☀️ Hey Devoners!

Who knew it was 28 years ago that HM Royal Marines Band Plymouth last played at the Theatre Royal?

No wonder TRP chief executive James Mackenzie-Blackman made a special trip to the stage to welcome them back on Sunday.

It was worth the wait, as the armed forces’ favourite musicians treated Plymouth to a fun medley of pop, classic and military, including solo performances and jokes.

Let’s not leave it so long next time.

Here are some other super cool things going on.

Displays to bring out the kid in you: Yealmpton Show, Wed 26 July

Country shows ooze farming and rural life, from livestock and floral displays to horticulture and handicrafts. You can spend hours browsing the stands.

But the big ring displays wow us the most, and we’re already childishly excited about the motorcycle stunt displays and terrier racing at the Yealmpton Show.

The Squibb Motorcycle Display (above, performing at a wedding) is so good it’s on twice. Don’t miss it.

Yealmpton Show, Kitley Lawns, Yealmpton, Plymouth, PL8 2NN

Tickets. Adult £13, child 5-16 £4, child U5 free. Free parking. Some disabled parking.

The place to get drunk with folk. Sidmouth Folk Festival, August 4-11

Concerts, ceilidhs, folk dances, children’s festival, storytelling, workshops, dance displays.

Phew, its bonkers how much stuff is there is to drink in during Sidmouth Folk Festival.

An acoustic performance from Barbara Dickson and Cornish export Fisherman’s Friends are just the warm ups for eight days of music, dance and fun.

More acts are being announced this month, but you can download the taster programme now. It’s got Cara Dillon, Lindesfarne and Seth Lakeman to name a few.

Individual event prices range from free to £37. Tickets.

5 more amazing reasons to visit Devon

There are so many reasons to love Devon.

Where else has such endless coastline (no other county has 2 separate coasts), glorious beaches, vast, haunting moorland, the quaintest villages and the best cream teas?

Dean Lissaman’s Life Out The Hive blog celebrates Devon’s beautiful and versatile land with some lovely photographs and descriptions. Take a look.

Razorlight headlines at Shebfest, north Devon’s largest music festival, Sep 1-3

North Devon’s largest music festival, music across two stages, Razorlight headlining on Saturday. What’s not to like!

You’ll get to see Liberty X, Bloc off the wall, Square Dance Caller, Amelia Lily, Blazin’ Squad, The Strange and The Beautiful, and Candar.

All the fun takes place between 3pm Friday Sep 1st and 1am Sunday Sep 3rd.

Allacott Farm, Shebbear, Beaworthy EX21 5TF. Day tickets, adult £62, U18 £52.

Bold, brave, big-hearted, and the best fun you can have on a bike

Take on a cycling challenge across wild Dartmoor and help other people going through the toughest of times.

Tour of the Moor, Devon’s boldest cycle challenge (video), has 3 difficulty levels to choose from and you can enter whatever your cycling abilities, with an electric bike and even with stabilisers.

Start and finish at Harrowbeer Airfield, Yelverton, on Saturday October 2nd.

Proceeds to St Lukes Hospice, Plymouth, to fund hospice care.

Categories: 11km (Open to All Ages) £15 | 33km (Age 9+) £35 | 52km (Age 12+)£35. Register.

Looking for a new thrill? Try kitesurfing. They say it’s not as hard as it looks

It might seem daunting to look at but from research we’ve done it’s actually easier to learn kitesurfing than surfing.

Whether that’s true or not, both are a great excuse to get out and enjoy the exhilirating wind and waves of North Devon and learn a new sport.

Learn to kitesurf safely with private lessons from qualified instructors at the vast Westward Ho! beach, one the best locations.

Get 9 hours tuition (you should have grasped it after 6) on a 2 to 1 basis for £220, or 9 hours 1 to 1 for £300. All kit included.

Westward Ho! Kitesurfing. Latitude 51, Westward Ho! EX39 1GW

Perhaps it’s time you tried it. (Perhaps its time WE tried it…)

Listings

North Devon

JULY

Fri 14 to Sun 16

LIVE MUSIC | 🎸 Funk Up The Farm 2023, 3-day micro dance music festival featuring drum ‘n bass, funk and breaks acts | Wrights Farm, Kentisbury, Barnstaple EX31 4NQ | Tickets from £38.32.

Sat 15

OUTDOOR CINEMA | 🎞 Grease, the most successful film musical of all time | Gates open 8.15pm, film starts at 9.45pm | Arlington Court, Arlington, Barnstaple EX31 4LP. Tickets from £17.18.

Thur 27 to Sat 29

FESTIVAL | ^_☀️ Altitude, The Little Festival With the Big Heart | Live music, DJs, craft beers, street food | Blackborough, Cullompton EX15 2HJ. Find out more and tickets.

Fri 28 to Sun 30

FOOD FESTIVAL | 👨‍🍳 Devon Street Food Festival with Moroccan, Caribbean, Greek, Mexican, Afghan, and Uzbek tastes | Victoria Pleasure Gardens, Ilfracombe EX34 9AR | Free entry.

AUGUST

Wed 2

COUNTRY SHOW | 🐄 North Devon Show, livestock, parades, crafts, live music | 8am to 6pm | Umberleigh Barton, Umberleigh EX37 9DX

South Devon

JULY

Wed 5 to Sat 8

CHILDREN’S THEATRE | 🦷️The Demon Dentist by David Walliams | Theatre Royal Plymouth PL1 2TR | Tickets £13-£25.

Fri 7

CHARITY WALK | 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️St Lukes Hospice Midnight Walk, 3 miles, 6 miles, or 13.1 miles | Home Park stadium | Tickets £24 adult, £12 U10s.

Fri 8 and Sat 9

VEHICLE SHOW | 🚜 Historic Vehicle Gathering of the Crash Box & Classic Car Club | Powderham Castle, Exeter EX6 8JQ | Day tickets from £13.

Mon 10

LIVE COMEDY | 😂 Comedian and Radio 4 star Andy Hamilton | The Quad Theatre, Marjon University | 7.30pm | Tickets £22.

Tues 11 and Wed 12

TALK | 🗣 The Psychology of Fetish and Kink with sex and intimacy coach Dr Lori Beth Bisbey | Tues 11th | Exeter Phoenix | Gandy Street | Exeter EX4 3LS | 7pm. Wed 12th | Crowne Plaza Plymouth | Armada Way | Plymouth PL1 2HJ | 6.45pm | Tickets from £12.98

Wed 12

FAST CAR AND BOAT SHOW | 🏎 🚤 The Celebration of Speed | Lympstone Manor near Exmouth EX8 3NZ | 12 til 12. | Tickets £40.

Sat 15

OPEN DAY | ⚓️ Britannia Royal Naval College opens it doors to the public for the first time since 2019 | 10am - 4pm | College Way, Dartmouth TQ6 0HJ | Free entry.

Fri 21 to Thur 27

MUSICAL THEATRE | Shrek the Musical based on the Hollywood film | Theatre Royal Plymouth PL1 2TR | Tickets from £30

Sat 22

MUSIC | 🎶 90s Silent Disco at Powderham Castle, 3 music channels | 7.30pm | Powderham Castle, Exeter EX6 8JQ | Tickets from £27.43

Sat 29

TRIBUTE ACT | 🎸 Pure Queen | Sheldon Centre (outdoor venue), Doddiscombsleigh, Exeter EX6 7YT| Tickets. Adult £18, child U14 £12, child U3 free.

SEPTEMBER

Sat 2

CHARITY EVENT | ☀️ The Great Big Paddle Board Parade, world record paddleboarding attempt and fund-raiser for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) | Torbay | Standard tickets £15 per paddler.

Sat 9

SWIM / RUN | 🏊‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️Rocky Horror Swim Run | Choice of distances. Long: 4 swims (2 km) and 3 runs (15 miles), medium: 3 swims (1.5 km) and 2 runs (12 miles), short: 2 swims (1 km) and 1 run (7 miles) l Start 1.30pm | Hope Cove, Galmpton TQ7 3EY | Solo, relay or pair tickets. From £25.

Mon 18

GEOLOGY | ⛏ Day Trip with Stuart Line Cruises. 6.5 hour seaborne tour of South Devon’s coastal geology | Exmouth | 10.30am to 5pm. £25 per person.

Want your event listed? Email us.

Want even more ideas?

As a lifelong Devon fan I’ve come up with my list of the most exciting and interesting activities, attractions and curiosities.

Whether indoor or outdoor, active or relaxed, family or individual there’s something for everyone so long as you like getting out and about!

Discover 50 unique, unusual and “different” things to do in glorious Devon (downloadable PDF) today when you refer a friend

More exciting, surprising, interesting and cool things to do next week.

With love, cream and jam (in that order).

🌊 Andy and the Go Devon! team