The Cornwall Blog

Starting off July in style, the Sea Salts & Sail Festival  takes place in the picturesque fishing village of Mousehole. Running from the 1st of July to the 3rd this biannual event is a sight to behold.  From the Friday the horizon begins to fill with historic vessels, some the last examples of their kind. Crews skilfully navigate 'the gaps' fitting into the narrow 500 year old entrance.  Its a wonderful day out for all the family, with music, poetry, crafts, food and drink.  I love this little corner of Cornwall, though I don't make it down there as often as I would like, had my first taste of crab here! When the sun shines it really is quite breath-taking.  If you don't make it for the festival never fear, Mousehole is a great place to visit regardless, and they have a brilliant village hall packed full of year round events to tempt you!    

It's not long now until I take my mum to see Diana Ross at The Eden Project! She is very excited, me too! Quite a legend. I thought it might be good to share some of the other musical events up and coming this month and beyond.  It really feels that after a few years away from living life fully we are finally able to. This summer promises to be a bumper one for Cornwall with so many festivals coming back to us, and what a eclectic mix... Sundays from May to September are seeing Truro's Victoria Gardens ' band stand put to good use. Local brass bands and orchestras will be delighting folk from 2.30 to 4pm. Also in Truro, at The Alverton's beautiful gardens, they are welcoming back the Summer Garden Sessions . Think a sun-drenched terrace, stunning tunes and a cocktail or two. This month sees Hannigan, Rue and Ash Harding take to the stage. Speaking of Eden's Sessions , their line up this year includes other big names such as Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Ni...

Wadebridge Wines are bringing another great festival to the North of Cornwall with their inaugural Rum & Tequila Festival. Last month, in June, the space around their centrally located shop became filled with stalls, music and drinks for their first Beer and Cider Fest. On the back of this success (and the previously run Gin Festival) they are bringing something a little different. The North Cornwall Rum and Tequila Festival is sure to be a great event, expect great suppliers selling their wares. Cocktails galore and delicious food with toe-tapping music. The much loved wine merchant is always a great place to visit and you know the team will have picked only the very best! The festival runs from noon till 7pm on the 20th July.

To celebrate the anniversary of the Moon Landings, Goonhilly, near Helston, is holding a rather special day. On the 20th of July 1969 the world watched, glued to their TV screens, as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon. These images were being transmitted by the Goonhilly satellite. To mark 50 years since this iconic event Goonhilly are presenting Apollo 50 , a family friendly day of education, science, tech, art and music. In fact you can see band Public Service Broadcasting perform songs from their album The Race for Space and Orbital will also be performing a DJ set. You can find more info at the website and get tickets.

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 ...

Deep beneath St Austell Brewery, its historic cellars were transformed for the 18th annual Celtic Beer Festival on Saturday 26 November 2016. The festival brought together almost 200 ales, stouts and lagers, including St Austell favourites such as Tribute, Proper Job and korev. Live bands performed throughout the day and into the evening, while the brewery said that all profits would support its charitable work across the South West. Beer and live music in the brewery cellars The Celtic Beer Festival offered the chance to try familiar favourites alongside guest beers, limited editions and rather more adventurous brews, all within the atmospheric surroundings of the brewery’s Victorian cellars. A long tradition of Cornish brewing St Austell Brewery traces its story back to 1851, when Walter Hicks began working as a wine merchant and maltster. He later started brewing at the Seven Stars Inn in St Austell, before the business moved to i...

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...

There are always so many events going on in Cornwall! People come for the slower pace of life, but I find if you want excitement it is within easy reach. If you are looking for a little culture for this Autumnal month how about the Calstock Jazz Festival? Calstock is a beautiful spot, nestled on the river Tamar on the Devon and Cornwall border. A few Saturdays ago me and my family headed to the National Trust property of Cotehele where there is a gorgeous view over Calstock and the vast viaduct. The Jazz and Blues festival uses some great venues around the little village and is host to some real musical gems. Norma Winstone with The Printmakers, Empirical and Femi Temowo are the headliners but there are acts from Plymouth university, choirs and film. There is also delicious food on offer throughout the village. So close to Plymouth this hideaway festival is always popular. So for a musical treat be sure to make it! Running from the 22nd-25th October 2015. Yo...

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. ...