Britain loves to celebrate
As a nation, we love to embrace an occasion and this year has shown just that, with the Diamond Jubilee and summer games celebrations that have taken place.
Festivals and events are popular in the UK with villages, towns and counties proud to celebrate their local traditions, many of which are centuries old.
If you are holidaying in the UK, why not find out what events are taking place in the surrounding area and go along and take part in the fun. It’s a wonderful way of experiencing British culture and life and the choice is vast throughout the year with music festivals, carnivals, arts festivals, village fetes, county shows, flower festivals, river races and festivals of food and drink, to name just a few!
With too many to mention, here are just a few to whet your appetite:
- January – There is no better place to celebrate the New Year than in Scotland. Hogmanay is a huge event with festivals and celebrations lasting some four to five days. Edinburgh is the largest and most legendary event but there are plenty of other great parties and festivals with something for the whole family.
- February - The City of York stages its famous long standing Viking Festival to celebrate its Nordic heritage. This International event attracts over 10,000 visitors to this beautiful part of Yorkshire with Vikings from all parts of the world descending to take part in bloody battles!
- March - With spring on its way and the weather starting to warm, sporting events become more frequent. The Cheltenham National Hunt Festival is an incredibly popular date in the racing diary providing four action packed days of excitement and anticipation. People come from afar to enjoy the festival, with many coming from Ireland for early St Patrick’s Day celebrations. The Cotswolds villages and towns are always bustling of an evening during this time of the year with race goers returning to celebrate their winnings in the fantastic pubs and restaurants.
- April - Beer festivals are always popular and the East Anglian Beer Festival is no exception. Taking place towards the end of April in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, it attracts thousands of people visiting to sample the regions top brews!
- May - Another popular festival with drinkers is the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival which takes place during early May. This diverse event allows you to not only discover the passion behind this wonderful tipple but also experience culture, heritage, food and music. An incredibly fun and family friendly festival with many events that encourage you to explore and experience this beautiful part of the Scottish Highlands which is malt whisky country at its very best!
- June - The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is the largest music festival in the UK which takes place in Somerset. Thousands and thousands of attendees flock to this famous event to not only enjoy music but also other performing arts including comedy and dance.
- July - Historically a warm and dry month, there are numerous festivals and events to choose from. The Big Cheese in South Wales attracts over 80,000 visitors over a weekend period. Held in the town of Caerphilly, with one of Europe’s largest castles as a beautiful backdrop, the event attracts all ages with its traditional folk dancing, fire eating, music, street entertainers, and minstrels to name just a few.
- August – Broadstairs Folk week is a great buzzy event that takes place in this traditional pretty seaside town on the Kent coastline.
- September - the UK’s longest standing food festival takes place in Shropshire inside the walls of Ludlow’s beautiful medieval castle. A magical historic town with a fine culinary reputation where you will find over 160 producers exhibiting and enthusiastic chefs providing talks and cookery demonstrations. A must for foodies!
- October - With the waters getting colder, The Falmouth Oyster Festival kicks off the arrival of the much loved oyster season. A must for all seafood lovers, the festival promotes the reputable quality of Cornish seafood and allows you to sample and purchase local food and drink produce. With a great atmosphere, visitors can enjoy cookery demonstrations and fun events such as the oyster shucking competition, the town parade or watch the working boat race. Plenty of fun for the whole family.
- November - A wetter month it may be, but a warming one nonetheless with bonfire parties taking place all over the country. With the winter months upon us and more time being spent watching television, a film festival is a good choice. The Bath Film Festival is incredibly popular and celebrates the success of cinema with many events and screenings across the city.
- December - With everyone getting in the festive season, why not visit one of the many Christmas markets that take place throughout the country. Lincoln is host to the UK’s oldest Christmas market where its cobbled streets and medieval square provide a temporary home for four days to some 350 stall holders. With the Norman castle and dramatic Gothic cathedral as a stunning backdrop, it provides a magical start to Christmas.
Edinburgh festival from 3rd to 20th August. Fringe theatre and lots of street entertainment
Where to start? In March Aldeburgh hosts a literary festival. Every June Aldeburgh Music brings us the Aldeburgh Festival of Music with concerts, workshops and outdoor events. In August Aldeburgh has a three day carnival with music, procession, funfair, fireworks and lots of activities for children. November is the time of the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival…………and that is just Aldeburgh. Nearby in Snape we have the Snape Proms (August) and the Food and Drink Festival (September/October). Only ten miles away Easton hosts the Maverick Festival (American music) every June and in Southwold the family friendly Latitude Festival takes place in July. Suffolk also hosts Country Shows, a walking festival, cycling festival and beer festivals. Come and see for yourself!
Here is mid West Wales – on the edge of Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynnedd – we have two really popular festivals. The Machynlleth Festival is in late August (19 – 26 August this year) and provides a fantastic, diverse range of concerts from classical to jazz to folk and a children’s concert. Also in Machynlleth is the relatively new Mach Comedy Festival which takes place in various locations around the lovely market town of Machynlleth during early May. Something for everyone I’d say…
Feast Week (the last week in June annually) in Mevagissey is great fun, with lots of fun and free entertainment throughout the week: carnival, cookery, live bands and concerts, and a range of activities for children and adults alike, finishing with spectacular fireworks in the harbour on Saturday evening. This year’s events can be found at: http://www.mevagisseyfeastweek.org.uk/Feast/Events
The world’s largest Highland Gathering takes place in Dunoon, Argyll over the weekend 24 – 26 August. It features over 100 pipe bands, highland dancing, heavy outdoor sports (caber tossing etc.). Full details at http://www.cowalgathering.com/. It’s a brilliant weekend!
18-26 Aug The Conwy River Festival is the premier yachting festival serving the whole of the Irish Sea including the Isle of Man, Ireland and ports & harbours of the North West http://www.conwyriverfestival.org
13 Sep 700 year old charter fair, founded by Edward 1st, every September. Honey stalls, crafts, plants and local produce. Local beekeepers sell about a tonne of their honey by lunchtime.
27-28 Oct Our historic quayside town is transformed for two days into a huge waterside food market … overlooked by Conwy Castle http://www.gwleddconwyfeast.co.uk
Pylewell Park is a real up and coming venue for varying events.
This lovely country estate just outside Lymington in the New Forest has recently hosted it’s second ‘Food and Lifestyle Festival’.
Set in the grounds of the magnificent country estate of Pylewell Park (‘pure well’), the 80 acre showground boasts probably one of the best views in the country looking down to the Solent and across to the Isle
of Wight, with the backdrop of Pylewell House and it’s 17th Century origins.
The premier family event of the summer calendar for the county, and quite possibly the whole of the UK.
Featuring BBC1 Saturday Kitchen Chef Adam Byatt’s Award Winning Restaurant, Trinity
•Family Camping
•Live Music
•International Food Arena
•Wine Tasting
•Champagne Bar
•Real Ale
•Cookery Theatre including demonstrations by Adam Byatt, Douglas Santi, James Golding and Mrs Tee
•Traditional fairground rides including a big wheel and a beautiful carousel
whoops, didn’t mention our accommodation!
We are an award winning pub restaurant in the New Forest National Park one mile outside Lymington. Any events at Pylewell Park are only a few miles away across country. We let just one self-contained apartment, ideal for two guests. The apartment is light, spacious and simply decorated but with everything needed for a relaxing break plus the advantage of being able to relax over an evening meal and then just walk upstairs at the end of the evening. As our only guests you can be sure of a warm welcome and attentive service.
Great west country events to mention are
Great dorset stream fair with over 250,000 visitors annually
Glastonbury festival,
Salcombe regatta week,
Yeovilton air day ( we offer discounts to military families)
Malvern Autumn Garden Show, 3 Counties Showground 29th-30th September 2012
Malvern Spring Garden Show, 3 Counties Showground 9th-12th May 2013
Malvern Flea Fair, 3 Counties Showground 23rd September 2012, 14th October 2012, 2nd December 2012
Malvern Antique & Collectors Fair, 3 Counties Showground 4th November 2012
Cheltenham Racecourse:
The Showcase 19th & 20th October 2012
The Open 16th-18th November 2012
The International 14th-15th December 2012
New Year’s Day 1st January 2013
Festival Trials Day 26th January 2013
The Festival 12th-15th March 2013
The April Meeting 17th & 18th April 2013
The Hunter Chase Evening 1st May 2013
Cheltenham Literature Festival 5-14th October 2012
Cheltenham Folk Festival 8th-10th February 2013
Cheltenham Jazz Festival 1st-6th May 2013
Cheltenham Science Festival 4th-9th June 2013
Cheltenham Music Festival 3-14th July 2013
All these festivals and events are around a 30 minute drive away from Daisie Cottage, a beautiful rural retreat where you can relax after a busy day of entertainment.
Come and stay in Angarrack and see the wonderful award winning Angarrack Christmas Lights. Such a wonderful start to Christmas from the 1st weekend in December onwards.