Category Archives: events

Big nautical event in Brixham

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Old Sailing Ship, Brixham Heritage Festival

If you are a seafaring fan or a land-lover, you can’t help but enjoy nautical festivals as they make great spectator events and they are good fun for participants alike. Brixham and the surrounding area is home to many such events as its’ nautical roots are very visible today and go deep into maritime history.

In the months of May and June see many events taking place and with the coming of better weather going into the summer months. One of the biggest events in the Brixham nautical events calendar is the annual “Brixham Heritage Festival”. This year the festival takes place from the 28th of May and it features a week long fun packed schedule of many different activities, displays and exhibitions.

The festival features many aspects of maritime culture and history, from Sailing Trawler racing to sailors performing sea shanties and even evening cruises to crab catching competitions, live music and bands to fishy tales, pirate displays and nautical story telling and the grand finale, the festivals’ firework display for all to see. Look out for the full size replica of the iconic ship of Sir Francis Drake the “Golden Hinde” moored in the harbour.

This traditional annual event will make for a great experience and spectator event for people of all age groups. If you are planning to stay in South Devon why not stay at a Devon Caravan Park especially if you enjoy caravanning and camping why not look out for the Caravan Site Devon for the best caravan holiday deals.

Check Out This Year’s ‘Obby ‘Oss (or May Day) Celebrations in Padstow

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Visitors to cottages in Cornwall at the start of May each year can take the time to visit a very special May Day celebration in the town of Padstow, not far from the popular village of Wadebridge.

Each year the inhabitants of the town put on one of the more bizarre May Day carnivals that you’ll find in the UK. Rather than hosts of floats from different groups and organisations, everybody involved with the parade (and there are quite a few of them) will wear white and either play an instrument or dance through the streets in a much less organised fashion than you might expect from an event of this sort.

The event has the Old ‘Oss and the Peace ‘Oss dancing through the town, surrounded by their followers and a number of Junior ‘Osses. ‘Obby ‘Oss is itself from Cornish dialect and means Hobby Horse. The Old ‘Oss, seen in the video below, will attempt to trap young maidens under its skirts. Those who get caught are sure to become pregnant within the year.

The two ‘Osses then meet at the May Pole and dance around each other. It’s a lively and bizarre event, perfect for any visitors to come and enjoy. Below, we’ve a video from this year’s festival.

Bath Festivals guide 2011

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Bath is renowned for hosting some of the country’s most wonderful festivals and exhibitions throughout the year. Many people each year choose to take a short Break Bath and take advantage of all of the wonderful entertainment whilst staying in one of its fabulous Bath Hotels. Here is just a glimpse of some of the events that will be taking place in and around Bath in 2011.

January

The pantomime at the Theatre Royal Bath, the latest production is Aladdin and has been performed since December and will continue until the end of January. Starring Ricky Groves from Eastenders this production is bound to be a source of great entertainment for all of the family.

February

This astounding literature festival takes place in Bath each February and is becoming one of the most popular literature festivals in the country and has featured many of the worlds greatest authors such as Terry Pratchett, Sue Townsend and Iain Banks to name but a few.

April

The Bath comedy festival commences on April fools day each year, this very successful festival features the cream of national and international comedy talent and is hosted throughout many different venues in the city.

August

Despite the Bath Folk Festival being a relatively new festival it has been immensely popular and has brought the wonderful sounds of folk and traditional music to the city.

December

The Bath Christmas market is a wonderful chance for people to find the best possible Christmas presents in a festive and interesting atmosphere. This attraction is located close to the Abbey in the heart of the city and hosts 120 traditional wooden chalets that supply everything from hand fashioned goods to local produce.

The Battle of the young Bath musicians

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This year the Bath pump rooms will host the annual Bath young musician of the year contest. The competition is run almost identical to the BBC’s young musician of the year contest but on a smaller scale with its main theme being to judge on musical expertise and excellence.

The first stage of the contest was held during the Mid Somerset music festival and from the many musicians that entered and performed for judges only 5 got through to the finals. The only requirements that the competition asks for is that entrants to be under the age of 21 and either study or live within a 15 mile radius of Bath. The judging is carried out and adjudicated by three very experienced and accomplished musicians.

The contest has been active for twenty three years now and continues to grow from strength to strength each year. The final contestants this year are:-

Ruth Knight on Flute

Ruth Lamerton on Clarinet

Natasha Michael on Viola

Finn Shields on Piano

Oliver Sourbut on Tenor Horn

As per usual the winner from last year will be performing at the event to show the standard of musicianship required to win the contest. Admission is free to the contest and tickets can be obtained from many different venues around the city. There is an abundance of wonderful Bath Bed and Breakfast establishments within the area that will make your stay very enjoyable. Be aware that should you be seeking Bath Accommodation for the event it is best to book well in advance especially for this busy weekend.

The return to Bath of The Duenna, the most popular English opera

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Over 230 years ago two composers from Bath and popular playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan worked together on an idea of creating an English opera.  The composers Thomas Linley Snr and Thomas Linley Jnr were unaware that this piece would become the countries most popular and famous opera to date.

Owing to the discovery of some original manuscripts a new performance of this great opera will be shown in its original setting some 230 years since its creation. Audience members will be able to enjoy almost a third of the opera that has not been seen since its first performance.

Preformed by the English Touring Company this performance of The Duenna at the Royal Theatre will be a great addition to an already wonderful Bath short break at one of the cities Bath hotels.

An Unusual House Auction

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Many of us have had the boring and tiresome job of clearing out our attics at some point. The constant stream of boxes of hidden treasures slowly brought down to our sitting rooms to be sorted out, well when we say hidden treasures we don’t quite mean antique chandeliers or gold dinner sets!

That may not quite be the case for the owners of a House in Derbyshire, but then nothing is going to be quite normal when you are the twelfth duke of Devonshire and your house is a glorious stately home called Chatsworth House set in the land renowned for its scenery and wonderful Peak District Cottages.

The auction of the cleared out attics and other storage spaces took place over three days and has raised over £2.5 Million pounds. The auction drew people from across the whole world and featured items removed from Chatsworth House, Devonshire House (that was demolished in the 1920′s) and Bolton Abbey. Auctioneers entered 20,000 items into just over 1,000 lots with prices ranging from twenty pounds to two hundred thousand pounds.

With so many different and unusual lots the day was a great success and exceeded many of the auctioneer’s expectations and valuations. Items such as an antique pinball machine that was valued at just £400 finally sold for a staggering £1,875 and a ruby brooch with the words “L’amour en fait le lien” (love binds together) emblazoned on it fetched over 100 times the estimated price at £8,500.

The potential bidders were also fortunate enough to be able to visit an exhibition within the stately home celebrating the 90th birthday of the Duchess of Devonshire. Covering nine very eventful decades of history the exhibition was bound to be very insightful and interesting with items such as her Paris dress collection and favourite works of art on show.

The funds raised are reported to be going into a number of projects involving Chatsworth House and some of its many other connected estates, such as improved visitor facilities and green initiatives. Set amongst charming Cottages in the Peak District this stately home has ensured its cultural place for many years to come.

Baths Art Affair

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A new and exciting festival of the arts will be taking place in the wonderfully cultural city of Bath in Somerset this year. The festival is organised by a committee from many of the cities top galleries, museums, hotels and other Luxury Accommodation in Bath.

The festival will feature everything from high profile art exhibitions to live music and wine tasting. During the festival exhibitions can be seen from such cutting edge and important artists such as Damien Hirst and Banksy right through to the antique masterpieces of Henry Moore.

One of the main points of the group is to capitalise on the geographical location of Bath and its position between the countries art centres of St. Ives and London. The idea is to unite as many of Bath’s art galleries as possible and turn the city into a major marketplace for art collectors to visit in the country.

So far, thirty galleries and numerous other related businesses and venues are involved with the festival and are helping to make sure its first outing is very successful in showing that London is not the only place in England to visit should you be interested in investing in art. The city has always had links with the art world with residents ranging from Gainsborough to Blake and is renowned for its decorative architecture.

You can expect the city to become very busy during the nine days of exhibitions and talks, so people are advised to arrange their Bath Accommodation as soon as possible to ensure somewhere is available.

The Highland Games – a test of strength, skill and endurance.

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Highland Games

Organized to celebrate and cherish the Scottish culture and heritage, the Highland Games date back more than three hundred years.  The games are not one event, but a series of events lasting from May to September. Organized in the breathtaking scenery of the Scottish Highlands and accompanied by dancers and pipers, the Highland Games truly represent the essence of the Scottish experience.

Reminiscent of William Wallace and his army of common folk in Braveheart, thousands of competitors take part in the wide range of games each year. The activities include throwing the hammer, tossing the caber, putting the shot, the famous “tug o’war”, weight over the bar or sheaf tossing, all known as the heavy events. For the lighter categories there are several athletics, track and field events and many complimentary dancing and piping events. The traditional atmosphere is supported by lots of side shows and refreshment stands.

The Highland Games are considered to be the inspirational source for the revival of the Olympic Games in Greece (1896) after Pierre de Courbertin, one of the founding members, saw them displayed at the Exposition Universelle in Paris (1889).

The games are organized in different parts of the Highlands every year. However, two of them are particularly famous. Firstly, the Cowal Highland Gathering is considered to be the largest event of the games. Gathering more than 3500 competitors and over 20000 spectators, “the cowal” differentiates itself through diversity of the events and unique wrestling competitions such as the Ceilidh Tent. Also, the event is host to the World Highland Dancing Championship as well as several piping competitions. The event takes place from the 26th to the 28th of August in Dunoon.  The other noticeable Highland Games competition is the Braemar Gathering which is unquestionably the most popular due to its patronage by Her Majesty the Queen. Taking place in the elegant Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park, the event comprises both Highland Games competitions and also some authentic cultural opportunities, even offering the  chance to cheer at the Royal Family.  The grounds are surrounded by clan tents and different types of vendors as well as swords and armours displays, organized mock battles or even herding dog trials.

I strongly recommend the Highland Games to be one of the best ways to discover the unique spirit of Scotland. The mixture of people, culture and scenery makes it one of the top attractions in Scotland. Getting there has never been easier with Zoombu, a travel search engine and innovative London based start-up, which can help you plan your journey. Discover the best route from your home to the games by browsing the hundreds routes we find you depending on your time, budget or environmental views. And Coorie up! The games are about to commence.