The Contemporary Craft Festival

The Contemporary Craft Festival welcomes 200 of the very finest designer makers to the idyllic setting of Mill Marsh Park on the edge of Dartmoor at Bovey Tracey. The handpicked collection of some of the country’s most exciting designer makers were selected to sell their handmade products.

You can book onto a great range of craft workshops where you can learn craft -skills, watch a range of top makers demonstrating their craft and a packed Children’s Craft tent will keep budding young craftspeople enthralled all day.

A new area specially for Teens at The Festival. The Den, was created by the students as a place to hang out, play table tennis and experience workshops in screen printing with South Dartmoor Community College, digital design with Plymouth FabLab and jewellery by former SDCC student, Merryn Albon.

You can expect a weekend brimming with live action including The Pottery Showdown competition, the Out of the Woods tent which celebrates British woodland craft skills and the magnificent Craft Cinema, hosted in a vintage Bedford Bus.

The unique opportunity to meet over 200 makers of contemporary craft is the highlight of the weekend which includes award winning silversmiths, potters, furniture makers, textile artists, glass makers, jewellery and next year includes demonstrations by The Boat Building Academy and Otter Surfboards from Cornwall.

Great live music fills the air from Devon performers topped off with a wide variety of locally sourced, delicious street food. A weekend to remember.

The Contemporary Craft Festival takes place on 7^{th – 9th} June 2019

Open Friday, Saturday  10-5pm & Sunday 10-4pm

Tickets (per day): Adult £9

Weekend 3 Day Ticket: £17 (£15 concs)

Accompanied Children under 18 FREE

Concessions (students, OAPs and those in receipt of benefits) £8

Group Tickets, +10 tickets £1 discount per ticket, discount automatically applied at checkout.

More information and tickets click here

Uplyme Village Fete

Uplyme Village Fete is a traditional Devon village fete in a fantastic location just outside Lyme Regis.

Family fun guaranteed, entertainment, games of chance, traditional stalls,  music and much more.

A great location –  self contained in a lovely level field this is a really accessible fete for everyone.

The Fete prince and princess will lead the parade on Saturday to open the Fete at 2pm.

Widworthy Fete, Wilmington in East Devon

Widworthy Fete in East Devon will be held on Saturday, June 8th, at 2pm in the beautiful gardens of Widworthy Barton (kindly open just for this event), in Wilmington, just off the A35 between Honiton and Axminster.

Widworthy Barton is an exceptional and beautifully-restored Elizabethan Manor House, open to the public for this occasion only.

There will lots of traditional village fete fun including duck racing, home-made cakes, produce and plants, plate smashing, welly throwing, beat the bell, tombola, bric-a-brac, books, tea, and a beer tent.

Widworthy Fete

Guitars on the Beach Lyme Regis

Guitars on the Beach Lyme Regis is an amazing event where thousands of people join forces to play guitars on the beach in a record breaking attempt.

Lots of other activities and music from bands throughout the day starting at 10am with the main record breaking event at 5pm on Saturday followed by music into the evening. Last year there was great session by Mungo Jerry which got the crowd going.

If you can play the guitar then you can download the sheet music and practice in advance. Go online for the chords for this years songs.

It’s FREE to watch however if you want to be part of the SANDBAND in the afternoon and record bid you need to register in advance or on the day for just £1 along with your name and email.

A great event for Lyme Regis and a great reason to spend all day at the beach!

Lots of details on the event organisers  Facebook page and  web site.

The Cherry Fair

The Cherry Fayre is an eight-day festival of all things Axminster that dates back to the granting of the town’s Market Charter.

Events and activities take place across the eight days.

The Cherry Fayre starts on Thursday 20th June with the Raising of the Glove ceremony on Minster Green at 11.30.  The Royal Charter granted in 1210 between King John and William Brewer and the glove were a sign of the King’s power and authority and Axminster was given the status of a Free Borough and granted the right for the market to be held in the town.

This will run along side the lovely Axminster Market in the Square and don’t forget the Country Market in the Masonic Hall where you can by lovely local produce.

The Heritage Centre will bring the ceremony to life with historical figures. There will be entertainment from local children , Punch and Judy Show at 1.15pm and a bouncy Castle on the Green

The week of events ends on Friday 28th June with Axminster’s Big Dinner in the Square from 4pm – 9pm.

Axe Vale Show

Axe Vale Show is a fantastic annual 2 day event that celebrates our local area, raises money for local causes and provides a great family day out for all visitors.  The festival celebrates gardening and crafts as well as including food, antiques, trade stands, skilled demonstrators, toys & hobbies, live music, and entertainment in a central show ring.

Many thousands of people visit the show each year which is still run and organised by volunteers. To date over £300,000 has been donated by the Festival to local good causes to benefit the community. We are looking forward to this year’s show and hope you come along, support us and enjoy a great day out!

The Showground is just outside Axminster in the direction of Kilmington on the B3261

More details on the show’s website here

The Great British Seaside Weekend

Vintage entertainment, live music and traditional seaside activities, as well as the 15th Velo Vintage Occasion and Ride, are part of the ‘Great British Seaside Weekend’ taking place in Seaton on Saturday 22nd June.

The day starts at 11am with the Grand Depart of the Vintage Cyclists from Seaton Jurassic followed by family entertainment, live music and an Artisan Market in the heart of Seaton’s cultural quarter in Windsor Gardens from 11am and more in Jubilee Gardens and Marine Place. The vintage ride will take in Seaton Wetlands and Windsor Gardens during the day, with stops for tea and cake along the route.

The whole day will be perfect for families with a hub of activities and entertainment across the town throughout the day as well as the Artisan Market in Windsor Gardens which is a great way for people to support local artists and makers

Alistair Cope, organiser of the Velo Vintage cycle ride says, “We encourage spectators along to meet the riders and see some of their amazing machines, including tricycles, tandems and penny farthings. It is such a great day, visitors can watch the Grand Depart at 11am and see cyclists stop in the town centre at around 2:15pm.”

From 3pm the talented Liberty Sisters will be singing at Marine Place alongside entertainment including a bouncy castle and food stalls and the Uplyme Morris dancers will be around the town all day performing at various venues.

Seaton’s many cafés, pubs and eateries are also open for visitors to enjoy throughout the event in addition to overnight accommodation for those enjoying the whole weekend.

To find accommodation, the best places to eat and drink and other attractions in Seaton visit www.seatondevon.org.
For more about Seaton also read my blog post 10 Reasons to Visit Seaton

Great British Seaside Seaton

Seaton Velo Vintage Day

Seaton Cycle Festival is back for 2019.  After the success of last year’s event Seaton is putting on this fabulous event again.

Vintage Day is Saturday 22nd June with over 100 vintage cyclists expected to be riding through the town.

Watch this lovely event or why not join them for a splendid day out?

Tickets numbers are limited to 130 riders on Saturday and just 30 passengers on the tram on Sunday. The ride distance will be no more than 9 miles at a very relaxed pace. Tickets must be purchased before the event for riders.

Lycra is banned and vintage/traditional attire is the order of the day!

Spectators are free.

The VELO VINTAGE will be arriving during the afternoon so you can meet the vintage cyclists.  Watch local youth groups showcase their activities, listen and dance with the amazing LIBERTY SISTERS, enjoy the quirky competition judging with VELO VINTAGE, best moustache,  best ladies costume.

Here is a very approximate guide for the day.

Saturday 22nd June 2019

9:30 until 10:30 am Velo Vintage riders sign in, coffee and tea is served.
10:29 am Uplyme Morris – keeping the tradition alive!
11:00 am Grand Depart from Seaton Jurassic
11:05 am (ish) Fisherman’s Gap (circular route)
11:45 am arrive at Seaton Wetlands for tea & cake
12:46 (very ish) pm arrive at hostelry for refreshments and snacks
2:17 pm (ish) arrive town centre for festivities and the fabulous Liberty Sisters Huzzah!

More details about Velo Vintage here:  Seaton Vintage Cycle Day

Art@Jubilee local artists will also be at the event, displaying their work and answering any questions you may have on their art from 11am – 4pm.

Axe Vale Show

Axe Vale Show is a fantastic annual 2 day event that celebrates our local area, raises money for local causes and provides a great family day out for all visitors.  The festival celebrates gardening and crafts as well as including food, antiques, trade stands, skilled demonstrators, toys & hobbies, live music, and entertainment in a central show ring.

Many thousands of people visit the show each year which is still run and organised by volunteers. To date over £300,000 has been donated by the Festival to local good causes to benefit the community. We are looking forward to this year’s show and hope you come along, support us and enjoy a great day out!

The Showground is just outside Axminster in the direction of Kilmington on the B3261

More details on the show’s website here

 Bingo Night in Axminster

I am advertising this as my daughter is organising a bingo night in Axminster to raise money for an expedition she has been selected to go on in 2020 to Tanzania. We’d really appreciate your support.

Bingo at Cloakham Lawns Sports Club. Entrance through the new housing estate via Cloakham Drive

Eyes Down 7.30pm.  Bar open for refreshments.

More information here about the Scouts and what they will be doing www.facebook.com/Tanzania2020CharmouthScouts/