James Brown reports: "Now in its sixth year the Dartmouth Food Festival is one of the best weekends of the year. There are producer stalls along the river front and in the Old Market, cookery demonstrations and a wide variety of individual events. Browns has a 4 course menu on Friday and Saturday for £27.50 per head. The menu includes an option for matching wine with each course. The menu includes, locally caught and smoked sprats, turbot, two types of old fashioned well hung steak and a selection of desserts."

Becca Way reports: Just thought I'd drop you a line with some info about what The Royal Castle Hotel are planning for the Food Festival. On Saturday (24th) we will be running a couple of small workshops teaching the art of making canapés and sushi and also homemade petit fours and chocolate truffles!! Yummy! There will be limited spaces available as we would like to keep the classes small so that everyone gets personal attention. Tickets are available from reception at a cost of £7.50 per person for a an hour and a half class. 10.30am till 12 ~ Canapés & Sushi. A hands on workshop with our head chef Heri Guntur as you learn to make your own canapés including Heri forte Sushi!   3pm till 4.30 ~ Handmade petit fours and chocolate truffles. Another chance to impress your guests as you learn to make your own after dinner treats with pastry chef Anne Cazaillet!   Also we will be serving a special food festival menu on Saturday in Nu."

2.   The Nomads Tent

Coombe Farm Gallery Dittisham invites you to enter The Nomads Tent – A veritable Aladdin’s Cave where you may discover treasures including Oriental decorative and tribal carpets and rugs, jewellery, cushions, bedspreads, Tribal weavings and handcrafted artefacts from central and Western Asia. Alongside this rich display you will also have the opportunity to acquire the heirlooms of tomorrow in a special exhibition of paintings, ceramics and jewellery by nationally acclaimed artists and makers.

The exhibition is open from 10am- 5pm daily including Sunday 25th which will be the final day of the Nomads Tent exhibition. Tel 01803 722 352.

3.   Galleries' Week

Sara Duggan reports: A mixed exhibition featuring 2 artists and 2 ceramicists depicting animals and birds begins at Baxters Dartmouth on Friday 23rd October. All the artists are gallery favourites and their work is eagerly anticipated by collectors. Two artists Catherine Rayner and Jackie Spurrier show alongside two ceramicists Simon Griffiths and Brendan Hesmondhalgh.

Sarah Duggan reports :- “Catherine's screenprints are well known in the gallery for their charm and we look forward to seeing her new characters. She has had great success with books as well as solo shows in the past year. Jackie's cow canvases sell as soon as we hang them so it will be fantastic to be able to show a small herd of new work.”  Simon's birds, often mounted on reclaimed wood, are frost proof and therefore suitable for indoor and outdoor display. His work shows the form, structure and character of the bird in amazing detail. Brendan's bold animal forms are often mounted on ceramic plinths and he has now created some limited edition resin pieces. Brendan has spent a lot of time recently on some large public commissions so we look forward to showing a new body of work from him.

The exhibition coincides with Dartmouth Galleries week where most of the Dartmouth galleries all launch an exhibition on the same evening. It is a great atmosphere and the event gives the opportunity of exploring a wide range of art by new and established artists. The private view is on Friday from 5pm – 9pm at 12 Foss St. Contact Baxters on 01803 839000 or see the exhibition by clicking here.     Check out the best Dartmouth Art Galleries by clicking here.

4.   HMS York

HMS York spent a few days in Dartmouth this week.  Shrouded in  secrecy, not only were we not invited, but the Mayor of Dartmouth wasn't either! 

5.   Small News
 

• The Candlelit Dartmouth team is busy organising this year’s event which will be held on the 11th and 12th December.
  
  To raise some funds they have planned an Auction and Rustic Supper at Café Alf Resco on Tuesday 3rd November. There are many exciting lots donated by local businesses including original works of art which will be auctioned by Nick Crosley. The last auction in 2007 was a fun evening and Helen Lloyd expects that this will be just the same. Tickets are just £12.50 and are available from Baxters on Foss St and Distinctly Living on Lower St.  Check out their website by clicking here.
  
   

• For those business in Dartmouth who need the contact for challenging the revised rateable values, it is:  Tracy Deering , VOA, 190 Armada Way, Plymouth, PL1 1EG, 01752 614 108.  Our MP Anthony Steen reports:  "The manager at Plymouth VOA is, I believe, Linda Davidson. I would suggest you also write to John Reeves, Group Valuation Officer for the South West, and mention my name. He is at Valuation Office Agency, Wingate House, 93-107 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5BU; 0207 5061700."
   

• Several people have asked about the photograph of the anchors in the shallow water in our news  issued on the 1st of October, click here to see it if you missed it?  What did it mean?  it was a private reflection and tribute on an event held in Dartmouth that week, but also a lovely photograph.  It was taken less than 1 mile away from the river embankment in Dartmouth.  The colours are real and as with all our images it is available in high resolution.
   

Why not come and visit Dartmouth?

• Self catering accommodation click here
   
• Dartmouth B and B  click here
   
• Dartmouth Hotels click here
   
• A Tourist Guide to Dartmouth click here

Images copyright Dave Cawley, Tony Pike , Andy Carter, Andy Kyle & others.