There are a selection of ticketed and free events. Of the free events you can get ‘Lost in Flowers’ with the Lostwithiel and District Floral Art Group at St Bartholomew’s; or watch Truro’s Amateur Operatic Society, go to a Book Sale and Coffee Morning or watch the Gallowglass traditional folk music, amongst many other activities!

Of ticketed events ranging from around 50p to £29 you could have a Gallery Meal, watch Hitchcock film ‘The Birds’, go for a Du Maurier ‘Rebecca’ guided coastline walk or watch ‘Waiting for Godot’, again, amongst many other events and activities, so check out the website for more details.

If you didn’t want to stay in Fowey for a full holiday, why not go to the festival as a day trip and chill out at this Helpful Holidays cottage in Polperro.This 16th century, detached stone farmhouse sleeps up to 6, it has a comfortable living room (woodburner, TV/DVD, CD player); kitchen/dining room (microwave, fridge-freezer) with huge ornamental fireplace with bread oven, leading to ‘snug’ (armchair, oil-fired Aga – switched off during June, July and August, pine dresser with pretty plates); from kitchen/dining room, door to utility room (washing machine), shower-room (suite), conservatory, and garden. Steepish stairs up to three bedrooms – two double (one with pine four-poster bed), one twin room; bathroom (suite); and door to patio and garden.

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.

Until 30th August the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010 will be spreading art, comedy, performance and dining experiences across the city.

One thing that particularly caught my eye if any readers are lucky enough to try it out is a unique dining experience whereby guests eat at a height of 100ft above the city, hanging from a crane in special seats at a large table! Skyscanner.net at running the Festival in the Skyin the beautiful Princess Street Gardens.

Other events throughout the festival are:

The Demise of Christopher Marlowe theatre production at the C Central.

Creatures Comedy Show for some dark comedy sketch show at the Jury’s Inn.

UK beatbox champion, Beardymanfrom 16th-17th August at the Udderbelly Tent.

For a free children’s event, go to the music, story-telling and puppetry of the Hamwehads from the 11th – 19th August at The Three Sisters.

Flow-pattern- John Reiach photography exhibition from 13th August at the Faculty of the Advocates.

Blackpool tower picture by Flickr User llamnudds

An interactive online film has been created to allow visitors to star in their own film in Blackpool and share it online with their friends and family. The move is to encourage more visitors to the seaside resort. Users can upload their favourite pictures to The Movie’s microsite www.blackpoolthemovie.com and automatically share their virtual adventure with friends and family online.

Blackpool: The Movie has been designed by Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board to encourage potential holidaymakers to visit the resort and to maximize internet chatter on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Youtube.

The trailer provides a tour of Blackpool’s top attractions accompanied by a voiceover by the X Factor’s Peter Dickson. By entering their family name and home town, users will see their personal details become an integral part of the trailer, appearing on billboards, posters and lighting up the sky alongside a pyrotechnic firework display.

All entries will be entered into a prize draw and for one family to win annual passes to Blackpool attractions.

Mike Wilkinson of Lancashire Tourist Board said: “Blackpool has made a name for itself as a destination which uses leading-edge technology to encourage tourists to visit Blackpool and Blackpool: The Movie marks an exciting venture into the new world of virtual tourism.”

Keira Knightley

No matter how beautiful she actually is, Keira Knightley doesn’t look great in the costume she’s wearing in our photo on the website (news pages), does she? The wig just doesn’t do it for her. Never mind – it’s a great film by all accounts and many of us at Merricks Publishing are looking forward to seeing it.

As I say in the news piece, Knightley chose a holiday cottage to stay in during filming in the Peak District, and the owner said she was ‘a delight’ to be around. I can believe it. In a recent interview with Sam Wollaston of the Guardian, she comes across as someone with a wicked sense of humour who doesn’t take herself too seriously. Here’s an extract from Sam’s piece (or read it in full he re:   Dirty pretty thing).

‘When we talk about her work, she purrs. No, not literally – that would be weird – but she speaks easily, and appears content and relaxed. When I attempt to steer the conversation towards her life outside work, the claws come out. In a very good-natured, playful way, it has to be said. At times the interview feels like a sparring match, and she gives as good as she gets, if not better. She’s very entertaining company, and it’s fun – trying to get under the guard of Keira Knightley.

‘This will sound like the tragic fantasy of a male journalist who has fallen under the spell of a very pretty young lady and somehow imagines he could be her friend, but although she does speak awful proper, there is something nicely unstarry about her. Perhaps it’s being sworn at, but I’m finding it hard to remember that I am talking to the second highest-paid actress in Hollywood last year.’

If you know of any other pieces of information relating to films being made on location in the British Isles, do please let us know.