Snowdrops at Broomhill Art Hotel

Snowdrops at Broomhill Art Hotel

The weekend run on Braunton Burrows

Run on the Braunton Burrows

Braunton Burrows is the perfect place to go for a run as it's soft under foot, with inspiring views to entertain along the way, plus you can go for a short or very, very long run as it extends for miles.  We normally do a 4 mile route, and being a middle distance runner i don't really go further than 6 miles, but today we ran 7 to get rid of the cobwebs.  Normally my Dad, friend Mike and I run together but Mike was doing a cycle route on road today due to injury.  My Dad, Ray (52), is one of the top Veteran Decathletes in the world, and at the tender age of 70 Mike is in the top 3 in Britain at the 800 metres.  They can both beat me hands down but when i've got back into my training properly i hope to give them a run for their money!   I'm just beginning a regular training routine after time out in preparation for a few events.

Have you seen Musica Surfica? Sounds weird...but my husband loves surf films so i gave it a go and i really enjoyed it. This is no ordinary surf film, it's special, very special...

MUSICA SURFICA is a documentary which involves a unique gathering of classical musicians and surfers, with a purpose to opening minds to new ideas by demonstrating the benefits of taking risks in their art.
Shot on King Island in Southern Australia, the documentary follows one man’s creative journey, Richard Tognetti, leading violinist and Artistic Director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, as he seeks new inspiration from traditional and classical music.
He teams up with Derek Hynd, one of the world’s most influential surfers, who challenges him (and 2 time world champion, Tom Carroll, under 18 World No 2 Heath Joske and others) to ride an un-finned surfboard, which demands fresh thinking, or ancient methods, to keep control.

Musica Surfica is now available to purchase on DVD.

Keep the Bees alive

I'm not sure if this is a Bee or a Wasp in this picture i took a while ago, sorry i am no expert. However, I do know that Bees are disappearing at an unprecedented rate, this is a serious problem and one that we can help to solve by doing a few simple things.
The colourful blazes of wildflowers in our meadows and much of the food on our plates - would not be around if it wasn't for the Bees. They don't just make honey, they pollinate more than 90 of the flowering crops we rely on for food. Among them: apples, nuts, pears, avocados, soybeans, asparagus, broccoli, celery, squash, tomatoes, sunflowers and cucumbers... citrus fruit, peaches, kiwis, cherries, blueberries, cranberries, strawberries and melons.

Help the Bees:

• join the Bumblebee Conservation Trust
  
• cultivate your garden with traditional cottage garden flowers such as Rosemary, Bluebells, Foxglove, Comfrey and Vipers Bugloss, which bees love. By planting the right flowers, gardeners could do a huge amount to help restore bees' lost habitats.

www.bumblebeeconservationtrust.co.uk

North Devon Festival

I am just proofing the Broomhill events for the North Devon Festival brochure and thought about the new logo. I have an interest in Art and design so i was quite intrigued to see the new logo appear. What do you think?

Eco Surfboards

Joel is researching eco materials for surfboards. The current materials are very toxic and therefore not good for the shaper or the environment. There are some really good alternatives out there such as biofoam, plant based resin, balsa wood, hemp cloth etc...
No one has yet found a high performance eco alternative to the current harmful materials so we are still searching.
Joel made this Fish board last year for a Surfers Against Sewage Raffle, it is as environmentally friendly as he could make it (I did the design work).

www.visitdevon.co.uk

Herbydrawers

We took our Nan and friends to the garden centre on Saturday to get some herbs for a mini herb garden. As the farm is still being renovated we are still working on the buildings before we get to the aesthetics of the land but we couldn't resist buying a few lush smelling herbs to plant by our kitchen window. As we use a wood burner, we have a lot of scrap wood waiting to be burnt, we managed to find an old pair of drawers to plant our herb garden in, they were perfect!

www.visitdevon.co.uk

Herbydrawers

A good gift...

I found this book at Christmas time and bought a few as gifts for a few friends. It was written in Devon by Una McGovern and has a great cover design by the increasingly popular artist Rob Ryan. This book is an introduction to a range of traditional crafts and activities. Almost 100 skills are described and illustrated, from trout-guddling to lacemaking, beekeeping to dry-stone walling. Whether wanting to learn a new craft, explore social history or reminisce about pastimes from a bygone age, readers of all ages will lose themselves in Lost Crafts. And with more of us choosing green and ethical lifestyles, there has never been a better time to rediscover these sustainable pursuits.

www.visitdevon.co.uk

Original Surfboards

Sally Parkin from Original Surfboards kindly donated one of their hand-crafted, Devon made, environmentally friendly, classic, wooden surfboards to give away as a prize in a London paper. Thanks Sally!

www.originalsurfboards.co.uk
www.visitdevon.co.uk

A Spring in our step

The Woolly hat and winter jacket stayed behind today when we took to the beach for a wander. Para-gliders were out in force, about 20 hung in the air above Woolacombe, bathing in the warm sun, what a sight! The wind was good for flying but less so for surfing, we went in for a dip none the less. I'm back on my short board which i haven't tried much for over a year, i fell in love with long boarding but i think there is room for both so i need to get back into practice! Back at Bradwell Mills, our new farm home that we are renovating with family and friends, we watched lambs hopping around in the lush fields, exploring their new surroundings. The Bradwell Mills project has an 'It's not easy being Green' feel to it. We aim to make the farm as environmentally friendly and sustainable as we can, it's our first year here so there's a long way to go but we'll keep you posted on our progress! We are making a herb garden tomorrow which should be fun.

Paragliders

Lambs

Snow in Devon!

Here is the video we made of our snow adventure on the North Devon coast and Exmoor. It turns a bit 'you've been framed' at the end...

Watch fun in the snow on Exmoor | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

www.visitdevon.co.uk

North Devon's What's on Holiday Guide
www.wildcurl.co.uk

Valentine's Day on a Devonshire coast path

The mild, dry weather drew us out of our cosy cottage yesterday and out towards Lynton way to trek a wee part of the dramatic Devonshire coastal path. We parked up at Woodybay to begin the short but sweet walk, through woodland, along cliffedge paths to the beautiful Heddons Mouth. It seemed that the previous fall of snow had fed the flora that clung to the cliff edge, it looked like Jurrasic Park, even the fallen logs had been junglfied! We stopped at one of the view points to perch on a rock and observe Gods creation. Cup of tea in hand and a digestive biscuit to dunk, simple pleasures are the most satisfying. The family dog, Billy the Welsh Border Collie, accompanied us on our lazy stroll, running back and forth playing fetch and providing us with entertainment. We were trying to think where else we would be able to trek along endless cliff top coastal paths, that provided such magnificent views. Apart from the odd place in Cornwall, we were stumped! This trip has inspired us to explore more of the coast with which we've been blessed. It's so exciting finding new places, many of our friends have walked the whole length of the N.Devon stretch and it's high time we did. Walking has so many benefits, it's healthy, fun, adventurous not to mention its free! Keep checking back to see our next adventures.
www.visitdevon.co.uk

North Devon's What's on Holiday Guide
www.wildcurl.co.uk

Valentine's Day on a Devonshire coast path

Daisy promotes Devon in London

Daisy the surfing Cow has made a fun-filled, celebrity-supported, nationwide road trip to promote more visitors to Devon, supporting the Love My Devon campaign! The tour ended in style at the end of January as Daisy was taken on a tour of London by road and river, courtesy of London Duck Tours. See her other adventurous video blogs below. 

Watch Daisy tours London, on an amphibious vehicle !!  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

www.visitdevon.co.uk
www.chicks.org.uk

Cream tea on the Beach? Yes please!!

Check out this short film made by our friend Richard Gregory from Wavedreamer. T.V wildlife expert Johnny Kingdom & top falconer Jonathan Marshall have a cream tea on Saunton Beach in January!

Devonshire fun in the snow...

We haven't seen snow like this in all the years that we've lived here! North Devon turned into a ski resort yesterday, we took full advantage of the rolling landscape. The countryside was covered in snow, glistening in the sun, what a picture!
www.visitdevon.co.uk
www.chicks.org

Snow in Devon!