Captain Bligh: Myth,Man,Mutiny Exhibition

THE exhibition runs from March 17 to December 31 at the National Maritime museum in Falmouth and remembers a notable West Countryman and significant national figure, in the 200th anniversary year of his death. 

It tells a story that challenges the more commonly known Hollywood depiction and brings to life one of the greatest small boat survival stories in history featuring relics from the voyage and a specially built reproduction of the Bounty launch, giving a very real sense of the situation of the 18 men who sailed it over 3600 nautical miles across the Pacific.

Following on from previous exhibitions at the Museum, such as Viking Voyagers, with #CaptainBligh the Museum once again takes a globally important story, and explores the Cornwall context, in this case Bligh’s Cornish roots.

The in-house build of the Bounty launch is part of a programme of reconstructions of historical craft in the Museum’s own boat building workshop.

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Cornwall food glorious food . . .

#CORNWALL offers a host of events throughout the year making it the perfect place for a break all year round, not just for the Summer holidays. Try out one of these fantastic local food and drink festivals in #October.

The Eden Project’s Annual Beer Festival, October 1
Promising a selection of top tipples, fabulous food and live music. The one-day festival, organised in partnership with the renowned St. Austell Brewery, will feature a huge range of speciality beers and ciders.

Oktoberfest Truro, October 7 & 8
A celebration of Bavarian culture at Truro Lemon Quay (the piazza) with beers, food, music.

Falmouth Oyster Festival, 13-16 October
Falmouth Oyster Festival will for the 20th year welcome visitors to enjoy a programme of cookery demonstrations, live music and freshly shucked oysters.

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Picture Credit: 8187265@N07/29315148154 Autumn Sunset via photopin.com

The Vikings are back!

THE NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM in Falmouth brings the #Vikings to #Cornwall in an exhibition that runs until February next year: Viking Voyagers.  

The #exhibition, featuring nationally and internationally historically significant artefacts, explores what is behind the popular myth of the bloodthirsty raiders, what it meant to become a Viking, and how their mastery of maritime technology was the secret to their success.

Their power was built on their knowledge of boatbuilding and their seafaring skills, enabling them to sail across the Atlantic’s to Newfoundland and Iceland, down to the Mediterranean, and east to Ukraine and Russia.

Visions of horned helmets, unkempt beards and fearsome raiding fighters come to mind when thinking of the Vikings. But the exhibition dispels the myths: just like us they wore jewellery, combed their hair, and many were entrepreneurs, using smaller boats and ships to do business.

Archaeological finds on display include weaponry, jewellery, household implements, and slave chains and coins.

Richard Doughty, Director of National Maritime Museum Cornwall says: ‘This state-of-the-art show has taken years to develop. You might think you know the Vikings, but you will have never experienced them in the way this new exhibition promises. All I can say is watch out, the Vikings are coming!’

Dr Tehmina Goskar, Exhibitions registrar at the museum adds: ‘The story of the Vikings is incredibly alluring. Not only have they left us with a legacy of beautiful storytelling in their sagas, but also an astonishing material culture. Above all, the Vikings were sailors, their men, women and children thrived because of their skills with boats and seafaring, so with our harbour location, celebrating the sea and small boats, there is no better place to come to hear their stories.’

www.nmmc.co.uk

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Falmouth named best place to live in the south-west

#FALMOUTH, #Cornwall, has topped Sunday Times’ Best Places to Live list. Fifteen south-west locations have been named, with Falmouth being named as the best in the region.

The locations were selected for offering the best quality of life to the widest number of people, combining desirable features such as a positive community spirit, engaging festivals, good local shops and services, and attractive outdoor spaces.

The annual lists also take in to account data about house prices, crime rates, and school performance.

Commenting on the recognition, Richard Wilcox, Falmouth BID manager, and Richard Gates, Falmouth town manager who oversees Falmouth’s Town Team said: ‘This is tremendous news as The Best Places to Live listings are not only highly regarded but comprehensively researched. And it’s a real testament to the special community that we have here, one that fosters a real pride of place.

‘As a Town Team, we’re very fortunate to work not only in an extremely beautiful location but also within a pro-active environment where so many individuals and organizations are willing to pull together, volunteer to support events, and engage in town improvement schemes. Add into that mix a wonderful coastline, a diverse and eclectic business sector, award-winning beaches, parks and gardens, and it makes for Falmouth being a very special town to live in or indeed visit.’

Dave Yelland 0f the Falmouth Bay Residents Association said: ‘Falmouth is a cosmopolitan little town which uniquely combines beautiful visitor attractions with modern marine industries, two thriving universities, an enviable maritime heritage, and a year-round programme of festivals and cultural activities. All this contributes to an active community and can-do spirit making Falmouth the place where everyone wants to be and no-one wants to leave.’

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Picture Credit: Falmouth Marina, Panorama, NIKON D3100. DSC_0130-0132.</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin

Cornwall’s winter warmers

A Cornish Christmas at Pendennis Castle, Falmouth – December 5-6: Fireside tales, music and dancing, craft and gift stalls, and Father Christmas in the castle keep.

Padstow Christmas Festival, Padstow Harbour, December 3 -6: 40 chefs (and 45,000 visitors) celebrate food, drink, and Christmas! 

Rogue Theatre presents Winter Wood, Tehidy Woods, Portreath –December 11-30: Shows with live music, festive stories, free hot chocolate, face painting, and the opportunity to make traditional winter decorations to take home.

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The best of Cornwall

LETTINGS agency Holiday #Cornwall is celebrating a bumper summer season with the release of a short film showcasing the delights to be found around its clusters of high-end properties between Falmouth, Maenporth, and the Helford River. 

The agency has seen a 26% increase in bookings on last year for its waterside and country self-catering properties, via its website, and declares the Cornish #staycation is very much here to stay. 

The film can be seen on YouTube (at https://youtu.be/UHMRQtkyHkAA) and will soon the company’s website. It features sandy beaches, Henry VIII's castle on Falmouth's Pendennis Point, the National Maritime Museum, a tree-top tour of the ravine gardens at Trebah on the Helford, ferry rides and kayak tours, and art and culture.

www.holidaycornwall.co.uk

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When women go to sea

AN exhibition opening at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, #Cornwall, depicts the hidden histories of women at sea. #Mermaids: Women at Sea tells the compelling stories of women who have challenged the establishment and made their mark in a male dominated world.  

It will feature extraordinary women such as Mary Lang, who joined a crew on the last of the merchant sailing ships –known as windjammers – to journey from South Australia to Cornwall in the 1930s, and Ellen MacArthur, the fastest woman ever to circumnavigate the globe in 2005.

Tehmina Goskar, the museum’s senior curator, says: ‘There have always been superstitions about women and the sea, from the myths of mermaids luring unsuspecting men to a watery death to the ill fortune a woman aboard a ship was meant to have brought to a voyage and its male crew. 

One of Cornwall's most famous legends is the Mermaid of Zennor, and visitors to the exhibition will be able to see and touch a 3D print of the famous mermaid carving in St. Senara Church in Zennor — the first time the museum has used this technology to present an exhibit.’

The exhibition runs until February 21.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23604354@N02/3592637558">The Mermaids Chair.</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Coming up in Cornwall …

St Ives September Festival – September 12-26: The biggest arts event in the South-West sees a plethora of talent performing around the town. More than 300 events in two weeks of music, exhibitions, walks, talks, workshops, films, comedy, theatre, plays, stories, and poetry. www.stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk

Newquay Fish Festival – September 11-13: In its 13th year, the festival fuses Newquay's holiday scene and its fishing community and attracts more than 40,000 visitors. www.newquayfishfestival.co.uk

Looe Music Festival – September 18-20: Playing host to bands including Jools Holland & His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and The Proclaimers, the stage overlooks a beach lined by steep cliffs and the harbour. Expect an eclectic mix of high energy ‘keep you on the move’ music delivered back-to-back from either end of the beach and around the harbour, plus acts on every street corner, and in every bar and restaurant. www.looemusic.co.uk

Great Cornish Food Festival, Lemon Quay, Truro. – September 25-27: Local celebrated seafood chef and staunch festival supporter, Nathan Outlaw, headlines a packed timetable of master classes, cooking challenges, and tastings. More than 60 exhibitors and 30 food experts will be taking part in what is said to be the largest event anywhere dedicated 100% to Cornish food and drink. www.greatcornishfood.co.uk/festival

Falmouth Oyster Festival – October 8-11: The festival celebrates the start of the oyster dredging season, quality of Cornish Seafood and, in particular, dredging by sail and hand punt. The four-day festival is packed with cookery demonstrations by leading local chefs, with oysters, seafood, wine, and ale to sample, plus children's shell painting, entertainment in the form of sea shanties, a town parade, live music, an oyster shucking competition, and Falmouth’s Working Boat race. 

www.falmouthoysterfestival.co.uk

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/50144889@N08/7178135126">St Ives. Panorama_5. Nikon D3100. DSF_0448</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/7149027@N07/5952010569">Jools 1</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/24509941@N00/6827851640">JOH_5771</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)

Beware … Vikings in Falmouth!

OPEN this summer at the Maritime Museum in Falmouth is the Dragon's Den, an interactive Vikings and dragons play zone. Youngsters can explore the world of Viking myths, monsters, and legends with games, dress as a Viking, and take on the giant magnetic Viking picture puzzle. There's also the Vile Vikings trail on which they find out about the aromas of the Viking age.

There will also be a number of favourites returning for the summer, including crabbing from the museum's pontoon. Weather and tides permitting, crabbing sessions take place every day until September 2.

www.nmmc.co.uk

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/124476447@N02/20079694870">Another stunning @gogodragons  via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Five-star self-catering

BUDOCK VEAN HOTEL'S luxury holiday homes on #Cornwall's Helford River have been given Visit England’s five-star gold award.

Visit England inspectors, awarding their highest accolade, judged the new houses to be ‘furnished and presented to an excellent standard (with) ample parking and generous outdoor seating areas … in an ideal rural spot close to #Falmouth’.

The first two of the new three-bedroom houses – which were bought off plan - give owners and their guests full use of the hotel's pool complex, golf course, and tennis courts. 

Work on two more Budock Vean holiday homes is about to start, with plans for other small clusters around the hotel's 65 acres in the development stage. They are sold on a managed lease basis – maintained, managed and let by the Budock Vean Hotel and guaranteeing a regular income when owners are not occupying the homes.

www.budockvean.co.uk/holiday-homes

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Picture Credit: courtesy of www.budockvean, Helford River by greenacre8 - Helford River from Trebah Gardens. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

They’re off to the Azores

AT NOON on June 6, more than 70 yachts will sail out of Falmouth Harbour for the start of the Red Ensign AZAB 2015, the largest ocean-going race leaving Britain this year.

The 2,500-mile race, established by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club in 1975, takes competitors to the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, and back to Falmouth.

Taking part will be Lucy Campbell from Helston. At 16, she will be the youngest female competitor in the history of the race. 

Lucy will be racing with the help of her father in their boat, Zulu Warrior.



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Picture Credit: Racing yachts photo D Ramey Logan by WPPilot - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

West Country winners

The Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta 2014, which attracted 197,000 people over four days in August, was awarded Tourism Event of the Year.

Bosinver Farm Cottages near St. Austell led the county’s triumphs in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards by picking up the Winner of Winners prize, gold for Self-Catering and bronze for Sustainable Tourism. (www.bosinver.co.uk)

The South West Tourism Excellence Awards recognize quality across the region and are the result of a three-stage judging process of marking, visits and panel meetings. They form the regional heat of the national VisitEngland awards, to which heat winners progress.

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Picture Credit: "Tall ship at sea" courtesy of londonandpartners.com/media-centre/press-releases

The Vikings are coming!

AN exhibition exploring the seafaring prowess of the Viking age opens at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, Cornwall, on March 20.

The exhibition – which will run for two years – will display historically significant artefacts on loan for the first time in the South West. Many of the objects have never been on display outside of their country of origin before.

A climb-aboard Viking trading boat will feature alongside a Viking rowing boat surrounded by a wealth of antiquities including jewellery, clothing, armoury, toys and games, a slave collar, coins, and many other items from museums across Northern Europe.

Vikings as warriors of the sea, how they used the oceans to grow their empire, their camps and boatbuilding and their legacy today, are explored.

www.nmmc.co.uk

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Picture Credit: "Viking treasure (Leiden)" by Marieke Kuijjer via Wikimedia Commons

£30 million spa approved for Falmouth

A SCHEME that will see the creation of more than 90 new jobs and a safeguard for a further 115 in Falmouth has been approved by Cornwall Council.

The estimated cost of the £30 million St Michaels Spa Resort on the sea-front in Falmouth makes it the largest investment in tourism-related infrastructure in Cornwall in a decade.

The resort will have 56 privately-owned ocean-facing holiday apartments, 60 hotel bedrooms, four eco-lodges, seven treatment rooms, hydrotherapy pools, steam and sauna cabins, gardens, two gyms, two fitness studios, a large pool,

It is hoped that work will start in November 2015.

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Tall Ships Race a first for England

THE snap of white sails billowing in the breeze and the ringing chimes of the ship's bell will herald the Falmouth to Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta in August.

From August 28 to August 31, Falmouth in Cornwall will host a nautical epic, welcoming more than 45 ships, including 12 of the magnificent square-rigged Tall Ships, from countries including France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Russia. The event is likely to attract more than 100,000 visitors, and it will make maritime history: for the first time, the race will be taking place solely in English waters. 

For the first three days, the ships will be open to the public to explore and learn about life on board these giants of the sea where fortunes were won and lost.

The race to London starts on August 31: www.falmouthtallships.co.uk

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