The Isles of Scilly offers a multitude of activities, and with many local galleries and studios opening their doors during the month of May to a new festival called ArtScilly 2010, it’s a good time to go. Highlighting culture and distinctive art and crafts within Cornwall and the South thorough demonstrations, displays, exhibitions, events, talks, walks and workshops, your imagination is bound to be stimulated.

Take your bike with you and aboard the passenger ferry, Scillonian III, to sail to Scilly slowly. Or you can hire a bike at the other end. With plentiful scenery to explore with panoramic views and few steep hills, the ideal day is spent cycling around before finding a quiet spot for an authentic Cornish picnic.

On these peaceful islands you’ll find spring cleaning for the soul, with an intimate community amidst a unique environment of archipelago, sapphire seas, white sands and gardens with exotic plants, all enriched further with historic heritage including castles, pottery and gastronomy.

At ArtScilly 2010, you can enjoy beach rambles, colour therapy, silk painting and dance sessions, an opportunity to meet the makers, musical concerts and plentiful craft demonstrations including enameled jewellery and stained glass.

Additional opportunities can be found through talking to the locals: “Our signs are subtle, our approach is time-honoured, and our attitude is relaxed. We help you discover an individual get-away, with a “what suits you” (not one-size fits all) approach. Many of our artisans, guides, and hosts organise their activities around a laidback and traditional lifestyle.”

Activities could involve a visit to Troytown Farm, Scilly’s only dairy farm where you can sample its homemade ice cream, or a tour of St Martin’s Vineyard, Winery, Visitor Centre and Shop, or an opportunity to go snorkeling with seals at St Martin’s Dive School.

If you want to just relax, go to Fraggle Rock Bar, voted a “Best British Boozer” by Jamie Oliver, where many exhibitions of ArtScilly will be happening so you can soak up the art too!

Don’t forget to send a postcard to us!

ArtScilly 2010

Foraging for wild food is the cheapest and most adventurous way to source ingredients for a spot of Slow Cooking. It’s also sustainable as its local and seasonal grub – you just need to know what you’re looking for and, like the Zen philosophy, only take what you need, leaving the strong plantlife to propagate.  It’s a simple activity and easy to reach by bike – all you need is some patience, a few cardboard cartons or reusable bags, a pair of scissors and some gardening or washing up gloves.

So what are you waiting for? Get on your bike and forage this bank holiday for the season’s delectable collection of wild garlic, dandelion, nettle and more!

If you’re a beginner, jorg&olif has picked its favourite foraging books and courses in the UK to give you a head start.

Seaweed and Eat it: A Family Foraging and Cooking Adventure by Xa Milne and Fiona Houston

For months my dad was harping on about this book, so much so that he ended up going on a Forage Rangers tour run by the authors in Scotland. He came back with even more effervescence and  I can see why. It’s a book with inspired ideas and recipes as well as providing a friendly and comfy romp into natural history.

The Wild Life: A Year of Living on Wild Food by John Lewis-Stempel

This is a book showing a spiritual journey of the seasons month by month, with Lewis-Stempel as the hunter-gatherer in modern times. It’s the perfect Slow Life read and is the perfect call to action for some bank holiday fun.

The Forager Handbook by Miles Irving

I had the pleasure of my first forage with Irving in the autumn around Hampstead Heath, where I ended up with a secretly foraged dinner that included delicious nettle pesto and sorrel salad. Irving’s handbook is as down to earth and as interesting as the man himself, with each plants’ monograph  carefully categorised and accompanied with recipes and gorgeous photography.

All these Wild Food books and more are available at the Low Impact Living Initiative bookshop.

Wild Man Wild Food

With a fan base including Chris Evans and from the man who has attempted to live entirely on 100% wild and foraged food for a whole year, Fergus Drennan’s personal blog pays humorous homage to his efforts.
Drennan also offers eight to 13 hour forages in different habitats including woodland, field, river, seashore and brown field sites (waste ground) across Canterbury and surrounding areas. Once the food is collected, cooking commences on an open fire for a truly wild feast.

Really Wild Festival

Within Britain’s smallest city, the annual Really Wild Food and Countryside Festival in Pembrokeshire is a great way to get everyone in the family involved in foraging around the Welsh countryside. It aims to preserve, revive and hand on countryside traditions and stories for generations to come.

Wild Forage UK

Fraser Christian, a qualified professional chef, experienced outdoor instructor and forager is joined by experts Vicky Prevett formally with Neal’s Yard Remedies, Tom Litchfield a qualified marine biologist and wild food fan, Chris Tall a graduate in wild food for medicine and Robin Hansford from Eat Weeds for a truly wild experience. The Wild Forage UK courses run across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Pembrokeshire, Sussex and West Wales. Christian also provides “Catch and Cook” sessions for aspiring anglers and seafoodies.

Wild Food School
Join the outdoor classroom and get an education in weeds with the Wild Food School in Cornwall. Run by Marcus Harrison, you can enjoy half day, full day, week long and even distance learning courses that are bespoke to your requirements (and geography) and level of understanding.

Image: foxypar4

For the perfect staycation or Slow Life holiday break this Easter or summer why not rent a classic caravan and enjoy some time in the dramatic landscapes of Cornwall.

Love Lane Caravans offer a small selection of classic caravans that have been lovingly restored to their original splendour. Whether you prefer a vibrantly painted, wooden gypsy caravan or a classic Fifties trailer, you are sure to find the perfect mobile home for you. All of them are fully functional without the need for an electric hook up, meaning they can be set up in remote areas, or anywhere else that suits.

Each is kitted out with all that you might need for a comfortable and authentic caravanning holiday – the kitchens are fully equipped with ‘of the period’ items that you would expect to find at home. Bed linen, BBQ equipment and outside seating are also provided so you are ready to host some alfresco dinner parties.

 If you are not too sure where to set up your temporary home, Love Lane also suggests a number of campsites around Cornwall.

The county is perfect for a relaxed, slow-paced holiday with its hundreds of remote beaches, dramatic cliffs and rolling surf. Nature lovers will appreciate the many tropical gardens along the South coast of which the Lost Gardens of Heligan are particularly beautiful.

The spectacular Eden Project, a global garden under a series of giant domes, will transport you to the wonders of a tropical rainforest or Mediterranean garden, while the Maritime Museumin Falmouth gives a fascinating insight into local maritime traditions.

For more information on Cornwall click here