A very warm welcome to the 700+ of you who joined Go Devon! Newsletter over the summer. I’m delighted to say we’re now nudging 4,000 subscribers.

If you’re new here, the idea is simple: I want to help you get more out of Devon.

Each week I seek out interesting places, unusual events, great music and shows, food festivals, nature outings and weird Devon curiosities.

Always with the practical detail you need to actually go and enjoy them.

Hopefully, I’ll introduce you to things going on in our beautiful county you’d never find otherwise.

Yours in Devon,

P.S. I’d love to keep making Go Devon! Newsletter better, and, like all independent publications, it also needs to pay its way. One idea is to turn 3 years of discoveries into a really good Devon Days Out guide. Would that be something you’d pay for? Let me know in the poll below.

Build a boat out of cardboard, climb aboard and stay afloat on the River Torridge longer than your competitors.

Bideford Water Festival’s Cardboard Boat Race on Sunday is one of the most entertaining water events you will see in Devon.

With boats judged as well as raced, there are prizes for most entertaining, best survivor, best capsize, best submarine and best design.

Sinkings begin at 12.30pm and the fun continues to 4.30pm. And don’t forget the North Devon Yacht Club racing, pilot gigs and duck race.

Sunday 6th September, Bideford Quay.

What better place to see John Cleese than Torquay, the home of Basil Fawlty.

You can on Friday 11th September, when the 86-year-old comes to the Princess Theatre for a screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and give a live talk afterwards.

Cleese will talk about how the film was made, share stories from 50 years in comedy and take questions from the audience.

7pm, Friday 11th September, Princess Theatre, Torquay. Tickets: From £47.64

Five years ago, Honeywell was an abandoned farmyard.

Now lovingly transformed with large grasses and perennials this weekend sees a rare opportunity for visitors to look around.

The rewilding work has made use of the existing landscape, like the old concrete yard, and used reclaimed materials in the refreshment shack.

Open this weekend Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September, Stoodleigh, Tiverton. £6. Not accessible, no dogs.

Honeywell is among a dozen private Devon gardens opening their gates in September and October. See all the gardens here

Ever wondered about the secret to really good coffee?

Find the answer at a barista skills workshop at Bovey Tracey’s Fuelled by Caffeine coffee shop.

The lessons start with espresso, what actually makes a good shot, then moves on to how to steam milk and tackle latte art, those fancy shapes in your froth.

All machines, equipment, beans and milk are provided, along with unlimited coffee and cake bites to keep you fuelled. Cost is £54.88

4pm, Saturday 17th October, Fuelled by Caffeine, Bovey Tracey. Book here

No need to travel to the Royal Albert Hall for Last Night of the Proms.

North Devon Sinfonia brings its own version to Barnstaple with a full symphony orchestra for just £12.

Marking the start of Barnstaple Carnival week, the concert promises many Prom favourites like The Blue Danube, Nimrod and Pomp and Circumstance.

Friday 18th September, Barnstaple Pannier Market. Tickets: £12

Is Blackpool Sands the prettiest beach in Devon?

Your other pretty Devon beach picks: Bantham, Bigbury, Broadsands (Torbay), Elberry Cove (Paignton).

Kathy said: “Grew up visiting Blackpool Sands in the 1960/70s, it was awesome.”

Peter said: “I think the best beaches are best kept secret.”

It’s a traffic-free, accessible heaven for walkers, cyclists and nature lovers.

The 32-mile Tarka Trail cycle route winds its way along tarmacked former railway lines starting in Braunton and taking in Barnstaple, Fremington, Instow, Bideford and Great Torrington. See the map here

With many car parking access points and places to stop for refreshments, do as much or as little as you like. The trail is promoted for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

HISTORY: It was named after Tarka the Otter, the 1927 novel by Henry Williamson about the life of an otter in the Taw and Torridge valleys.

Food and drink at Fremington Quay, Johns of Instow, Puffing Billy Cafe, Yarde Orchard Cafe, both near Torrington or The Bull And Dragon in Meeth.

FEATURED: 🍇 A 2-night stay for two at The Millbrook Inn, Kingsbridge, dinner for 2 and a foodie hamper (no closing date given)

NEW! 🛏️ A 2-night stay for 2, including breakfast, at The Salutation Inn, Topsham, a tasting menu dinner, and a Naturalmat Superb mattress worth up to £2,785 (4th Sep)

NEW! 🎉 A bumper bundle of hotel stays and goodies worth £2000+ including a 2-night stay and 3-course meal at The Bull Inn, Totnes, a 1-night stay for 2 at the Idle Rocks in St Mawes (Cornwall we know, but we’ll make an exception), a champagne vineyard tour in Hampshire, a £230 Lalique perfume and 2 VIP tickets to a London jewellery fair (27th Sep)

NEW! 🫖 A selection of Devon herbal teas including nettle, lemon balm and mint (30th Sep)

NEW! 🇳🇴 A 3-night stay for 2 in a North Devon Nordic-style barn with super-king bed, underfloor heating, outdoor firepit and wood-burning stove (30th Oct)

Want more competitions? Click here

Did you win something? Let me know

🌼 Private Devon gardens open in September and October

🎤 Sir Van the Man in Devon

🧭 Six Devon Adventures

🎵 Live at the Amphitheatre

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

NEXT ISSUE A booming South Devon food festival

Andy, Esme and Lara