Falmouth Oyster Festival 2008

Falmouth Oyster Festival, a celebration of Cornish seafood, takes place from 16th to 19th October 2008 in Events Square, Falmouth.

The festival will open with a cookery master-class with celebrity chef Sophie Grigson followed by a packed programme of cookery demonstrations by leading local chefs, oysters, seafood, wine and ale, children’s shell painting, sea shanties, town parade, live music and marquees packed with Cornish produce and crafts. The festival has broad appeal and is a must for all oyster, seafood and marine heritage enthusiasts!

>> More information on the Falmouth Oyster Festival 2008

>> Hotels in Falmouth and nearby

Perfect Pate

Nothing to do with Devon and Cornwall as such, but we wanted to share with you our "perfect" recipe for chicken liver pate.

It's easy. It's foolproof. It's delicious. And best of all it's virtually fat-free!

>>> Click here for our Perfect Pate recipe

Camelot Castle Hotel - a great winter retreat

Camelot Castle Hotel is perched on a rugged headland just outside the village of Tintagel (the legendary birthplace of King Arthur!).

This has been one of our favourite Sunday-morning coffee spots for a while now. It's an imposing building, with amazing sea views, and a very comfortable lounge complete with inspired artwork by resident co-owner and artist Ted Sourton. The hotel is co-owned by John Mappin, an heir to the Mappin and Webb jewellery empire.

We've not stayed here yet, but we understand that the hotel has recently benefited from a significant investment in, and upgrade of, the bedrooms and bathrooms.

The Camelot Castle Hotel seems to offer very good value for money for a weekend break away from it all.

>>> Click here for more info and on-line bookings

Plymouth Airport flying high

Plymouth City Airport has been ranked as the second-fastest growing airport in the UK, according to figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority.

The airport, an ideal gateway to Devon and Cornwall, saw passenger numbers grow by 31% in June, bucking the trend as far as airports go.

The growth at Plymouth's airport has been attributed to the increased services by home-based airline Air Southwest, which has recently added services to Glasgow, Newcastle, Cork and Dublin - in addition to the established services to London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Jersey and Dublin.

>>> More information on Plymouth City Airport

>>> More information on flights to Plymouth with Air Southwest

>>> Hotels in Plymouth

Watergate Bay in Cornwall - a resort for all tastes and all seasons

We've posted a new page on the website covering everything there is to know about Watergate Bay in Cornwall.

Watergate Bay is a few miles east of Newquay, and has a great two-mile beach, a classy hotel, self-catering accommodation, a couple of bars, and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Cornwall restaurant.

Click here to find out more about Watergate Bay in Cornwall

Cycling the Granite Way

It was a beautiful sunny day in Devon today - ideal for a spot of cycling.

The Granite Way is a delightful cycleway linking Lydford with Okehampton in Devon. Some of it is on main roads, but the majority is on a thankfully mainly flat disused rail track. It's about 11 miles from Lydford to Okehampton and vice-versa.

There are plenty of nice picnic spots along the route, and a couple of pubs too!

You can download a leaflet about the Granite way here

http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/

Late rates on summer breaks in Devon and Cornwall

If you've not yet booked your summer break, Devon and Cornwall offer good value this summer particularly with the exchange rate making Euro-zone destinations a less attractive choice this year.

We've hand-picked a few deals for you:

(all prices are per room per night, based on two people sharing, on selected dates only, subject to availability)

> St Rita Hotel, Plymouth, Devon - from £50.00 - click here

> Victoria Inn, near St Austell, Cornwall - from £52.50 - click here

> Cape Cornwall Golf & Country Club, near Penzance, Cornwall - from £60 - click here

> Palm Grove Hotel, Torquay, Devon - from £60.00 - click here

> Exeter Court Hotel, Exeter, Devon - from £69.00 - click here

> Atlantic House Hotel, Bude, Cornwall - from £69.00 - click here

> Hotel California, Newquay, Cornwall - from £80.00 - click here

Or for a full choice of Devon and Cornwall hotels, often with good last-minute prices - click here

http://www.simplydevonandcornwall.com/