Holiday Cottages Blog

Articles and info on holidays and cottages in the UK and Ireland

Archive for category Festivals

Daffodil Festival!

Feb 8

Posted by elisa in Events, family days out, Festivals, Fun, Holiday advice, Uncategorized, West Country | 1 Comment

Picture by Flickr User dullhunk

As things begin to thaw, the daffodils are beginning to bloom to signal the arrival of Spring. In honour of these yellow beauties there will be the Daffodil Festival at the 12th century listed church of St Mawgan in Meneage on the 19th and 20th February. The church will be open from 10.30am until 4.30pm both days and is free to enter. Light refreshments will be available including pasties and home made soup at lunchtime and tea and cakes all day.

Perfect for a couple, is this cottage in Mawnan Smith from Helpful Holidays. It’s in a brilliant position for visiting many fine gardens (four within a 3 mile radius) and Helford Passage. Use of owners’ large, extremely well kept garden (table/chairs) full of interesting shrubs, flowers, lily pond and productive kitchen garden carries on the garden/floral theme.

photo of Holiday cottage in Mawnan Smith, Cornwall's Med with 3 stars, sleeps 2

Review of 2010

Jan 5

Posted by elisa in art, Articles, Coast, Cottages Search, Devon, Events, Exhibitions, family days out, Festivals, Food and Drink, Fun, Group holidays, Holiday advice, News, North West, Rail, shopping and culture, Surveys, Tips, Tourist Board, Transport, Wales, Walking, Weather, West Country, Yorkshire | 1 Comment

2010 was a year jam-packed with travel related news stories, festivals and events. I’ve taken the liberty of collating some of Holiday Cottages’ best blog posts over the year to give an overall review so you don’t have to go searching for them yourself!

January started with testing out my culinary skills at the Ashburton Cookery School in Devon.

A survey in February showed high speed rail was more important to people than airport expansions.

The Shambles in York was voted most picturesque street in March. There was also trouble on the railways with a Network Rail threatened strike.

Easter was a staycation preference in April.

There were many family fun festivals between May and August.

Even before the Royal wedding announcement we found out how the Royals are key to UK tourism.

27 West Country beaches were awarded blue flags in August, showing that the West Country is a great place to visit!

We were given tips on how to give tourists a better welcome during the Olympics.

Taxing times for holiday rental businesses.

The famous Exmoor Food Festival was in October, tickling visitor’s taste buds!

Bonfire Night had many events to travel to, including the flaming barrel run in Ottery St. Mary’s!

It got very cold in November and December as part of the big freeze.

The year ended with a little early Christmas cheer for the travel industry!

So there’s a pick of the Holiday Cottages blog coverage of events and news over the year. For travel news pertaining to outbound travel don’t forget to check out our sister site’s blog, Villaseek. There will be a run down of the year’s news on there very soon also!

The Olympics are coming home – to Shropshire

Dec 28

Posted by jason in Events, Festivals | No Comments

Picturesque Wenlock by Michael Maggs

Picturesque Wenlock by Michael Maggs, Wikimedia

While gold will be handed out in London in 2012 for being ‘swifter, higher, stronger’, there is a need to look to the history books – and to the picturesque Shropshire market town of Much Wenlock, 150-miles away – to see who won the very first modern Olympian medals.

Shropshire may appear an unlikely place to find the origins of the modern international Olympic Games, yet it was here, in 1850, that Dr William Penny Brookes first thought of reviving the ancient games and founded the Wenlock Olympian Society. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the acknowledged founder of the modern Olympic Games, later wrote “and of the Olympic Games, which modern Greece has not yet revived, it is not a Greek to whom one is indebted, but rather Dr W. P. Brookes”.


The town’s role in the Olympic revival has been recognised in the choice of ‘Wenlock’ as the official London 2012 Olympic Games mascot, to the surprise of townspeople.


The Wenlock Olympian Games are still held in July each year, attracting athletes from all across the UK.

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Festival of Lights at Exeter University

Nov 4

Posted by elisa in Devon, Festivals, films, Food and Drink, Fun | 1 Comment

Photo by Flickr User crajeeshelly

Aimed at students and families, this Saturday (6th November) there is a free Diwali Festival of Lights at Exeter University‘s Cornwall House on the Stretham Campus from 3pm-7.30pm.

Parking if free on Saturday!

The order of the day runs as follows:

3pm Opening Puja Ceremony

3.15pm – 6.15pm Bollywood Film: Dostana

3.15 – 6.15pm Choose from:

Cookery demonstrations from Curry Leaves, authentic South Indian cuisine with fresh food to purchase!

Paint your own Diya (small candle holder).

Rangoli painting.

Henna tattoos.

Dress in traditional Indian dress or learn to tie a Saree and have a souvenir photograph.

Enjoy a traditional Lassi drink.

Learn and play a traditional Indian card game.

4pm – 5pm Bollywood Dance class – fun for all ages and abilities with professional dancer Madhuri Rajesh. Learn a routine.

5pm – 5.45pm Dhol drumming workshop.

6.15pm – 6.45pm Performance time: see the routine from the dance class, hear the drummers and see some local talented performers.

6.45pm Join the procession to see the fireworks.

7.15pm – 7.30pm Fireworks to round off the celebrations in traditional style. Fireworks will be viewed from Clydesdale Rise.

Remember, remember, the 5th of November

Oct 27

Posted by elisa in Coast, Devon, Events, Festivals, Fun, West Country | 1 Comment

Ottery Barrells picture by Flickr User gareth.fudge

Last week I posted tips for this Halloween, now it’s time for Bonfire Night recommendations to give you enough time to decide on your plans!

A place and event close to my heart is Ottery St. Mary’s Flaming Barrel Run; I used to go to this each year when I was at university in nearby Exeter and I can highly recommend this. Essentially the whole town turns into an evening festival with a huge bonfire, fireworks, fairground, toffee apples and of course, the flaming barrels that are placed on some volunteers’ backs and they run through the town. It really is a great night with a real buzz about it.

If madmen running down streets with flaming barrels on their backs doesn’t quite take your fancy, how about the beautiful Chariots of Light in Bridgewater which is in support of charity Help for Heroes.

The Mermaid Inn at Porth Beachin Newquay will host a bonfire and firework display from 7pm and is free to enter, however there will be donation buckets circulating the event.

I love bonfire night; the smell in the air, getting wrapped up warm and eating toffee apples and hot chestnuts around bonfires and also playing with sparklers, it’s a great time of year! It’d be lovely to hear about others’ traditions, so if you have any unusual bonfire night traditions or plans to go to anywhere different this year, please post them!

Halloween events in the West Country

Oct 20

Posted by elisa in Devon, Events, Festivals, Food and Drink, Fun, Uncategorized, West Country | 1 Comment

Pumpkin-tastic picture by Flickr User Jeff_Golden

The West Country is going spook-tacular this Halloween so I thought it best to do a round up of some of the best events going on this year for those of you in or visiting the area.

From the 23rd – 31st October The Big Sheep in Abbotsham, North Devon will be transforming its site into an amazing Halloween haven with pumpkin carving, fancy dress, haunted house and train ride and themed indoor play park.

From the 24th October The Cornwall Crealy Adventure Park hosts their Hallowfest with over 20,000 pumpkins, bonfires, the Crealy Witch, spooky games and exciting rides.

24th October to 1st November is the spooky ice rink, Little Monsters’ Ball  and games at Cornwall’s Eden Project.

30th October is the date for the Seaton Tram of Terror. Take this spooky ride from Seaton to Colyton for many thrills along the way!

Also on 30th October there are ghost tours for those brave enough at Dunster Castle. Tours run throughout the evening from 5.45pm to 10.30pm.

If there are any other spooky events taking place that you think deserve a mention, please post a reply with details!

British Tourism Week Pier Parties

Oct 19

Posted by elisa in Events, Festivals, Tourist Board | No Comments

Clevedon Pier picture by Flickr user me'nthedogs

British Tourism Week is set to be celebrated in style with simultaneous seaside pier parties organised from 12th-20th March 2011. British Tourism Week is to raise awareness of the importance of domestic tourism to the UK economy and with this set to rise by 5% and create an additional 225,000 jobs over the next 10 years, then there may be a good reason to celebrate and promote this importance.

Details of the parties will be unveiled at a pre-launch event tomorrow on R S Hispaniola on London’s Victoria Embankment. To date, 29 of the existing 55 piers have indicated that they will take part in what will be one of the biggest linked parties ever held at different locations in the UK.

Eggesford Gardens Apple and Cider Fair

Oct 11

Posted by elisa in Devon, Events, Festivals, Food and Drink, shopping and culture | No Comments

Take the Tarka Line from Exeter or Barnstaple to get to Eggesford on the 16th and 17th October for the Eggesford Gardens Apple and Cider Fair.

Taste many varieties of cider and apple juice and accompany them with some apple-based preserves, cakes and pies. Along with the apple produce there will also be a selection of local beers, cheeses and honey.

This popular festival is at the perfect time in the year for apple produce tasting and walking around wrapped up warmly in a woolly coat, hat and gloves as the low autumnal sun shines down and a sharp wind whips around you.

I’d certainly be envious of anyone who can make it down as this is a beautiful part of the country at this time of year. Let us know if you do go and how you find it!

The gardens are open from 9am-5pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday and further details on how to get there can be found at the website.

If you can’t make the Apple and Cider Fair, then on the 31st October Eggesford Gardens also pay host to an Autumn Craft Fair selling paintings, prints, jewellery, basketry, wood crafts and ceramics.

Manchester Food and Drink Festival

Oct 1

Posted by elisa in Events, Festivals, Food and Drink, North West, Tourist Board | 1 Comment

Today marks the start of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival until Monday 11th October. Visitors of Manchester will find many food and drink events and stalls taking over the city centre, but the festival will also spread to different districts of Greater Manchester also, check out the full listings at the official Manchester Food and Drink Festival website.

There are several mini-festivals under the umbrella of the main festival, these include the Chocolate Festival (Saturday at midday) where you could win a year’s worth of dining out in Manchester if you find a golden ticket in one of the chocolates; and the Ale Festival (tonight and Saturday), both in Albert Square.

Other events include Dinner on River by Robert Owen Brown and Oktoberfest with German beer brand Kaiserdom.

If you’re not too bothered about planning your visits, then pop down to the festival hub in Albert Square throughout the festival period and just have a mill around and see what’s on offer. I’ll be popping down on Sunday afternoon I think, although tomorrow’s Chocolate Festival is certainly tempting too…Decisions, decisions!

Exmoor Food Festival

Sep 27

Posted by elisa in Advertisers, Cottages Search, Devon, Events, Festivals, Food and Drink, Walking, West Country | No Comments

From the 2nd to the 10th October, the wonderful area of Exmoor will pay host to a variety of events and showcases of local food produce in the Exmoor Food Festival. This year, the festival will also include the North Devon and Exmoor Autumn Walking Festival.

There will be food walks, cookery courses, tasting platters, farm visits, a food fayre plus much much more. There will also be the Moor Rover Servicethat will pick up within the West Somerset area of Exmoor National Park and drop you off at pre-arranged drop-off points anywhere on Exmoor. Book your journey at least a day in advance between Monday to Friday 9.00am and 4.00pm. They also operate a luggage transfer service. Please call 01643 709701 for more information or visit the moor rover website.

If you are considering going to the Exmoor area for a holiday to take advantage of the food and walking festivals, you might like to consider this two bedroom apartment that sleeps four in Chulmleigh; with easy access to North Devon beaches and the Tarka Trail for some walking, 28 Langley View prices start from £329.

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Main Photo Main Photo