Here come the flowers.

There, winter didn’t take long, did it?

Yours in Devon,

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the latest free prize competitions below, including a North Devon eco-barn stay worth £1,000.

Daffodil Day at Hartland Abbey

Not long to wait now before the first blooms of Spring and a value for money day out at Hartland Abbey.

Daffodil Day is when the gardens are open at a reduced entry price and you can enjoy the bulbs, hellebores, mimosas, clematis, primroses and violets before the Abbey opens for the season.

There are plenty of woodland walks to enjoy in scenery regularly used for film sets including for The Night Manager, Sense & Sensibility and Rebecca.

11am to 4pm. Sunday 15th March.

Adult £10, child (5-15) £1, U5 free. House entry £5 (12-3pm). Find out more

Lindesfarne back on the road

The original band called it a day in 2003 but the timeless appeal of Lindesfarne’s catchy songs means they are filling venues again.

Fog on the Tyne was the top-selling album in 1972 standing out with a pioneering combination of electric blues and acoustic instruments like mandolin and fiddle.

The latest incarnation is fronted by founder Rod Clements. They’ll play all the old favourites, including Meet Me On The Corner, Fog On The Tyne, Lady Eleanor and Run For Home.

7.30pm, Saturday 25th April, Exmouth Pavilion. Tickets: from £32.50

A 2-night Valentine’s weekend getaway for £230

[Partner Offer] Indulge yourselves on Valentine’s Day with a great value romantic escape.

North Devon Resort in lfracombe is offering a 2-night package in a Seaview Studio, welcome drink, breakfast each day, a Valentine’s meal, and a fun sushi-making workshop for £115 per person.

Plus choose add-on experiences including couple’s photo shoot, and Sunday carvery lunch.

The resort is an ideal base for beach, coast path or woodland strolls or discovering tucked-away village pubs with real fires. Or just stay on site and relax in the pool and sauna.

Friday 13th to Sunday 15th February. Offer details here

Chrome, steel and style from the decades

The Bideford Classic Bike Show is back for a 3rd year at the town’s Pannier Market.

Come along and admire chrome and steel in classic and vintage motorbike design for just £1 (U12s free).

Trophies and rosettes are awarded to the best bikes.

11am to 3pm, Monday 2nd March.

Under Tamar Bridge tour

A new way to see the Tamar Bridge, but only if you’re good with heights.

You’ll be guided along the under bridge walkways, an area normally closed to the public to see all the supporting structures and get a new view of the river and countryside below.

The tour takes 2 hours, is for over 18s only and may be inaccessible to some.

Monday 13th April, Friday 29th May and Tuesday 16th June. Tickets: £30

Combat sports in the South West

There’s nothing like a fight night.

Boxing fans are promised explosive evenings at Plymouth’s Continental Hotel later this month and at the Exeter Corn Exchange in March.

Rising in the South West, Plymouth. Saturday 21st February. Tickets: £38.62

Rising in the South West, Exeter. Friday 20th March. Tickets: £38.62

In April, Torquay takes centre stage for elite combat sports MMA, Muay Thai and K1.

South West Fight Series. 25th April at The Foundry. Tickets: from £16.96

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Devon Curiosities #93: The Valley of a Million Bulbs

1 million yellow, white and blue flowers are about to burst into life in Sidmouth.

The swathes of daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and bluebells are a free spectacle for visitors and locals, thanks to the generosity of a local benefactor.

HISTORY: The idea of a Valley of a Million Bulbs came from Keith Owen, who left a £2.3m legacy to the Sid Valley.

• He wanted to support conservation and natural heritage and create a beautiful sight for visitors. The flowers have become a big tourist draw.

• School children and volunteers have been planting bulbs every year since 2013, with huge plantings at Peak Hill and The Byes.

Why Sidmouth? Although Keith Owen was from Totnes and worked as an investment banker in Canada, he visited his mother in Sidmouth and thought the town reflected England “as it used to be.” Read more

MEMBER POLL

Last week’s result

Nostalgia: where do you stand?

• They don’t make things like they used to - 37%

• The best is still ahead - 13%

• A bit of both - 50%

WHAT ELSE IS ON?

🌊 North Devon 

🐬 South Devon

🏆️ Get lucky! Win Devon leisure prizes

FEATURED: 🐄 A 2-night stay for 2 at Fowlescombe Farm near Ivybridge, food included (9th Feb)

⚔️ A Battle of Eden dinner for 2 at Bovey Castle, Dartmoor (8th Feb)

NEW!  🌳 A 3-night stay in an eco-friendly barn conversion sleeping 4 in the North Devon countryside worth £1,000 plus £1,000 of designer home accessories (9th Feb)

NEW!  🐢 A Feed the Turtle Experience for 4 people at the National MArine Aquarium, Plymouth (12th Feb)

⭐️ A 5-star holiday park break in South Devon worth £662 (12th Feb)

NEW!  🏖️ A luxury holiday at Golden Sands Holiday Park, Dawlish (1st Mar)

NEW!  🌊 A £500 voucher for Ladram Bay Holiday Park, Budleigh Salterton, with a choice of private cottages, hot tub lodges, premium holiday homes or glamping tents and pods (2nd Mar).

A 2-night stay for 2 at Bovey Castle with daily full English breakfast, a 3-course dinner, champagne afternoon tea, private Land Rover estate tour and one activity: golf, archery, shooting, off-road 4×4, or cider and sloe gin making. (23rd Apr)

Did you win something? Let me know

More competitions here

New member? Catch up here

🥁 Marching band goosebumps

❓️ What’s your guilty pleasure?

🌠 Do parallel universes exist?

🌟 Special offers for Devon locals 

That’s all for this week. Thanks for being a member.

NEXT ISSUE  Art & craft workshops near you.

Andy, Esme and Lara