Life was much simpler when there was just Glastonbury and the Edinburgh Festival. The explosion of festivals; music, food, culture and literary, has made choosing a stress-inducing decision. Although there’s no need to fret over the banana split festival; you’ve already missed it. That was in Ohio in June. In America though you would still face the anxiety of choosing between two testicle festivals; Montana’s Testicle Festival (or Testy Festy)
The Music of the Woods by Edward Atkinson Hornel, 1906. Kirkcudbright Jazz Festival, starts today, 16th June and runs till the 19th June with a programme that focuses on traditional jazz. Even if traditional jazz is not your thing the pretty town is worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. Established as an artists colony from 1850 to 1950 it is said the quality of the
Remade Home is a new show and marketplace for people with an interest in 'eco chic design and sustainable home style'. There's a laidback, vintage vibe and a chance to meet artists and local craftmakers who create treasure from trash. Exhibitors include Edinburgh based mid century specialists Bra Bohag, restylers Dear Old Blighty and Trash Furnishing, Mini Moderns from London, jeweller Tarnish and textile makers Alphabet and Clarabella Unique Textiles. The show
This Saturday sees the start of the 3 Harbours Festival in East Lothian which is located in and around the harbours of Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton. The strapline for the festival is 'art in unusual places' and it describes itself as the largest and most diverse arts festival in East Lothian. It includes visual art, music, murals, literature, dance, photography and traditional crafts and runs from the 28 May to
James Boswell: 18th century literary giant, father of modern biography, startlingly frank diarist, reluctant lawyer, party animal and one in a long line of significant Scottish figures revered around the world and largely unsung at home. The first ever Boswell Book Festival was held over the weekend at the gorgeous Auchinleck House in Ayrshire which was the home of the Boswell family for generations until it fell into disrepair in the middle of the
Tomorrow sees the grand opening of a major new art gallery and museum in Yorkshire. Named for one of Wakefield's most famous daughters, The Hepworth Wakefield features key work by sculptors Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore and is at the heart of the city's regeneration. The waterfront building, designed by award winning architect David Chipperfield and clad in pigmeted concrete, appears to rise out of the River Calder. Visitors to
A trip to the cinema doesn't usually involve lederhosen, a blond wig and breaking into 'The hills are alive with the sound of music…' That is unless you are at a screened sing-along version of the Sound of Music at The Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Classic musicals such as Mary Poppins, Evita and West Side Story feature the lyrics as subtitles for those members of the audience who are less than word perfect. The costume contest
Just forty miles from Edinburgh, deep in the Scottish Borders, is Roulotte Retreat, a collection of colourful, sumptuously furnished romany caravans encircling a little loch in a wildflower meadow. Yes really. The pretty town of Melrose is nearby but this feels like another world. Avril and Alan Berry first dreamt up the idea of a gypsy caravan retreat in 2008. From then it was a long quest to realise their vision of exquisite, quality holiday accommodation. 'We
Nicki and Martin’s beach wedding in East Lothian, Scotland shows just how relaxed and romantic the simple outdoor approach can be… And the bride wore white…rolled up trousers It shoulda been me!
A trip to Berlin has inspired a German twist to this week's posts. Today we highlight the design joy that is Berlin's Jewish Museum while Wednesday shifts the focus to Ostalgie, the bizarre nostalgia for the good old ways and styles of the GDR. On Friday we look at some interesting developments in German architecture and, this might not be one for the wine snobs out there, recommend a decent German wine to