-fuelled parties. The town’s cider museum offers a fascinating insight into the drink’s production, while serious cider-lovers can tour the region’s numerous rustic sidrerias or cider factories.How to get there Easyjet (0871 750 0100; ) begins flights from Stansted to Oviedo (20km from Nava) on 24 March.

Prices in July start at £41 return.Where to stay Parador de Cangas de Onis, Villanueva, Cangas de Onis (00 34 985 84 94 02; ), 30km east of Nava, on the banks of the River Sella. EasyJet (0871 750 0100, ) flies from London to Bilbao. Return flights start from £40.Where to stay The 25-room Hotel Europa, Espoz y Mina 11, (00 34 948 22 18 00; ). Doubles with breakfast start at €274 (£196).Further information San Fermin (00 34 948 206540; or Tourism Navarra ( ) 5.

Nava Cider Festival, Asturias, 9 JulyTraditionally, Asturian cider is poured from a height from the bottle or barrel to the glass. Celebrations run late into each night, culminating with the candle-lit Pobre de mi closing ceremony, where crowds lament the festival’s end. The next morning, die-hards traditionally run in front of the early morning bus to get their final fix.How to get there BA (0870 850 9 850; ) flies from Heathrow to Bilbao from £89. The baroque square was declared a national monument in 1935 and is now one of the liveliest places in the city, perhaps best summed up by the festival’s slogan, “heartbeat of the city”.How to get there BA (0870 850 9 850; ) flies to Madrid from Heathrow and Gatwick from £69 return.