Candlelit Dartmouth Weekend

CANDLELIT DARTMOUTH WEEKEND 6 – 7 DECEMBER AT THE FLAVEL – advance information!

Saturday 7th December 

Children's Christmas Craft Workshops - Main Hall

10.00 am - 12.30 pm or 1.00 pm - 3.30 pm

£5.00 for 3 activities. e.g mobiles, decorations, cake decorating etc

Suitable for aged 5+ and under 9s need to be accompanied by an adult

Adult Workshops - Green Room

Make Your Own Vintage Tea Cup Candle - £8.00

10.00 am - 11.00 am  or  11.30 am to 12.30 am

There will be a small additional charge in the workshop to cover the cost of your chosen vintage china tea cup or glassware or bring your own!

Learn how to make candles using natural materials, scented with your own special mix of essential oils as a unique Christmas gift...or just to keep for yourself!

Create Your Own Wood-Washed Artwork - £10.00

1.00 pm - 3.30 pm

Workshop price includes all the materials you need to make your own custom sign, including Farrow and Ball paints and decorative tape for hanging.  Why not try your hand at creating your very own piece of artwork?  In this workshop you'll learn how to prepare boards for printing and make your own letter blocks that will type out the message you want on your board.  Frequently featured in all the homes' magazines and popular on Pinterest and Etsy, these simple but stylish artworks can bring uniqueness to any home.  A great Christmas present!

Competitions during the festival…

Best dressed dog!

There will be three categories of entrants for this competition which will be judged by Linda Howard from Dartmouth Pet Foods

at the Bandstand at 2pm on Saturday 7th December 2013 – just turn up with your Christmas Dog !!

Photography

We are looking for some budding local photographers who can take some really great images that capture the wonderful essence of Candlelit Dartmouth 2013 !!!

Entrance to the competition is free. Send these by email giving your name and address, age and which category to info@candlelitdartmouth.co.uk

Fancy Dress

For all children under 11 years, come along to Candlelit Dartmouth on Saturday morning dressed as Jack Frost or the Snow Queen and you may win a prize for the best fancy dress !!!!

There will be two categories : under 7 years and 7yrs – 11yrs

Judging takes place at the Bandstand at 11am on Saturday 7th December

FULL DETAILS AT www.candlelitdartmouth.co.uk

Plus the ever popular Candlelit Arias from The Little Opera Company at The Flavel on Fri 6 and Sat 7 December.  Starting at 7.30pm, this fantastic, international group of talented operatic singers will bring some festive cheer to you all!  Tickets £16 and 35 under 18s  to book > www.theflavel.org.uk

Crow's Nest guide to What's On in Dartmouth - 27th Sep - 3rd October 2013

The Crow's Nest Autumn Cookery School Promotion 2013

We recently noticed that some of the dates we have free this autumn tie up with cookery course dates at Manna from Devon so we decided to put together a promotion for you!

Book a min 2 night stay with us and get 10% off a Manna from Devon course, free Ferry tickets (max 4) to get over the lovely river Dart, and a complimentary bottle of bubbles in your fridge to celebrate!

All you have to do is find a course you would love to attend and then check the dates with us to confirm your booking and grab yourself a very nice offer!

This promotion starts 24th September and runs until December 18th 2013

Enjoy courses such as FabulousFish " For our very popular fish class we take a wide selection of fresh, local seafood and learn to prepare it from scratch as we discuss sourcing, how to buy the best fish and how to cook it whether steamed, pan-fried, grilled or baked." 

Or Essential Devon " This class is a must for anyone wanting to learn about the great range of food available in Devon as we share our knowledge of Devon produce and producers".

Take a look at the Manna from Devon website for more courses here

NB: There is limited availability both on the courses and at The Crow's Nest so please check first and book early!

Crow's Nest guide to What's On in Dartmouth - 13th - 19th September 2013

Crow's Nest guide to What's On in Dartmouth - 23rd - 29th August 2013

The Crow's Nest mini guides - 3) Crabbing in Dartmouth.

 Dartmouth crab fishing tips for holidaymakers and visitors.

There is a past time in Dartmouth that takes place each year from April to October depending on the weather. It is essentially a fine weather sport. It is suitable for all ages although children tend to be more enthusiastic and enthralled. It is harmless and the equipment initially costs around a fiver. The equipment consists of a bucket, preferably clear, a fishing line with a mesh bag on the end and bacon. That's it. It involves skill, patience, luck and fierce inter-family competitiveness.  The past time is crab fishing,known as 'crabbing' locally. The art of catching crabs off the embankment by line.

Years ago this was carried out using normal fishing lines with hooks on the end. The bait, usually cheap supermarket bacon was then placed on the hooks and the line dangled into the water. The problem here was twofold. The hooks hurt the small crabs and the hooks sometimes hurt the small children's fingers. The solution was easy. The hooks were substituted for nylon mesh bags when it was realised that with fresh bacon inside, the small crabs would cling on tight until they had eaten their fill. No need for nasty hooks.

Almost overnight, the past time became enormously more popular and safer to one and all!

Great tips on crabbing.

If you get hooked (sorry!) on crabbing you can arrive in Dartmouth, buy your gear and be crabbing within 5 minutes. Some guests of ours recently reported catching 94 crabs in about 1 hour from the North Embankment. They must have used a very big bucket and excellent quality bacon.

The best places to go crabbing in Dartmouth? That's easy, the North and South embankments but watch out for boats especially ferries coming in to moor up!

The thing is, children simply love it! They cannot wait to get out and start catching the lovely creatures. it must be a combination of sport and the skill of pulling your line very gently out of the water so the crabs don't jump off before you pop them into the bucket of water. It is often said that Dartmouth crabs must be the healthiest crabs around. They spend most of the summer eating first class bacon and then go for a little ride up in the air to spend some time in a small bucket before being returned to the water to look for more bacon.

Crabbing in Dartmouth, the crabs love it, families love it and so do the supermarkets.

Buckets and lines sold by: Pillars newsagents Lower Street and many other outlets around town.

Bacon sold by The Co-Op Supermarket, Fairfax Place

Final Safety Tips: Don't let anyone fall in the water! and don't eat any that you catch, please put them back for the next crabbers.

NB  If by now you have a longing for fresh crab, Dartmouth is the right place to be. Our local restaurants, pubs, cafes and shops sell the freshest and finest crab in the world try it next time you visit.

Crow's Nest guide to What's On in Dartmouth - 9th - 15th August 2013