WE HAVE LIFT OFF..........BUT A GIANT TRIPPED!!!!

Falmouth 350 takes off on May 16th at lunchtime when, thanks to great generousity of Falmouth Rotary Club, people putting on events in the adventure have been invited to join Rotarians as their guests at their normal business luncheon, when I will present the entire programme as it stands at the moment so that we can all move together on what has become a major success for the people of the town. Rotary President Bob Bridges will welcome all guests, the Mayor will open the Falmouth 350 presentation then it will be over to me to reveal all.

Remember it all started six months ago when the Rotary Club offered to run an anniversary dinner. This is still Rotary's part on the whole programme, but now they have been joined by over 30 clubs, organisations, and businesses in the town and almost 30 separate functions are being organised-this figure could rise to around 60 by the time October is on us!!!!

But one of my giants tripped.......We were turned down by the National Heritage Lottery for our grant. The main reason is that Charter 350, the organisation we formed to enable us to get grants, is a temporary body which will close down at the end of the anniversary. This was a major weakness when it came to consideration along with others for the grant, as it indicated that there would be no permanent result from our efforts.

However,we were invited to apply again if we could meet this weakness, along with some other points they raised, we have since met their representative, restructured both our application and the way Charter 350 works and our new application goes in at the end of April-we will hear the result at the end of June. 

Even if we do not get a grant, over 80% of the current programme will be delivered-it is the play, the enactment, the restoration of the Charter and items like that which could be affected.

Meantime there are more and more suggestions being put to me. A really exciting one is a two day medieval market and we are looking closely at this-another is The Big Falmouth 350 quiz, with 35 teams of ten battling it out for the Charter trophy. Another dramatic and different one, which recaptures nautical heritage, is to have a group of Press Gangs, who pick up people, offer them a cup of coffee in return for a donation to charity! 

Some really exciting news has come from America. Thanks to work by Elie De Rosa, we are now in touch with Falmouth Rotary Club in Mass, (not I am not going to try to spell it) USA, They have asked for an entire list of our activity and plan to pick those they can do and run them as a reflection of our anniversary as a gesture of good will. So now we are going international!!!

That's it for the moment, remember my phone number is 07770 831 728-and also remember that I am only the facilitator, this is your adventure, your programme, and will remain so.

Bye for now, Robin Dunseath
07770 831 728 Robindunseath@hotmail.com

Sleepover at National Maritime Museum

As part of Sky Arts Sleepovers at Museums at Night, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall is holding their first pirate themed family slumber party.  

From 7pm swashbuckling shenanigans are guaranteed as you join Washed-up Will the wayward and warm hearted pirate and get swept into an exciting adventure scouring the Museum for Will’s lost treasure.  Then build your own pirate galleon to race on the Museum’s boat pool and be thrilled by true stories of wrecks and rescues.

Comforting hot chocolate and treats will be on hand as you set up camp, snuggle down and spend the night sleeping under the Museum’s flotilla of flying boats, listening to the sounds of sea just outside the window.

Places are limited, expecially at £3pp so please book now on 01326 214546.

Cider and Perry Festival

Cider and Perry Festival

Specialist beer bar HAND located on the Old High Street, home to over 60 beers and ciders from around the world, is hosting their first Cider and Perry Festival which will be running from Thursday 21 April to Monday 25 April.

Patrons will be able to enjoy some of the very best Cider and Perry from Herefordshire, Devon, Pontypridd, Somerset and Cornwall.

Ciders and Perry available include Broome Farm (Ross-on-Wye Cider and Perry Company), Skreach, Gwynt y Ddraig, Sandford Orchards, Gwatkin & many more.

CAMRA members can enjoy a 10% discount on all the Ciders and Perry throughout the festival on presentation of a valid membership card.

Cider and Perry Festival Opening Hours: Thurs 21 to Monday 25 April - noon to 1am

Specialist beer bar HAND, home to over 60 beers and ciders from around the world, will be showcasing the outstanding Welsh brewer, Otley Brewing Company from Friday 29 April for one month.

Kicking off the event will be a talk from award-winning British beer writer Adrian Tierney-Jones.
A highlight of the showcase is the limited edition Otley Obscura on gravity, a Wallonian Dark Saison style beer brewed in collaboration with Adrian Tierney-Jones, plus seven more of Otley’s finest brews.

On Friday 29 April, Adrian will launch the showcase by giving a talk about Otley and his experience in developing the limited edition Obscura.

The afternoon will also include a tasting session of four of Otley’s beers (Obscura, Croes-O, O-Garden and O8), sandwiches, bar snacks, and an opportunity to enjoy an informal chat with Adrian after his talk. Tickets are limited and cost £10. They are available in advance from the bar or by phoning 07942 389920.  Friday 29 April, 2.30 - 5pm.


WELSH BEER SHOWCASE & TALK Otley Brewing Company Showcase & Talk by Adrian Tierney-Jones

Sea Shanty Festival Gathers Steam

Things are gathering pace for this year's Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival 17-19 June 2011. The event, organised by Falmouth Shout, chaired by Town Manager Richard Gates and with promotional support from Falmouth BID, will be larger than previous years with five overseas groups.

In terms of new venues, there are a few exciting ones added this year, including the historic Matthew ship that will be in the harbour, a shanty evening in The Poly and up at Trelissick Gardens. The programme has been printed and will be available at various outlets (TBC) before Easter.

The opening bash will be on Custom House Quay with performance on The Moor and a finale on Events Square. Further info will be fed as soon as its available via the offical Facebook events page 'Falmouth-spirit of the sea'.

Sowyn! (cheers)

Inaugural Falmouth Spring Festival, a real success!

26th March - 3rd April

The first Falmouth Spring Festival instigated through the Falmouth Business Improvement District (BID) project has just taken place and been really well received by businesses, residents and visitors alike. The event was conceived with the specific aim of adding a new, early season festival to Falmouth’s events calendar, one that would be extensively supported by the local business community and help to boost trade, footfall and spend at a traditionally quiet time of the year.

A host of initiatives were organised some with a strong community bias such as the Guerrilla Gardening exercise (top right) that saw a derelict corner of Falmouth, Bell’s Court cleared of 7 tonnes of rubbish and then replanted and the Paint the Town Yellow Day

(above right) with schoolchildren and students

involved.

In addition to this, numerous guided walks & talks, a Spring Fashion show (right), Gardeners' Question Time, daily rockpooling sessions on Castle Beach and a Spring Fair were laid on, all aimed at celebrating Falmouth's beautiful open and green spaces through art, music, education and fashion.

All the videos, images and feedback on the event can be viewed here.