Following the success of Nathan Evans’ version of a 19th century maritime folk song – which has sparked a global ‘shanty craze’ – we thought it was time we dredged up our vintage film on the first Falmouth Shanty Festival – made for the Guardian travel pages back in 2011. The festival is back in June 2021 – the year of the sea shanty we are told. Could be worse.
In celebration of St Piran’s Day (Cornwall’s patron saint), we’ve unearthed a reel of archive footage from Cornwall visits – Helston’s Flora Day, Falmouth’s shanty festival, surfing, seafood and Oyster fishing on the River Fal. Gool Peran Lowen as they say round y’ere.
The results still hadn’t been called in the state of Georgia when Dave flew to Atlanta to cover the wake of the US election for Channel 4 Dispatches. In the five days spent filming in and around Atlanta, he found the time to create a photo essay that captures the essence of this diverse city during a pivotal moment in American history.
Part Two of our Covid-friendly, walking tour of Bristol’s architectural highlights include Europe’s longest terrace (we think), a Victorian engine house, a Greek Revival chapel with a shiny new extension, a giant’s cave (actually two giants) and the city’s oldest building. For more on Bristol landmarks, see Part One.
Despite the challenges facing the hospitality industry, it’s business as usual for some enterprising hoteliers – in fact 2020 has been something of a bumper year for exciting new openings. Our list of eight new hotels reveals a trend for rejuvenating listed landmark buildings: three are Grade I listed; the […]
In June 2020, we emerged from lock-down, blinking in the sunlight and longing for fresh sea air – and Britain’s beaches have never been so crowded. For those who like a more socially-distanced seaside experience, the cooler off-season months can’t come soon enough. From Cornwall to the Scottish islands, we present ten potentially empty beaches (and the pictures to prove our case).
The 2020 Giro d’Italia is on (started in Palermo today, finishes in Rome on 25 October, Covid permitting). Dave (pictured here on an Alpine climb) is glued. I’m not (how long exactly is it on for?). So, this seems a good time to update a round-up of places to stay that will suit both cyclists and their non-cycling partners. From the Welsh mountains to terrains in Spain, here we go…
Most of eye-traveller’s favourite places to stay in the UK are on the coast – preferably right on the sea, a pebble’s throw from the beach (or so close you can smell the salt in the air). Our hot-list is big on Cornwall, but we’ve also included boltholes in Devon, Dorset, Lancashire, East Sussex and County Durham.
On a trip to Australia (pre-Covid), Dave spent time exploring rural and urban Victoria. From Melbourne to Ballarat, Birchip, Geelong, Port Fairy (the lighthouse) and the Great Ocean Road. This want-to-be-there little movie is shot entirely on an i-Phone6.
One of the best ways to get under the skin of this steamy South Indian state is to stay in one of Kerala’s many family-hosted homestays. Most of those we visited are set among the spice farms and coconut groves of the coastal backwaters or, inland, in the rubber belt – a strip of rubber plantations on the lowland slopes of the Western Ghats. This is our pick of the best…
