Newquay

On June 5th, from 11am – 4pm at the Piazza on Crantock Street, there will be the famous Cornish music group The Cornish Wurzels! There is also a local children’s Cornish dance and drama presentation, children’s entertainment, face painting and a proper Cornish pasty lunch.

In the afternoon the Lighthouse Cinema will be showing a specially selected film to mark the occasion, and a family street party will take place through Fore Street.

From 4pm – 8pm Newquay Harbour will also host festivities with a live band, gig and boat racing, and a barbecue. 

Truro

Cornwall’s Capital is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, with many great events on Saturday 2nd of June with Totally Truro, The Hall for Cornwall, Truro City Council and Truro Farmer’s Market pulling together to make a fun-filled day.

There will be a street party lunch, high tea and live entertainment to be enjoyed by all. There will be a traditional English atmosphere with bunting, Victoria sponge cakes, and buckets of tea! Everyone can join in, and people are invited to bring their own cup and saucer with a fun competition being held to find the most interesting cup and saucer!

The Cathedral is holding a BIG Jubilee Picnic with free fun and games taking place on the Cathedral Green with stalls, food and a hog roast, bouncy castle, and Pimms, followed by Jubilee Songs of Praise.

St Ives

The events start on Friday the 1st with a coffee morning at the Western Hotel which will include a display about the Coronation celebrations in St Ives and slides and film looking back over the last 60 years of the Queen’s reign.

On the Saturday you are spoilt for choice with craft fairs and music events around the town! On the Sunday there will be street parties including the Rugby Club’s Jubilee Party and Country Fair which will be celebration with fun and games, cakes, tombola, face painting, live music, BBQ and a pre-bookable lunch (£5).

On the Monday events focus around the Island, with the National Coastwatch Institution holding an NCI open day at their base. The lighting of a Jubilee Beacon finishes the evening.

There will be a tea party held at the Sue Ryder shop, which supports people facing the challenges of life-changing serious illnesses. The Queen is a patron of the Sue Ryder charity, and from 11am – 3pm there will be hot and cold drinks, homemade cakes, and a raffle for the ‘Jubilee Cake’, all proceeds go to Sue Ryder.

On the Tuesday all events will be based around the harbour and various activities organised by the Jumbo Association, the Pilot Gig Club and the Sailing Club culminating with a Jubilee gig race from St Ives to Hayle.

By Clare Williams

1. Plan what’s going to happen – This is definitely our top tip. Remember those days when you didn’t have a family and it was okay to just see what happened? Well, if you do that now chaos is the only thing that is guaranteed to take place! Planning ahead means that you can plan activities to keep the kids entertained through each part of the day. Also, planning means that you can shop around and research the best, inexpensive things to do.

2. Search for cheap places to eat – We have truly entered the age of the voucher! Restaurants know that it is expensive to eat, so now many chains have voucher deals (Pizza Express and Ask) and many local restaurants have early bird deals, and 2 for 1 offers, again, do your research. Remember lunch is much cheaper than dinner, so perhaps try eating out at lunch and grab a takeaway/sandwich for dinner.

3. Think about National Trust Membership – This will benefit you all year at home too, not just in Cornwall. Cornwall is dominated by the National Trust, with great gardens, stately homes and car parks. Many of Cornwall’s best beaches are protected by the National Trust so that means free parking, right next to the beach! Holywell Bay, Bedruthan Steps, and Crantock Bay are just a few of the fabulous beaches with National Trust parking. National Trust attractions in Cornwall include, Trerice Manor House, Glendurgan Gardens and Trellisick Gardens.

4. Check out what’s on at museums and art galleries, as they are usually free. It costs nothing to look in the numerous galleries at Cornwall’s art hubs such as St Ives, Padstow and Mousehole. There is Truro Museum, which is free, with educational exhibitions on Cornwall, Ancient Egypt, and geology.

5. Evening entertainment is a big part of being away, and isn’t always cheap. Caravan parks are great for lots of children’s, and evening entertainment, which is included in your stay. Also, check-out the Hall for Cornwall, which often has cheap seats, or Cornwall’s outdoor theatre companies Kneehigh and Miracle offer child and purse friendly plays in great Cornish locations – an experience which will be remembered by all.

6. While on the subject of entertainment, the majority of Cornwall’s cities and resorts have cinemas, most recently The Lighthouse Cinema in Newquay. WTW cinema’s often have offers on and don’t forget Orange Wednesdays!

7. Always, take your own snacks and drinks on days out. Cafes and restaurants can easily double the cost of a family day out, especially if you plan to eat out in the evening too. Invest in a flask and drive to a nice view, rather than paying for an overpriced tea or coffee in a chic coastal coffee shop. Also, even though it sounds boring and regimented, it is a good idea to plan and budget for you meals, then you can factor when you can afford to eat out too.

8. Clamp down on ‘extras’. Explain to your children that it’s already costing you a lot of money to have a day out (even with free entry, no day out is actually entirely without expense), and explain that add-ons extra snacks, rides and small toys add hugely to the overall cost. Agree in advance to one treat such as an ice cream.

9. Search for attraction deals – lots of local businesses in Cornwall have good working relationships with other local attractions and often offer discounted tickets to them.

10. Finally, a note on booking – book really early or late, as deals are even on for early bookers or last minute bookers. Last minute deals can be great, but remember if you want something specific, and it is still a good price to begin with, then you may risk not getting exactly what you want. Also with late booking there is less time for planning – our number one tip!

By Clare Williams

We have all had our fair share of holidays abroad here; long haul and short haul, and we are fed up of flights at ridiculous times, jet lag, injections, mosquitoes, and the ever-increasing Euro zone prices!

And if that paragraph isn’t enough to persuade you to holiday in England here are 5 other reasons to sway you:

1. More holiday time!

When you add it all up, you can easily spend almost 2 days just getting to your destination and back again (even more if you go long haul!). Before you know it that two weeks’ holiday has turned into 12 days or for a week a mere 5!

A staycation means you can jump in your car or on a train and within a couple of hours arrive at your destination and leave all your troubles behind.

2. We live in such a beautiful country…

There is so much to do and see, so why not make this the year that you actually do it? We can’t believe how many people have been to Thailand but haven’t been to St Michael’s Mount or other beautiful places in Cornwall (and the rest of England, of course!). We go so far away to see lakes, mountains and beaches, when we have it all here on our island!

3. Cornwall is amazing!

We can’t help it – we love Cornwall! We love it so much we don’t care how much we go on about it! We love the dramatic coastline, the golden sand, the bright blue sea, the picturesque harbours and towns, the range of scenery from the Moors, the rivers on the South coast, the National Trust properties – we have it all! We even love it when it is wet, stormy and cold – when the sea is crashing hard against the cliffs!

And don’t even get us started on how much we love the food!

4. Accommodation choices…

On a staycation there are so many options. In England we like to experiment with our accommodation from Teepees to tents, camping Pods to Canal boats, static holiday homes to (converted!) stables!

5. The weather

Yes, our weather can be rubbish. There’s no question that sunshine makes Cornwall even more beautiful and perfect. So use the best time we’ve got – April – October to explore our truly wonderful countryside and leave the stress of travelling abroad until winter!

Paradise Park, Hayle.

Go to Paradise Park for a spring feeling with birds and bunnies galore down on the Fun Farm.
There is also a free flying bird show featuring macaws, cockatoos and conures, and a separate ‘eagles of Paradise’ birds of prey display.

There is an Easter egg trail with clues all around the park and a chocolaty prize on offer.
If there are any April showers there is still plenty to do with a cafe and the indoor Jungle Barn play area.

The Easter activities run from March 31st to April 15th, and the Park is open 10am-5pm.

Newquay Zoo, Newquay

This weekend there is the Easter Wonderland weekend where you can follow Alice and the White Rabbit on the wonderland trail, play croquet on the lawn with the red queen and visit the Mad Hatter at his daily tea party. Duck racing, animal encounters and arts and crafts are just some of the activities going on at the Zoo, making this a great day out for the whole family.

Newquay Zoo has over 130 species to visit including the penguins relaxing in their pool, visit the creepiest crawlies in the atmospheric tropical house and watch the big cats get their lunch. There are keeper talks, which provide lots of fascinating animal facts, as well as activity trails, face painting, children’s play area and Dragon maze.

The Zoo is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

Trereife House and Gardens, Newlyn

This Easter weekend Trereife House has something for everyone.

There is a three-day festival celebrating the very best of Cornwall’s artists and food producers.
Also there are tours of the house, cooking demonstrations and an Easter egg hunt throughout the woods and walled garden.

Children will be entertained by a ‘funky food workshop’ and a magic show from Mister Cool Magic.

Lanhydrock House, Bodmin

This magnificent Victorian Hose and glorious grounds are worth a visit any time of year. Bring some chocolate magic to your family by joining in at one of our Easter Egg Trails! Follow the clues, answer the questions and complete the challenges to find your way to a prize. You can even have your face painted and enjoy our games area.

The Easter Egg Trial is on the 8th and 9th of April.

Flambards, Helston

Cornwall’s only theme park has plenty of events to keep the kids occupied over the Easter holiday.

As well as its usual range of rides, rollercoasters and exhibitions there is a ‘Hunt the Easter bunny’ activity on April 9th and a chance to meet some of children’s TV best-loved characters in person.

These include Peppa Pig on April 3rd and Timmy the sheep on April 10th.
You can also come face to face with the impressive Titan the Robot Entertainer on April 4th, 9th and 11th.

Open 10.30am-5pm (rides 11am-4.30pm) daily throughout the holidays. Hunt the Easter bunny is on April 9th.

Trerice Manor, near Newquay

This beautiful Elizabethan Manor house and gardens has a range of Easter events to entertain little ones this weekend. Explore the house and garden in an Easter trail, with a chocolate reward for those that succeed!

It is on from Saturday 31st March – 15th April 11am – 4 pm.

Trelissick Gardens, Feock near Truro

Trelissick Gardens are a beautiful place to visit this spring, with the gardens in full bloom and idyllic walks around the River Fal. There is an Easter trail, egg hunts, face-painting and Easter lunch.

The Easter trail is on from March 31st – April 15th. Garden, restaurant and shop open 10.30am-5.30pm.

Art8 is on from the 14th – 21st of April 2012, celebrating creativity for 8 days.

Here is a taster on what Art8 has to offer:

‘Why Don’t You?’ taster workshops…

Why don’t you switch off your TV and go and do something less boring instead? Like speaking Spanish, clog dancing, glass fusing or t-shirt screen-printing to list a few of the workshops on offer. There will be a nominal charge of £2 per workshop. You will be able to book your place at Pot-tea Training in East Street in the two weeks running up to the festival and at the Lighthouse Cinema during Art8.

Newquay Art Prize

This year we awarded the first Newquay Art Prize to 3 Cornish based artists from different artistic disciplines – Emily Dobson, a Cornwall based dancer, choreographer and educationalist, Tony Hill who does video installations, and Tony Plant an environmental artist based in Newquay.

Post Card to Newquay

Want to own a mini masterpiece? We asked a whole range of well-known people to send a postcard to Newquay. They have sent paintings, photos, sketches, words all on postcards. Come and view them at the Lighthouse Cinema, guess who did what and join our silent auction to own one of the postcards.

Also on offer…

Art Trail

30+ artists exhibiting their work across the town.

Welcome to our world

Inside the head of a teenager at Newquay Young Peoples Centre.

Art4NqyxNqy

This is your opportunity to be a part of making art that benefits our community.Supported by Newquay Hospital.

The Line Up

Art inspired by the surf, including airbrushing demonstrations.

Physical Theatre

Come along and get physical in this physical theatre workshop.

Musical Theatre

Are you a fan of Glee? Do you love musicals? Why not be in the cast? Come along to the musical theatre workshop.

Glass Fusing

An introduction to glass fusing, you will make a window hanger or coaster and see a demonstration of jewellery making.

Scottish Dancing Workshop

A Ceilidh style event that will give you a fun taste of Scottish dancing.

Rock ‘n’ Roll

Dust of your blue suede shoes, put on your circle skirt and dance away the afternoon.

Spray Art Workshop

Fancy yourself as a street artist or always wanted to have a go at spray-painting something and not getting into trouble? Here’s your chance!

Stretch ‘o’ Sketch Family Walk

Pack your picnic for our family sketch walk.

Blues Jam

Love the blues? Come and play, come and listen.

An evening of Arts and Culture

Supported by the Headland Hotel  You are warmly invited to join us for an evening of visual art, live music, dance and theatre.

Introduction to film making

Led by Cornwall-based film director Brett Harvey. Gain an insight into low budget film – make and work with flip cams to create short films.

Introduction to Drawing

For those of you who always wanted to draw – bring a along a pencil and paper.

Rag Rugging

An introduction to rag- rugging including design and technique and a small-completed piece to take home.

Poetry Slam

An evening of Poetry with a welcoming performance from Comic Poet and Singer Rob Barratt and then an evening open to all who would like to read their work or appreciate the chance to hear good words.

Duets Life Drawing

A rare opportunity to draw a male and female life model in a series of joint poses.

Broken Tooth

Live music, performance, spoken word, visual art and video – an evening using multi-disciplinary art to look at mental health.

Young Promoters

Menu Scratch Night supported by Lusty Glaze An evening of both established and new emerging talent in the region.

Project Projection

Following on from the spray workshop at the Newquay Arms, this will be an exciting event exhibiting work by local artists and youth groups, novice and experienced. Images will be projected onto the wall of the Police station.

Kurt Jackson

Through Jackson’s Eyes Film, followed by Q & A with Kurt Jackson. Moderated by Alan Livingstone CBE

Art Rail Sale

A bring and buy style art market selling all things created and made, i.e. paintings, sculptures, photography and crafts etc. Your chance to bag an art bargain.

The Last Blast

Do you have a passion for all things dance and theatre? Then come along to Getting Newquay Dancing at The Piazza. Take part in free dance workshops and watch performances from specialist dance and theatre groups from Newquay and across Cornwall.

Vintage at the Hotel Victoria

Supported by Le Shed and Hotel Victoria.A day full of vintage wonders including a Vintage Fair of fashion, furniture and bric a brac. There is a Vintage Fashion Show, with fashions from the 20s, and a burlesque display.

Thinking of Drama School

Richard Harrison from London’s Central School of Speech and Drama will run 2 workshops for those thinking of studying drama/theatre in higher education.

Brushstrokes Body Painting

A chance to watch award winning body painting in action.Supported by Blue Reef Aquarium

Music Crawl

Linking the town’s pubs together in a chain of live music spanning everything from jazz to rock so come and shake your tail-feather.

Sailors After Arty Party!

Music from ‘back in the day’ will have you dancing the night away. Feel free to dress like a famous artist, musician, designer or their followers. Entry to the club raises £1 for Art8 donated by Sailors.

For more, and the latest, information go to:

www.visitnewquay.org or Facebook www.facebook.com/Art8NQY