The Cornwall Blog

Known purely by her first name, October began her recording career as a solo artist, playing all the instruments on her recordings. October produced her first music video with Whirlwind Films for her song Ulterior Motives. She is a regular on the festival scene and has played 9 stages at Glastonbury Festival in just three years as well as singing with the likes of the BBC Big Band and BBC Symphony Orchestra, and has toured extensively playing solo acoustic shows all over Australia and Europe. October now plays as part of a talented 3 piece band collectively known as 'October', featuring Steve Wellbelove on drums, with Ben Hatwell and October alternately playing the electric, acoustic and bass guitars throughout their set. This tight little trio has developed a unique surfy pop/rock sound with memorable melodies that get the crowd involved. October fronts the band with her uniquely warm yet powerful vocal. Steve and Ben bring with them their experience of writing and touring

Bodmin Moor View by Joanna Commings, acrylic on watercolour paper, 94 x 71 cm Exhibiting in North Cornwall is the artist Joanna Commings. She was born in London and grew up watching her artist father paint and draw, and then began trying to achieve results herself, exploring different approaches and techniques. Her main interest in the early days was life drawing and portraiture. Receding Tide Polzeath by Joanna Commings, acrylic and oil on watercolour paper, 78 x 102 cm Later, while living in Kent and then East Sussex, Joanna frequently walked on the South Downs and over the Weald, where she began to develop an interest in the subject of landscape and how to express it. It was her move to Cornwall in 2002, joining the talented Cornish artists, which really unleashed her fascination with painting the landscape in all its moods, alongside a continuing passion for portraiture. View her website here .

The 2012 CORNWALL Summer BEAR FAIR will be staged at the Lostwithiel Community Centre (PL22 0HE) on Sunday 17th June. This will be the sixteenth Bear Fair in Cornwall involving organisation of Teddies of Trenode and the second involving the new partnership with Urchins Bears of Boscastle and the 2012 Fair promises to be even better than the previous ones! Tweet The Community Centre, situated alongside the A390, which runs through Lostwithiel – ‘The Antiques Centre of Cornwall’ – is a very popular venue and has very good catering facilities, with free parking outside and throughout the town itself. The Fair will once again feature over 45 stands with hundreds of teddy bears - old and antique – new artist and designer, handcrafted by national, international and top local artists - with many from Cornwall and Devon. Urchins Bears and Apple Pie House will have their superb stocks of well known international trademark bears and friends Bear Basics and Mohair Bear Making Supplie

Rick Stein and Jill Stein have opened a new fishmonger’s in Padstow. Stein’s Fisheries, selling fresh fish, shellfish and pre-prepared seafood dishes, opened for business on Monday 26th March on the South Quay, next to Stein’s Fish and Chips. After being closely involved with the fishing industry for well over 35 years and seeing the growing success of their fish counter at Stein’s Deli, it was a natural move for the business. On offer will be lobsters, crabs and an extensive range of fresh fish and shellfish as well as pre-prepared foods such as fishcakes, seafood salads, fish soups and a selection of salmon, prawn and crab sandwiches. The opening of Stein’s Fisheries will also create additional space in the deli to stock more local meats, salads and olives. Rick commented ‘We are delighted to have a proper fish shop after all these years and think it will be popular, we know that fishmongers are closing down all over the country but we’re very optimistic about Stein’s Fisheries

The Design Thoughts Exhibition in Redruth was a success and Liz May was able to show off her work. Here are a couple of shots from the exhibition. To see more about the graphic designer Liz May, take a look at her website www.designthoughts.co.uk

The last few days of July were busy for Friends of Par Beach with events on the afternoon of Thursday 28th and late evening on Saturday 30th. The events team from Groundwork SW brought the Cadbury’s sponsored Spots v Stripes to Par Beach on Thursday 28th July, where some 200 children and adults joined in or watched the fun. Participants joined either the Spots or Stripes team and competed in sack races, space-hopper races, giant Jenga, beach Noughts and Crosses and tug-o-war with great enthusiasm cheered on by excited parents and grandparents. Tweet The weather was perfect for the event, which brought to life a busy Par Beach and everyone went home tired, but happy. The weather for the second event on the evening Saturday 30th July was not so helpful as the sky clouded over for the start of the Star Gazing on the beach. Kit Williams answered questions about astronomy and found out a bit of what the 30 attendees already knew. Having decided to enjoy the tea and coffee provided by Friend

Open-Air Tour June-August 2011 A famous detective - A new type of crime - Unusual suspects… This summer, Miracle Theatre is stirring up all the ingredients of the best Sherlock Holmes mystery with a large measure of comedy to bring you a period thriller with a sting in its tail! The Death of Sherlock Holmes, written and directed by Bill Scott, is touring to over 40 venues across south west England and Wales, from 1st June to 29th August. It’s a dangerous time for Sherlock Holmes: preparing for his final battle with the criminal mastermind Moriarty, he stumbles upon a most ingenious crime. Faced with a web of questionable motives, bizarre weapons and devilish disguises, Sherlock and Watson head off at breakneck speed on a trail which leads from 221b Baker Street, via the Swiss Alps, to a suburban séance bursting with paranormal goings on. “This show is about how the world’s most famous detective might have reacted when his creator, the archetypal Victorian gentleman Arthur Co