The Cornwall Blog

It seems you can't move for festivals these days - and Cornwall is no different! Having said that they are loads of family friendly fun. This month, Sunday 15th May, we have Lostfest , in my neck of the woods, Lostwithiel. The event raises money for FLEET, a charity who provide equipment for emergency services in Cornwall. For those who don't know, Lostwithiel is a charming ancient stannary town which is nestled quietly a little in land in a wooded valley. Well, normally quiet, but come Lostfest the streets are buzzing with life. Expect delicious food lining the streets, traditional crafts, handmade gifts, medieval re-enactments, a vintage fair and a couple of local bands. From by the river, to under the trees, the church yard, museum, the shops and cafes - all over this little town fun is unleashed. Lostwithiel is such a pretty place to visit, just up the hill you will find the Restormel Castle. There are two parks that follow the Fowey river and the Tudor bridge is a

Poldark filming Aiden Turner with the second series script If you missed the BBC's remake of Winston Graham novels, Poldark then where were you? Not only was that acting and story excellent but also the set was pretty great too! Like the first series the second is to be filmed across our beautiful Cornwall, and rumour has it filming started a couple of days ago. Heida Reid and  Eleanor Tomlinson filming yesterday The Poldark crew filming at Charlestown for the first series For the first series we saw beautifully lit locations like the rugged Bodmin Moor with Poldark's house being located near St Breward, shots of the historic Charlestown harbour with its tall ships and the coastline of Botallack to Levant dotted with tin mines. Our beautiful beaches like Church Cove and Porthgwarra served as stunning backdrops to dramatic scenes of love and loss. Poldark filming for the first series Eleanor Tomlinson Keep your eyes peeled and you might just

Tall ship at Charlestown The cycle trail around Pentewan Historic St Austell The Eden Project If you have ever visited Pentewan you would know what a sweet village it is. Delicious ice creams, great pubs and a beautiful sandy beach, what more could you want! Well from Pentewan Cycle Hire you can rent a bike and explore even more of this great county. There are many routes to choose from, cycle to the traditional fishing port of Mevagissey , or to the world famous Eden Project or even see the tall ships at Charlestown . The Lost Gardens of Heligan Around Pentewan Mevagissey Ideal for a one day hire, see Cornwall from a different angle. They provide a large range of quality bikes and accessories for hire and purchase. There are just so many routes all catering to different levels, all from this beautiful corner of Cornwall. Pentewan Cycle Hire The Pentewan Valley

It's a land as famous for toiling tin in the past as tantalising tourists today. Surrounded by brooding waters and peppered with mines, Cornwall also houses some of the most creative minds in the country. With a relaxed and friendly attitude, the county boasts a rich diversity of businesses. From designers to wordsmiths and caterers to crafters, there is a focus on bringing the elements of Cornwall's unique aesthetic to the fore. Websites use images of the sea, whilst restaurants focus on provenance: incorporating what grows naturally. Artists gather natural resources to produce. Over time, many creatives cite the sea as an inspiration. From the anthropomorphic rocks to the inky waters, Cornwall's natural beauty weaves itself around those who visit and wraps itself inside those who live here; forever holding hearts. Its unique landscape: from the rugged rocks on the North Coast to the harsh hilltops on the moors, from the sandy arcs of St. Ives to the rattling flot

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

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.

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

Dame Helen Mirren admires a King Protea plucked from the Burncoose stand After months of planning, designing, and growing all of the hard work paid off this morning when Burncoose Nurseries received the news that they had been awarded a well deserved Gold Medal for their climate change garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The garden which is once again supported by Terra Firma, was designed to showcase the different types of plants that are suited to the changing environment. By teaming up with Tresco Abbey Gardens the Burncoose exhibit highlighted plants which thrive in warm, dry and windy conditions, as well as the more familiar shade loving species. The garden illustrated how plants which have historically only been grown in areas with micro climates, like the Isles of Scilly and some parts of Cornwall, can now be tried in other areas of the UK as a result of the changing weather patterns and temperatures. Owner of Burncoose Nurseries, Charles Williams, said “We are delighted to