RSS

Category Archives: festival

St Day Blossail

You’ll have heard of the Wassail, the custom of visiting orchards in cider-producing regions of England and singing to the trees to promote a good harvest Today was the inaugural Blossail held in St Day, singing to the trees, now in blossom, in the newly planted Community Orchard. It was a truly lovely day with Maypole dancing, picnics in the orchard and of course, singing. Enjoy the gallery.

Beautiful banner

Three Daft Monkeys

Dancing around the maypole

Pattern of ribbons at the end of the dance

M. Ben’s Red

M. Oaken Pin

Singing to bless one of the trees

Cider being poured over the tree in the blessing ceremony

After singing in the Old Church, leaving after a very pleasing day.

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 26, 2025 in Celebration, community, Cornwall, environment, festival, growing, nature, Postaday2025, Uncategorized

Tags: pagan ceremony, St Day Old Church, Three Daft Monkeys

Breakfast, Shanty Festival and Bunting

16 Jun

It’s Father’s Day here in the UK and so breakfast was the lovely Mr S’s favourite, French Toast with Summer Fruits, Creme Fraiche and Maple Syrup.

Breakfast

It’s been the Falmouth Shanty Festival this weekend and my choir was singing. There are shanty singers around every corner and in every venue throughout the weekend. It is enormous fun.

My choir, The Suitcase Singers, at the Shanty Festival

We went to watch The Jolly Strumpets in which a friend sings and then Femmes de la Mer, run by my choir leader and with many of my friends singing. They are brilliant.

The Jolly Strumpets

Femmes de la Mer at the Shanty Festival

Bunting in the streets

5 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on June 16, 2019 in Cornwall, Falmouth, festival, Food, music, Photography, Postaday 2019, singing

Tags: Falmouth Shanty Festival, French Toast with Summer Fruits Creme Fraiche and Maple Syrup, The Jolly Strumpets, The Suitcase Singers

Femmes de la Mer, Stone and Fireplace

13 Jun

This weekend sees the fabulous Sea Shanty Festival in Falmouth and we went over this afternoon especially to see Femmes de la Mer who are a bunch of wonderful women with whom I sing on Thursday mornings. Their singing was just fabulous with lovely harmonies and drew the biggest crowd we saw all afternoon.

Femmes de la Mer singing Sea Shanties

Here is a snippet of them singing before my battery died and I moved to my other camera.

After watching and listening to them we called in at a delightful little cafe, Ragamuffin, for coffee and the most scrumptious cakes. They made us very welcome and accommodated the pushchair with great courtesy. The table markers were charming and ……

Table markers at Ragamuffin

3 ….. the fireplace just lovely.

Fireplace at Ragamuffin

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on June 13, 2015 in Beauty, Cornwall, Falmouth, festival, music, photography, Postaday 2015, singing

Tags: Femmes de la Mer, Ragamuffin Cafe

Tunes in the Dunes and People Watching

24 May

At home yesterday we had glorious sunshine. As we approached Perranporth late afternoon for the music festival, we could see the mists above the sea and our walk across to Tunes in the Dunes was an eerie affair with the lovely sounds of Ruarri Joseph coming through the gloom. Have a listen to his music and enjoy the fabulous sand art being created in this YouTube video. There was no sand art for us! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT3CeGjfvoo

I enjoy the music at such events but have to say that the people watching is what makes my day with the music as a very enjoyable soundtrack. Click on any photo in the gallery. Status Quo were great fun and the Double Bass made in Camborne, our neighbouring town, quite magnificent! The tide was coming in throughout the evening and the surfers were out there enjoying the waves and, I hope, the music!

Chapel Rock in the mist with dog

The dog emerging from the mists

Sandcastles made with beer glasses

Wille of The Bandits

The amazing double bass made locally, in Camborne, played by Wille and the Bandits

Face painted

I can see from up here!

Me too!

Surfer!

Rick Parfitt

Status Quo on stage

5 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 24, 2015 in Beauty, Cornwall, environment, festival, music, Perranporth, photography, Postaday 2015

Tags: Rik Parfitt, Ruarri Joseph, Status Quo, Tunes in the Dunes, Wilie and the Bandits

Weekly Photo Challenge – On the Move – At Womad

10 May

Womad 2013, my first Festival and what a fabulous time we had! Here, people on the move – walking, strolling, running, dancing, chasing bubbles, chasing each other – in the sunshine and in the rain – and all having the happiest of times. Click on any photo for detail.

Tagging along

Flags flying, boy climbing

Swishing skirts

Riding

On the move home

More rain dancing

Moving on up the hill back to the music

Jiving

Chasing

Solo dancing in the rain

For others in this Challenge, click here.

7 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 10, 2014 in Beauty, Celebration, festival, Happiness, photography, Postaday 2014, Weekly photo challenge

Tags: Weekly Photo Challenge - On the Move, Womad 2013

November 30th – A Non-Stop Day

01 Dec

We were home too late last night to post this so here is a photo gallery of our day starting with a walk in the afternoon on the cliffs at Chapelporth with our eldest daughter who has been with us for a lovely few days, moving on to The Redruth Christmas Parade where my choir was singing Christmas carols for the families waiting to see Father Christmas and on to dinner with friends prior to dancing the night away to the music of The Three Daft Monkeys at their album, Of Stones and Bones, launch party. I left out the morning getting on with the decorating! A beautiful day from start to finish! Click on any photo for detail and the caption.

The waves crashing against the cliffs at Chapelporth on Cornwall’s North coast

Wheal Coates on the cliffs

The start of the Christmas Parade

Waving at Father Christmas

The excitement of children

All the local schools take part

Two of the Daft Monkeys; they and their audience are constantly on the move – hence the blurriness!

And baby came too for the finale

2 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on December 1, 2013 in Beauty, Chapel Porth, community, Cornwall, festival, photography, Postaday2013, sculpture, Sea

Tags: Christmas Parade, Of Stones and Bones, Three Daft Monkeys

Hibiscus, Festa Major and Clock Tower

01 Sep

1. This beautiful Hibiscus and the resulting Okra are growing on the balcony in Granollers near Barcelona where we are visiting for a week with our son and daughter-in-law.

2. Yesterday evening we strolled about the town in the midst of the crowds enjoying the last day of the Festa Major. The streets were full of happy families enjoying the music and dancing, the puppets and the fireworks and the shopping.

3. I love the delicacy of this clock tower in the centre of the town.

12 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on September 1, 2013 in Barcelona, Beauty, festival, flowers, nature, photography, Postaday2013, travel

Tags: Festa Major, Granollers, hibiscus, okra

WOMAD – In Pictures – People, Flags, Feet and Fun!

31 Jul

As I said yesterday, I have long wanted to go to a festival. My kids all said,”Start with Womad! It’s small, very friendly, safe and you’ll love the world music, world food and world crafts!” And of course I did. I also loved the people watching and the photo opportunities. Click on any photo for more detail.

People watching:

Clapping to the music

Baby ear protectors

Where have they all gone?

Happy family

Co-ordinated in the rain!

Huh!

We’re happy for you to take our picture!

Packing up and going home early

Just look at our faces!

Colourful family in the rain

Dancing the day away!

Are we interested in the music? I don’t think so!

Stalls, flags, fun:

Welsh peace

Tasty lunch here

Bubble fun

Catching bubbles

Flags and bubbles

Numerology tent

The Massage Tent

Drumming

Feet and footwear:

Baby foot

Dancing in wellies

I took this to get the title of the knitting pattern book – and loved the mud pattern on the toes and feet!

Red wellies

Abandoned shoes

Family of wellies

Skipping through the rain

and on the last night – a sunset and the final act, Gilberto Gil from Brazil – absolutely brilliant!

Sunset over WOMAD

Gilberto Gil on stage

8 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 31, 2013 in Beauty, community, festival, music, photography, Postaday2013

Tags: Brazil, feet, festival flags, Gilberto Gil, people watching, toes, WOMAD

I was a Festival Virgin……..

30 Jul

…….but no more! I have spent the last few days at WOMAD in Wiltshire and found my spiritual home! To begin the days with singing in harmony, to end the days with dancing, in the rain or in the evening sunshine, to fill the hours in between with music from all over the world, with food from all over the world, to be with some of the people one loves the most and surrounded by happy, like-minded strangers – well, what more could one ask for? Honestly? Only to have the rest of the family there too!

Why have I not been to music festivals before? I can’t really answer that question. I have always wanted to and now, at last, I have and I have loved every single minute of the four days. I’m already looking to book for next year!

Let me take you on a visual journey through the Festival. I’m just sorry I can’t bring you the music. Here are a few photos from our first impressions on Thursday evening – colour, inventiveness, children, happiness, parched grass, music……

More tomorrow.