EASTER has come and gone for another year but there is another bank holiday in the offing and you can certainly 'bank' on some tip-top entertainment in the weeks ahead.

Tomorrow (Friday) the St Helens Theatre Royal is playing host to the 'Good Old Days' with Olde Tyme Music Hall. Curtain up is 2pm for this nostalgic trip down Memory Lane with an all-star cast.

AND on Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30, it's dance, dance, dance all the way when The Alhambra Dance Festival is on stage from 7.30pm.

LOOKING a little further ahead, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra will be coming to the theatre on Saturday, May 13, from 7.30pm.

THE Citadel presents a great blues evening on Saturday, April 29 with New Orleans singer and guitarist Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges and Get Rhythm on stage from 8pm.

AND on Thursday, May 4, the Waterloo Stree venue welcomes back Cit:Com Stand-up with Johnny Vegas and some special mystery guests, also from 8pm.

THIS is followed on Sunday, May 7 by the welcome return of The Eliza Carthy Trio. Billed as "the future of folk' Eliza is accompanied by Saul Rose and Martin Green. The evening gets underway at 8.30pm.

THE Rainhill Garrick Society is presenting the comedy 'Plaza Suite' by Neil Simon at Rainhill Vilage Hall, off Weaver Avenue, from Wednesday to saturday, May 10 to May 13, nightly at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from Rainhill Post Office, Rainhill Village Hall or by ringing 01744 813429. THE Poet and The Painter -- yours truly and artist, Carol Anne Eaves -- are currently staging our latest exhibition, 'Images and Imaginings', at the Silhouette Dance Club, Boundary Road, until Friday, May 19.

HERE'S advance notice of a great event coming our way. The Billinge Millennium Arts Festival is taking place from Wednesday, May 24 to Monday, May 29 and will include a bumper package of entertainment from jazz to classical music and from art exhibitions to line dancing. Central to the festivities is a new musical which will be premiered at the Theatre Royal on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28. Watch this space for further details.

THE Workers Educational Association (WEA) has organised Silk Painting Workshops with Susan Myers on two linked days Saturday, May 20 and Saturday, May 27. This is at St Helens College from 9.30am to 3.30pm and enrolment, to the branch secretary Marguerita Johnson on 01942 271761, should be made by May 13.

THE Hilton St Helens has Paul Reason as Robbie Williams in Saturday Night Cabaret on April 29. Cost is £25 per person, which includes a four-course dinner and disco until 2am. Further details available from 01744 453444.

AN 'Evening of Hair' is being held on Wednesday, May 3, to raise money for Willowbrook Hospice. This has been organised by the Beyond the Fringe Hair Company and it is at Eccleston Village Hall at 7.30pm. Tickets are £3, including a glass of wine, and further details are available from the Hospice Campaign Office on 01744 453798.

AN exhibition of work by members of The Unity Art Group is being shown at Newton-le-Willows Library, Crow Lane East, until Friday, May 5.

THE Inner Wheel Club of Newton-le-Willows is having a charity car boot sale at St Aelred's School, Birley Street, Newton on Sunday, April 30 from 9am onwards. Pre-booked cars are £5, or £6 on the day. For further details, contact Photorama, 26 Wargrave Road, Newton, tel. 01925 226433 (daytime).

ON Sunday, April 30 the Jazz Rendezvous at the Star at Rainford will feature Doctor Jazz with Edwina, t raditional jazz in the Chris Barber mould. This starts at 8.30pm and admission is free. ST HELENS and District Dyslexia Association will be holding a Speaker Meeting on Tuesday, May 2 at 7pm in the Lecture Theatre of St Helens College. Speakers are Joanne Melling from St Helens College and Ann Lee from the St Helens Coalition of Disabled People.

RAINFORD Show Committee is holding a Coffee Morning in Rainford Parish Hall on Saturday, April 29 from 10am to noon. There will be plants and cake stalls, plus raffle.

St. Helens Visual Arts Forum is holding their Spring 2000 Exhibition until Friday May 5 at the Forum of St. Helens College, Brook Street, St. Helens.