The Cornwall Blog

From the 15th to 30th November 2013, Lighthouse Gallery present an exhibition of new works by two exceptional painters whose works draw inspiration from the landscape and its wildlife. Catherine Hyde trained in Fine Art Painting at Central School of Art, London. She is well known for her symbolic and richly atmospheric paintings of hares, stags, owls and fish whose journeys through her broad, glowing canvases bind the elements, seasons and beauty of the landscape together. Catherine recently illustrated Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy's original fairytale ‘The Princess’ Blankets’ and Saviour Pirotta’s ‘Firebird’ which were both nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award for distinguished illustration. Ingebjorg Smith is a Masters graduate of the Glasgow School of Art and has worked as an illustrator for BBC Scotland, Gaelic Children's TV, Canongate Press and designed posters, sets and costumes for theatre productions Wildcat and Halaballoo. Painting from her studio amid the...

The Courtyard Deli When visiting Cornwall there are so many fine places to eat but so many of them are hidden away and often locals hot spots. I wanted to share my favourite hidden places to eat in Cornwall, local ingredients cooked beautifully and once found you will also be going back for more. The Courtyard Deli Falmouth. This is a true hidden gem and when I say hidden unless you know about the small alleyway leading up to the Deli you wouldn’t know it was there. Nestled in the heart of the beautiful coastal town of Falmouth this Deli is definitely worth hunting down. With all the usual food you expect to find in a deli from beautiful breads to local cheeses they also serve amazing homemade cakes with delicious coffee. But the best thing about the Deli is when the Deli transforms into a tapas bar in the evening. My favourite is their Cornish mackerel fillets. Jon's Bistro Jon’s Bistro at The Bre Pen farm Mawgan Porth. When looking for hidden spots you can’t get mor...

From 19th October to 15th November 2013 New Craftsman Gallery are presenting an exhibition of paintings by Colin Orchard, member of the Royal Society of British Artists, along with sculpture by Joanna Wason. Born in Surrey in 1935, Orchard had no formal art training and began his career as a messenger in the art department of The Times and then as a typographer and layout artist. He also went on to produce humorous illustrations for The Times, Shell, ICI, WH Smith, Sony and other major companies. From 1963 to 1973 he was Art Director for Letraset International, then freelanced as a graphic designer until 1983 when he moved to St Ives and became a full time painter. He has exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions and galleries including David Messum, Medici, Walker Galleries, Ainscough and New Grafton. In 2007 he was elected a member of the RBA upon winning the Artist award at their exhibition that same year. Orchard’s work is strongly influenced by Impressionist pain...

Painter Mark Preston has been drawn to the rugged, dramatic coastline between St Ives and Lands End since he was a fine art student in the 1990s. For the past year, Mark’s work has focused on capturing the beauty of the land and sea of West Cornwall throughout the four seasons. This exhibition of forty works, showing from the 6th to 21st September 2013, explores the Duchy in all its glory; sun, rain, storms, spring flowers, winter seas, enticing beaches and wild landscapes. Although based in Derbyshire, Preston is a devoted painter of the Cornish land, coast and sea, fascinated by the way in which the changing seasons affect these spectacular places. Inspired to become a landscape painter through many painting trips to the Peak District, Cornwall and Scotland with his artist father, Rex Preston, Mark paints outdoors using acrylics, with relatively little time spent in the studio. Direct contact with the landscape and natural elements are essential for his painting. Working wi...

First Ever Cornwall Ceramics Trail Launches to coincide with the St Ives September Festival 2013. The history of ceramics in Cornwall is of great importance to the art history of both this region and the wider world, and attracts students, academics and cultural visitors from across the UK and internationally. Alongside established public venues such as the Leach Pottery St Ives and a wealth of private ceramics galleries, the county supports a broad community of independent ceramicists working from private studios. Timed to coincide with the St Ives September Festival 2013, from Saturday 14th to Saturday 28th September this year the first ever Ceramics Trail Cornwall will see potters and ceramicists opening up their working studios to the public. Throughout the event fans of contemporary Cornish pottery will have a unique opportunity to meet and engage with ceramicists, see them at work in their pottery studios and purchase works direct. French born potter Michel François, who...

North Cornwall has a great variety of accommodation types which mean that it meets the needs of visitors from all over the world and country. A burgeoning form is the boutique bed and breakfast, offering luxuriously appointed rooms in spectacular locations. The region around Padstow lends itself very well to this form of tourism, especially along the banks of the Camel Estuary. The many inlets and coves are full of beautiful scenery and mystery. Heading towards the estuary from St. Issey, halfway between Padstow and Wadebridge, the road ames many turns through the tightly packed hills and little woods. In this farmland you will come across the recently restored Tredore House, a farmhouse bed and breakfast dating back past the middle ages, with a striking Victorian wing. All of their guest rooms have been refurbished to a high standard giving a modern and contemporary feel. Their breakfast room is spacious and well furnished, a great place to eat the delicious food served. ...

The National Maritime Museum Falmouth has been shortlisted for the Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award – by far the biggest museum award in Britain and the only one judged by families. The winner is picked by undercover family judges visiting the museum anonymously and reporting back on what they find. Kids In Museums are now recruiting families who would like to be judges. All a family needs to do is email award@kidsinmuseums.org.uk and they will be supported through the judging process. It’s free and fun, and gives another reason to spend time at a fabulous local museum! You are, of course, welcome to visit more than one venue too if it coincides with family holidays etc. We will pay reasonable travel costs for any judging families as well as covering your entry fees, if applicable. A few days after your visit, a volunteer would contact you to discuss how things went. It’s great The National Maritime Museum has got this far – and hopefully will get further! The winner...

Everyone at Electric Beach HQ are super excited to announce the return of Electric Beach Festival at Watergate Bay this summer on 31st August. Last year’s sell out festival will again be gracing the sands of the North Cornish coast at Watergate Bay near Newquay. They have an amazing line up of world class acts and local artists playing the one day music event. Iconic R’n’B and dance act SOUL II SOUL are this year’s headliner, bringing their effortlessly fresh beats to the beach. Soul II Soul are a household name in the UK scene, with their hits “Keep On Moving” and “Back to Life” toping the UK and US charts. “Back To Life” has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and featured in the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics. One of the founding members Jazzie B, has had international success winning 2 Grammy’s and an Ivor Novello award. He has not only been a part of chart topping Soul II Soul, but has remixed and produced songs for James Brown, Nas and Destiny’s Child to name...

Three days of great bands, tasty food and real ales from all over the South West. This will be the first of hopefully many yearly events that we will be putting together in aid of the Macmillan Cancer trust. At least 18 guest beers and six guest ciders will be on offer, as well as the usual range of award-winning St Austell draughts and a hearty hog roast. Ten bands will perform over the three day festival and there be an opportunity for budding musicians to get on stage in between acts for open mic sessions. Music will start at 12pm and go through until 10pm on the Friday and Saturday and 8pm on the Sunday. The lineup is as follows, with more acts set to be announced: Friday 21st June Johanna Graham Ensemble – Jazz
 Ten Bob Notes – Ska
 The Dirty Living Rhythm Band – Rock
 Adam Parfitt – Acoustic
 Walkabout's open mic night head honcho! Saturday 22nd June Sinpusher – Rock
 Four Minds Combined – Hip Hop Fusion Sunday 23rd June Out of Context – Acoustic
 Tayl...

Argentina’s finest and award-winning tango vocalist, Martín Alvarado, will be performing in Cornwall for the first time as part of his 25th international tour in June. His performance, at Carnglaze Caverns, near Liskeard, on Sunday, June 9, at 6pm, will see the award-winning singer accompanying himself on acoustic guitar in true tango troubadour style in his show “Así es mi tango” (So this is my tango). Alvarado has been touring internationally almost constantly for the past ten years, performing at major venues and festivals – but this will be the first time he has ever performed in a cave! “It will certainly be a different venue for me,” he said, joking. “I am wondering if I may need to wear gloves and a scarf!” The old slate mine caverns at Carnglaze, which have a constant year-round temperature of 10C (the audience is advised to bring warm clothes), were chosen by his promoter, L Tango Promotions, because of their superb natural acoustics. Alvarado’s UK and Europe mana...

Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose will be holding its Air Day on Wednesday 24 July 2013, after a one year break following the Olympics and a new runway. The event is back on the Cornish Event Calendar after a gap in 2012. It will be an opportunity for the general public to experience the sights, sounds and smells of one of Europe’s largest helicopter bases. The public will be able to meet those who have served on frontline Squadrons, supporting the Royal Navy all over the world. The organisers of this year’s event are already working hard to make it a day to remember and The Red Arrows’ have confirmed their attendance, underpinning what should prove to be a spectacular Air Show plus all the other events occurring around the Air Station. As well as an exciting, action-packed flying display, there will also be lots of things to see, touch and try on the ground. Visitors can climb onboard aircraft, be “scrambled” on a search and rescue mission, be winched high int...

I was not aware that framing a picture is an artform all of its own, but take a look at any badly framed photo or painting, and you will see what I mean...  Stable Art in Bodmin, Cornwall, provides an excellent framing service which I can recommend from experience, they have framed some beautiful prints for me with the end result looking very professional and chic. They have also framed some artwork that my husbands graphic design studio produced which really compliments the piece and is now proudly displayed on their walls. Stable Art are not just picture framing, they also have an extensive range of art supplies. The shot above shows a corner of their stock which includes Unison, Daler Rowney, Conte, Derwent and Voltaire along with pencils, pastels, graphite, charcoals and drawing pads... The list really could go on! When you visit Stable Art you will see their beautiful extension which has enabled them to expand their art material selection, above you can see some of thei...

Some 45 stands of hundreds of teddies - new and old – designer and antique - free valuations and restoration advice - teddy bear hospital – bear making patterns, kits, materials, accessories and demonstrations - and many, many, more attractions – including a “Free Teddy Prize Draw”. Charities – “Cornwall Hospice Care” and “Animals Asia” Champagne Competition with engraved Silver Trophy for “The Best Own Bear Creation” - dressed or undressed – with a “Summer” theme - ‘Open to All’ - take your own in! - voting to be by visitors only! Opening Hours: 10am to 4pm Admission: Adults £2.50, Accompanied Children under 14 Free! 23rd June 2013 The Community Centre Lostwithiel PL22 0HE 01840 779009 01503 230851 www.urchinsbears.com

The organisers of Beach Break Live are preparing to make history once again as they unveil plans to evolve the antiquated UK festival model by creating the first UK music holiday.  After three years in the beautiful Pembrey Country Park in South Wales, Beach Break Live will return to its spiritual home, Cornwall, to create the very first music holiday and change the face of festival experiences in the UK forever. Not content with changing an entire industry, Beach Break Live has also assembled a phenomenal line-up of artists, which includes the likes of Jake Bugg one of very few UK festival performances this year, AlunaGeorge, Devlin, Lulu James, Lucy Rose and Foreign Beggars. For the first time ever, Beach Break Live is also collaborating with some of the UK’s biggest labels, curators and promoters including Hospitality, Rinse FM, Digital Sound Boy, The Bedford, SB.TV, Emerging Icons and many more for what promises to be one of the most diverse music programmes this summer. ...

The Tallest Horse on Earth is a puppet show for children and quirky grownups. Set in a patchwork world of string, papier-mâché and toy tractors, The Tallest Horse on Earth is the story of Tim. Tim is a little boy and is the proud owner of The Tallest Horse on Earth! Or so he thinks... When Tim embarks on an adventure, he has only one trusty companion in mind. With puppetry, live music and a good measure of giant smashing, expect an epic adventure of small proportions.. See their website here . Performed by Seamas Carey & Alex Heane Directed by Jim Carey Written by Callum Mitchell Designed by Gabrielle Fromentin Puppet Consultant Craig Johnson Tickets £7 adult, £4 child, £5 concession, £18 family 20th April 2013 The Centre, Newlyn Book online here , or call 0845 094 0428.

Open Studios Cornwall is a unique opportunity to discover the people behind the Cornish art scene, visit studios in breathtaking locations, and buy an original piece of artwork direct from the artist. This year the free event showcases 209 artists and craftspeople from across the length & breadth of Cornwall who will open their studios to the public. With its heady mix of established artists, recent graduates, traditional and contemporary art and host of creative disciplines, Open Studios Cornwall is the largest and most diverse arts event in the county. Work by award­‐winning lighting and furniture designer Tom Raffield The Open Studios Cornwall experience will encourage you to discover the art of surfboard shaping, get inspired by incredible home studios, and to get up close and personal with Cornish art. There will be artist run workshops throughout the event, offering the opportunity to learn new skills, ranging from how to throw a pot to monoprinting. For those ...

Tate St. Ives by nerosunero I had to share the top ten Cornwall highlights that Rooke Cottages have added to their blog! Really well thought out with interesting selections such as choice beaches and cycle trails. Each of their selections has a powerful image to let you get a feel for the entry into the top ten and they range from family entertainment to fine dining. To give you an idea of what to expect I have added a couple of the photos here but you should definitely head over to see for yourself! The Camel Estuary by Leon Oldman My personal favourite is The Camel Estuary (above), a region in North Cornwall that has so much to offer from golden sand at the mouth to rare waterfowl and woodland walks. The Eden Project by Paul Fenton

Here's a great Cornish business we have recently come across, they provide a truly personalised and breathtaking explosion of stunning flowers, the Cornish Flower Shop, based on a farm outside Hayle. Their flowers are picked daily and so are guaranteed to be as 'fresh as a daisy' when they reach you. Just knowing they are grown in a Cornish field overlooking St. Ives Bay, with the pure Atlantic air and refreshing rain to nurture them, makes me feel that these flowers are the luckiest flowers in the world! As well as the most vibrant and fragrant. They have a wide variety of flowers changing throughout the year as each one comes in season.

The Three Belles’ are returning to Cornwall for an extra special performance this year! The Andrews Sisters style vocal trio met at the University of Portsmouth and formed in their final year in 2011. Since graduating they have turned singing close harmonies and donning their victory rolls into a full time job! When they weren’t busy singing on stage, The Three Belles spent the most of 2012 working on a script with their author friend and ex ‘The Bill’ script writer Matt Wingett. 

The Three Belles have been touring in Cornwall for two years performing at different events all along the south coast. The girls produced their interactive 1940s experience night, IN THE MOOD at the Portsmouth Guildhall and the St Ives Guildhall, Cornwall, where it SOLD OUT! They also took their theatre show, SING SING SING to the and The Stag, Sevenoaks and more recently to New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth where it too SOLD OUT!  They are very excited to bring their brand new show t...

The Cornwall Home Show is Cornwall’s only and most exclusive home exhibition. Bringing together more than 45 exhibitors from across the county, this year’s event offers a fantastic selection of home and garden inspiration as well as renewable energy and sustainable living solutions. This includes the very best of Cornwall’s kitchen designers and installers, interior design experts, architects, sustainable living specialists, home AV specialists, furniture suppliers and many more, including electric vehicle and home charging experts. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for home improvements, fresh ideas for second homes, holiday cottage, Boutique BB or an apartment, or you have a renovation or building larger project in mind, The Cornwall Home Show is the best place to find new and exciting ideas from some of the county’s top specialists who will help bring your ideas to life. Take advantage of great offers, learn useful hints and tips and discover Cornwall’s best bespoke an...