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Celtic Beer Festival 2017

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Beer is big business, the popularity of local varieties and interesting brews has meant massive increase of choice for the consumer. This November the popular St Austell Brewery hosts their Celtic Beer Festival deep in its ancient cellars. With almost 200 ales, stouts and lagers to try and many award winning beers, its a key event for those who love the craft.  Best of all 100% of the profits go to the St Austell Brewery Charitable Fund, helping causes across the South West (raising £186,000.00 to date). You'll find the familiar Tribute, Proper Job and Korev as well as some new and limited addition beers to tempt. Entry is £10 which gets you your commemorative glass and some starter tokens and a brochure. The 19th festival will run on the 25th of November with 4 bars and music from great bands both day and night. Find out more at the St Austell Brewery website.

Copper and Bronze at the Whitewater Gallery

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As autumn is making its presence know, Whitewater Gallery presents the 'Copper and Bronze' exhibition. This contemporary gallery can be found both in Polzeath and Port Isaac, on the rugged North Cornish coast. For their latest exhibition you can find exquisite copper plate etching and bronze sculpture by three of Cornwall's leading artists; Sally Spens, Sarah Seddon and Chris Buck. Printmaker Sally Spens studied Fine Art and Textiles at Goldsmiths College, and her hand printed fabric designs are included in the Victoria & Albert Museum's prestigious 20th Century Design Collection. Her delicate hand-printed etchings, are inspired by the patterns and forms of nature and have a rhythmic quality. She shows her designer's eye for line and composition. Sarah Seddon studied Fine Art at University College, Falmouth. Her work is highly figurative, etchings and aquatints of people, places, and found objects. She reflects the depth of detail possible in hand ma

The Great Cornish Food Festival

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Its that time again, The Great Cornish Food Festival is back at the Lemon Quay in Truro. Starting on Thursday 22nd September 2017 and running for three days. Cornwall does have its fair share of food festivals, so why is this one so special? It really showcases the best of Cornish food, from the little guy to the brands we love. 40,000 people come every year to the 70 stands for a true taste of our fair county. Nathan Outlaw, whose restaurant has been newly named the best in the UK by the Good Food Guide, will be making his 13th appearance. Expect delicious dishes and demonstrations from local business, chefs, mixologists and producers all on the three stages. You can learn to mix the perfect breakfast martini or crimp a pasty - the proper way. There's enough to fill a day with street food, beers and cosy hot drinks. Pick up a new skill or just enjoy wondering the stalls and see the breadth of what Cornwall has to offer. The festival boasts that all the produce on sal

Cornish Light

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As the evenings are drawing in and the light is fading, I thought I'd draw to your attention an exhibition soon to be finishing at the Newlyn Art Gallery. 'A Certain Kind of Light' concludes on the 23rd of September 2017 and has been showcasing Cornwall's relationship with light from the 1950s and 60s to the present day. Six decades of light is celebrated in this major exhibition with artists such as Anish Kapoor, Julian Opie, Roger Ackling and Peter Lanyon. The gallery has been looking at how fifteen artists have responded to light with paintings, sculpture, photography and installations all on display. To mark 10 years of The Exchange being open, artist Peter Freeman has reprogrammed his installation 'Lightwave' which wraps the building in light for the occasion. The light in Cornwall has always been a draw, and it is fascinating to see how varied these artists responses are. Find out more at their website here.

Farmers Markets in Cornwall

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Cornwall is becoming well known as a foodie destination, we have fish as fresh as you can get it and great quality meat, veg and scrumptious cakes. To scoop up the best and really get to know the locals, you can't go wrong with a farmers market. Here are a few you can peruse this month: Bodmin, in the heart of Cornwall have a popular market every 3rd Saturday at Bodmin Nursery (who also have a lovely tea room!) Further north at in the dramatic seaside town of Bude you can get your fresh veg every Friday, 10-3pm out on the warfside. Callington, on the edge of Cornwall has a bustling market every Thursday at their Scout Hut selling anything from apple juice to cakes and meat to fresh cut flowers. Towards the Lizard peninsular, at Constantine every second Saturday of every month you'll find the church hall bustling. This month that's the 12th of August, 9.30-12pm. Devoran , between Truro and Falmouth, has its own farmer's market. This little village

Walk With Me

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Welcome to a new way to explore the stories of Cornwall. Much loved theatre company, Kneehigh , have just released a free app to accompany you on your journey of discovery of our ancient county. Artist, poet and writer Anne Marie Murphy took the roads less travelled collecting stories and memories from the people she found along the way, welcome to the wonderful word of Wild Cornwall. She says "The stories on the “Walk with Me” app, aren’t ones you will find in the guide or history books. You may find the beginnings of them in an old photograph in a local museum, an over heard conversation in a café, a personal anecdote from one our tale gathering tea-parties. They are the untold, the personal, the sometimes wildly exaggerated, but sometimes not." The app could be enjoyed at home sitting with your feet up (armchair mode) or while walking around towns like Perranporth, Mevagissey and Newquay - the GPS magically triggers a tale as you explore. Soon new walks w

The Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival

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June is alive with many a festival, the Royal Cornwall Show to name just one. But this month I want to draw your attention to the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival. Quite a mouthful but a really charming event in our Cornish calendar. Running from 16th to the 18th June 2017 this festival is a real celebration of community where the whole town comes alive with music. I was a student in Falmouth and the Sea Shanty festival was lots of fun. Now it is one of the largest in Europe with loads of free music all over the town. Falmouth is a gem of a destination festival or not, with a thriving high street, an ample sprinkling of pubs and eateries, the harbour, a castle, the beach! The roots of the festival started in 2003 when a group of singers wanted to keep alive the stories of the Tall Ships and the tradition of performing sea shanties and Cornish songs. The music with its rhythmic beat served to keep the sailers working together as they did their chores at sea. The