What's on this weekend in the UK - July 18/19

There's a nautical theme this week with Portsmouth's historic dockyard celebrating the building of HMS Victory, a free surf carnival in Cornwall and dragon boat racing on the Thames.

For the grown-ups there's recycled art in south Devon and a free food and drink masterclass in London. And to keep the kids entertained there is a circus skills festival at Legoland Windsor and the summer jousting season kicks off at Warwick Castle.

Here is the weekly round up of what's on this weekend from travelbite.co.uk:

Maritime celebrations in Portsmouth

There is loads going on at Portsmouth's historic dockyard this weekend as they celebrate the 250th anniversary of the laying of HMS Victory's keel.

The beginning of construction of the world's oldest commissioned warship will be marked with a series of special evening guided tours allowing visitors to find out more about HMS Victory and her unique place in maritime history.

A display of over 300 model boats and warships from the 18th century to the modern day, with a miniature Battle of Trafalgar and Fleet Review and a rare glimpse of the Royal Naval Museum's reserve model boat collection plus family entertainments will complete the day out.

Another star attraction this summer is Type 45 Destroyer, HMS Daring, the Royal Navy's newest warship which will be throwing open its hatches to the public for the first time.

Entry to the event is free with an all-inclusive ticket to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - adult prices start from £12.50. Access to HMS Daring is free.

For more information see the Portsmouth historic dockyard website.

Free Surf Relief festival, Cornwall

Giant crabs, pro surfers and a dance troupe are just some of the elements making up a packed day of family entertainment at the Surf Relief Festival in Watergate Bay, Cornwall this Saturday July 18th.

The event, which is completely free to attend, will feature a vast array of children's activities - plus top-level surfing and ironman competitions, beach games and live music - to make the Surf Relief Festival one of the best days out this summer.

The goal is to raise awareness for the SurfAble project, which introduces disabled children to the sport of surfing.

A feast of children's activities will include children's parties and dance workshops, while face painters and t-shirt designers will see the beach transformed into a hive of creativity. Sports enthusiasts will be able to take part in beach volleyball, football and beach tennis games and workshops.

Children will have the chance to get up close to some of the creatures from the Cornish shoreline as aquarists from the Blue Reef Aquarium hold a Rockpool Roadshow at 14.30.

In the evening there will be live music from Garron Frith, The Blind Hearts and Skintight starting at 17:00.

See the Surf Relief Festival.

Free food and drink masterclass, London

It's not exactly at the weekend but we thought all modern gourmets would want to know about the free food and drink masterclass being hosted by Tio Pepe next Tuesday July 21st in Camino bar in Kings Cross, London.

The most influential names in food and drink have opened their little black books to create the Art of Good Taste Guide, an online reference tool and guide designed to satiate the growing hunger for food and drink knowledge.

The evening will involve sherry and wine matching with Master of Wine Peter McCombie, food matching with entertainment expert Lorna Wing who will be showing guests how to make their own tapas, an interactive cocktail demonstration from Richard Bigg and a seafood masterclass from Darren Brown of Shellseekers. This will all be accompanied by plenty of authentic tapas and Tio Pepe.

The event is free of charge so register for tickets at www.artofgoodtaste.com on a first come, first served basis.

Recycled art trail, Devon

The TRAIL Recycled Art in Landscape project kicks off this weekend, with dozens of structures created by local and national artists as well as Devon community project groups.

The event is now in its fifth year and art works will already in place along the South Devon coast linking Shaldon, Teignmouth and Dawlish for seven weeks from Sunday July 19th to Sunday September 6th.

Predominantly made from waste materials and designed to highlight concerns about the environment and climate change, the individual sculptures showcase the creative talents of the artists involved and an opportunity for the public to experience art in unexpected places.

Visitors to this wonderful Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will find the stunning coastal backdrop the perfect setting for this diverse and unusual range of artists' creations.

Among the many original works on display will be The Hub, a giant ammonite fossil made from 1,500 old hub caps; a Tyre Rainbow and a Mosaic Bench. Another striking sculpture will be a huge sphere created entirely from around 2,500 tin cans.

For further information see the TRAIL website.

Dragon boat racing on the River Thames, Surrey

Families looking for a great summer's day by the Thames will find plenty of entertainment at the Rotary Dragon Boat Challenge at the Canbury Gardens in Kingston-upon-Thames on July 19th.

Hundreds of boating competitors across 36 teams will battle it out in dragon boats during a day of fun and excitement.

Market stalls, sideshows, bouncy castles and children's rides will keep kids of all ages entertained.

Families can also take part in the racing - no experience is necessary and full training will be given. Admission for spectators is free.

See the Visit Thames website for more information.

Jousting season at Warwick Castle

The summer jousting season at Warwick Castle kicks off from July 18th and runs until August 31st this year.

In the ultimate contest of skill, agility and bravery the jousters will dazzle the crowd with their equestrian prowess and pageantry on the field.

In addition the Trebuchet will be firing twice a day, bringing the power of mediaeval battle back to life. And every day throughout the holidays, visitors can catch the mediaeval bowman's awe-inspiring archery display, watch the Castle's stunning Flight of the Eagles show and meet the resident falconer and his beloved hawks
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To top it all off, the latest addition to the castle's attractions, the Castle Dungeon, is open and receiving victims. The attraction recreates some of the darkest chapters in the Castle's history, from the terrors of the torture chamber to the foul pestilence of the plague.

Stunning, atmospheric surroundings, live actors and top of the range special effects combine to create a multi sensory experience designed to bring history to life in a vivid, captivating and engaging way
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For more information about the summer events programme, visit the Warwick Castle website.

Circus skills festival at Legoland, Windsor

For the first time this year the LegolandLive! My First Festival will take place over the course of two days on July 18th and 19th.

There will be a circus skills workshop and an all-singing, all-dancing day of activities with top children's acts headlining the show.

Britain's Got Talent star George Sampson will join Barney, Bob the Builder, Angelina Ballerina, Popshop vocal coaches Carrie and David Grant and many more.

One-day ticket prices start from £32.40 for adults and £24.30 for children. For more information see the Legoland website.

travelbite.co.uk staff