Huge revamp for seaside town expected to double visitors, says minister for north-west

It’s a much-loved resort that is sometimes derided but certainly never ignored. And, today, a government minister claimed Blackpool, the north-west seaside town, would be transformed into the most exciting resort in Europe by a regeneration initiative.

As part of the plan, Blackpool’s tower, built in homage to the Eiffel version, has been put into public ownership for the first time in its 116-year history.

The elderly tower has been in need of costly repairs. Its observation platform will be replaced by a 4D cinema show.

The Winter Gardens has also been sold to the local authority as part of the £38.9m deal and is in much need of refurbishment.

A dungeon will also be built to rival the capital’s London Dungeon.

The plan is being regarded as a final signal to halt Blackpool’s declining fortunes.

Although visitor numbers are buoyant, many are there only for the day and a tiny proportion are the big spenders the resort desperately needs.

Merlin Entertainments, the operators of the London Eye, London Dungeon and Legoland, will be brought in to help the regeneration process. The company already runs the Sea Life centre in Blackpool.

Phil Woolas, the minister for the north-west, said: “There really is an economic revolution in Blackpool.” He claimed the revamp would double visitor numbers.

Doug Garrett, chief executive of ReBlackpool, defended Woolas’s boast and said: “It is the brands that make the difference. Outside of Disney, the arrival of Merlin Entertainments, with the Dungeon and Legoland combined with a Sea Life centre, makes us the only place outside of London in the UK that has got the mix of brands.

“We already have the most visited attraction in the country with the Pleasure Beach. The tower is iconic. I think it is justifiable that, although big cities such as Barcelona have positive attractions, the mixture in Blackpool is truly unique and it will deliver us back to the position as No 1 resort.”

The communities and business minister, Rosie Winterton, announced the regeneration plan, which has been made possible by funding from Europe, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and Blackpool council.

The money enabled the local authority to purchase the tower and Winter Gardens from Leisure Parcs, run by Sir Trevor Hemmings. He bought large swaths of the seafront in 1998 in the expectation that Blackpool would be granted a licence for a supercasino. However, the government granted it to Manchester before Gordon Brown pulled the plug on supercasinos.

It is hoped visitor numbers at the tower will double to 800,000 as a result of the £10m immediate investment, bringing an additional £36m to the local economy and creating 1,000 jobs.

The first phase of refurbishment at the Winter Gardens will create a new mid-size conference venue that will rival facilities in Manchester and Liverpool. The Winter Gardens used to be a staple of the party conference circuit, but its infrastructure was crumbling.

Winterton said the investment will revamp the historic buildings “and secure their world-class status well into the future”.

Blackpool v Barcelona

• Blackpool’s annual visitor numbers are about 12 million and its Pleasure Beach is the UK’s most visited attraction. Barcelona attracts 13.2 million visits to its cultural centres and museums each year.

• Average August temperature in Blackpool is 18C (64F); Barcelona 26C (78.8F).

• Barcelona’s cultural highlights include Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished Sagrada Familia, below, and Parc Guell; the Casa Batlló designed by Gaudí to resemble St George’s dragon; Las Ramblas. Blackpool’s cultural highlights include the pleasure beach, which lures 6 million visitors every year; Sandcastle Waterpark, the UK’s largest indoor waterpark; and the illuminations from September to November.

• Cuisine: Blackpool serves tasty fish and chips, while Barcelona is famous for its tapas.

• This article was amended on 1 April 2010. The original listed the Gaudí Museum among Barcelona’s cultural highlights. An item comparing air and train fares to the two cities has been removed pending the insertion of new figures.

Over two million Britons are set to take advantage of the Easter break between April 1st and 6th by setting off on holiday.

Abta – The Travel Association said that Spain continues to be the "outright favourite" for holidaymakers.

The Canary Islands, and Tenerife in particular, have been proving popular among Easter travellers, who can look forward to "excellent" weather, Abta revealed.

Elsewhere, Turkey and Tunisia have sold well and Egypt has maintained the growth it experienced in 2009, while Florida and the Caribbean have attracted the interest of people planning long-haul getaways.

In the city break market, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Milan and New York have seen strong demand, while people planning to stay in the UK will be heading to London, Edinburgh and Manchester in high numbers.

Abta chairman John McEwan said: "Easter is the traditional curtain raiser to the summer and I am delighted to see that hundreds of thousands of our customers are taking the opportunity to take a well-earned break both here in the UK and overseas."

Heathrow Airport is set to handle 575,000 departing passengers during the Easter period, while Manchester Airport will be the busiest regional base with 141,000 travellers.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2009 – Just The Flight

Emirates has announced that it will deploy the Airbus A380 on flights from Manchester Airport to Dubai this year.

A 517-seat superjumbo will begin operating on the route from September 1st, making Manchester Airport the most northerly point on the plane’s global network and the first regional base to host a regular A380 service.

The aircraft will provide one of Emirates’ two daily flights to Dubai from Manchester, with departures from the UK airport at 14:10.

Salem Obaidalla, the airline’s senior vice-president of commercial operations in Europe, said: "Manchester has become one of the strongest performers in our growing network of regional gateways. Our customers value our commitment to a regional network at a time when other airlines are abandoning them.

"We are delighted to give our Manchester customers the very best available in the shape of the Emirates A380, which, without doubt, has revolutionised flying."

Andrew Cornish, managing director of Manchester Airport, said the carrier’s decision to deploy the A380 on its services to Dubai represented a "historic moment" for the base.

Emirates is currently operating eight of the Airbus planes on flights to Sydney, Auckland, Seoul, London Heathrow and other destinations.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2009 – Just The Flight

Your tweets led Benji Lanyado into the heart of Nottingham, from a pub in a cave via a hidden Georgian library to a top Afghan restaurant

Last Friday, our series of TwiTrips rolled into Nottingham. As with all of our previous Twitter-fuelled adventures, I didn’t have anything planned. I would turn up at the station, succumb to the temptation of a cheesy, two-thumbed ‘I’ve arrived!’ photo, before handing it over to the good people of Twitter to guide my every step for the rest of the day.

The Twitter tips

As has become customary on our TwiTrips around the UK, the day began with a request for fascinating Nottingham trivia. Just beyond the ‘burbs of London, CafeBarContemp informed me that “The Clash played a gig at Nottingham station as part of their Back to Basics busking tour in the mid-80s.” Nice. MrDavidWhitley piped in just south of Market Harborough, dropping something of a bombshell: “Maid Marian doesn’t exist in the original Robin Hood ballads. She was, it seems, invented by 16th-century Morris dancers.” I was devastated.

But I soldiered on, and just short of 1pm I arrived, and swiftly paid my dues to the King of Nottingham. Having requested some impressive roof action, inspired by the heights of St Pancras, my next stop was the The Exchange shopping centre, where I perved upon the glorious 200ft-high neo-Baroque dome thanks to the recommendation of peter_s_clarke and davidbaird85.

It was time for some food. Pamreader and Jtownend had fingered the The Walk Cafe as a Nottingham must – and the cafe itself had been showering me with tweets and even designed a competition in honour of the TwiTrip – so I duly paid a visit. Inside, as well-healed locals sipped on Earl Grey poured from china teapots, I gorged on slabs of rye bread layered with pastrami. A very good start indeed.

But I couldn’t stay long. Muldoon tweeted me with some startling breaking news: “Broadway Cinema is currently showing a 10-hour video of a man digging a hole. Really.” I raced over, to find said man halfway into his challenge, having already reached waist-height on a projection beamed on to the wall of the cinema’s cafe. But admirable hole-digging isn’t Broadway’s only claim to fame – it is also a favourite of Quentin Tarantino, who chose the venue for the UK premiere of Reservoir Dogs, and has a screening room designed by Nottingham designer Paul Smith.

Hellothor and trickyfred had informed me that this corner of Nottingham was something of a novelty cinema hotspot, and I popped across the road to visit Screen Room, officially the smallest commercial cinema in the world – with a mere 22 seats – and the Guinness plaque to prove it. Handily, another Twitter favourite, Lee Rosy’s tea shop was next door, where I had a somethingorotherccino, and slotted on to a table alongside various Mac-toting creative types.

My next Twitter-gleened tip was the impressive Nottingham Contemporary, complete with its strangely beautiful exterior of corrugated green and gold concrete. It’s the kind of building that really shouldn’t be attractive, but definitely is. And the exhibition, Star City, engulfed me. The theme, I think, was the Soviet side of the Space Race, and the ideas that came with it. I gaped at intricate installations, lost half an hour in a screening room showing underwater spaceship testing, and was dumbfounded by a cosmonaut who looked dangerously like Andrei Arsharvin, the Arsenal player.

And then – you won’t believe it! – I fell into a small rip in the space-time continuum. Honest. OK, my phone died and refused to turn on, and I spent an hour flailing around Nottingham like a drunken sea captain. Tsk.

I surfaced in front of Anish Kapoor’s ingenious Sky Mirror, a sculpture outside the Nottingham Playhouse that flips the sky upside down, as recommended by Bexmo and pcmcreative. Ellen_Carroll sent over an intriguing story printed in this very publication: The Sky Mirror was once feared as an indiscriminate pigeon killer due to its light-focussing powers. Chilling.

Next up, pamreader and robcutforth had both challenged me to find the Bromley House library, where the lovely custodians allowed me beyond an innocuous door on Angel Row and into a beautiful Georgian Townhouse replete with elaborate cornicing, soaring oak bookcases and a spiral staircase. I was the only person in there.

From the serene to the utterly chaotic. Brotherlogic urged me to visit Rob’s Records (no website, unsurprisingly, but you’ll find it at 4 Hurt’s Yard, behind Long Row), allegedly “the most chaotic record shop in the country!” Tucked down a dilapidated yard and heralded by a handwritten sign scrawled on a flap of cardboard, the scene inside resembled a mad uncle’s garage, rammed to the ceiling with ripped boxes full of old records alongside broken TVs, plastic bags and peeling paintwork. Any categorisation system was clearly abandoned many aeons ago. Rob was gamely flicking through some of his stock, as a couple of customers trawled through the debris for vinyl gems.

As the clock approached 6pm, it was time for a mini pre-dinner pub crawl. Nottingham pub tips had been streaming in throughout the day. First up was the marvellous galleried surrounds of the Malt Cross, as recommended by redbrickers, hatchnottingham and Leightonjm. Then… an institution: Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem – allegedly Britain’s oldest pub, with a cavernous interior dug into the rock around Nottingham Castle. Thanks to RobertLento, Neeeeeeel, vocal_minority, NottinghamTinfo, and MrDavidWhitley for that one.

Dinner time. Of all the tips I received, ErikPetersen’s intrigued me the most – an Afghan meal in Radford, one of Nottingham’s most immigrant-infused districts. In Falah, an ordinary looking takeaway with a handful of seats, I was urged to try the ‘Mantu’ by Erik, and the Chaple kebab by my cab driver. I ordered both, and chowed furiously. The Mantu was sublime; steamed dumplings filled with chopped beef, onions and herbs topped with yogurt and Afghan chutney. What a find.

And then, the nicest surprise of the day. In through the door came ErikPetersen himself, accompanied by his wife, to join me for a pudding of hot halwa with almond sugar, cardomon and carrot. Turns out they live a few doors down, and have grown increasingly addicted to Falah’s food – Erik is hoping to develop a complex system of levers and pulley to ferry food directly from their kitchen to his lounge.

Finally, it was time to shake off my Mantu to a little rock n roll. As one does. Over at The Maze, a century-old pub that used to host bare knuckle fights in its back room, Cambridge-based Jack Rabbit Slim were providing the entertainment – thanks to bexmo, pamreader and trickyfred for the tip. And thanks to these two gentlemen for the finest hair I have come across in some time. Top coiffing.

The lights went down, Jack Rabbit Slim let rip, and the bunny hops began. From a pub in a cave, to an Afghan slap-up, to a rockabilly nightclub, the merry tweeters of Nottingham had done themselves proud. And so ended another superb TwiTrip. Thanks for all your help.

Getting there

Benji stayed at the Lace Market Hotel (+44 (0)115 852 3232, doubles from £79 B&B), as recommended by KemistryGallery. East Midlands Trains run regular services from in between London and Nottingham from £13 one way.

A new film about the French town paints a sombre picture of the place. But somebody who worked there remembers the seedy bars and epic parties

This week I eagerly queued to see Jessica Hausner’s acclaimed film Lourdes, 10 years after I had spent two summers working in the French pilgrimage town. I was 17 at the time, and at my high school – in the west coast of Scotland – it was a pre-university rite of passage. Organised by the Paisley diocese, pupils from the area were given the opportunity to work as helpers to the sick. Previous “aides” had raved about their experience – not for the spiritual benefits, but because it was warm, there were nightly parties and you met other people your age who were also failing Catholics.

Lourdes, however, was not what I expected. Tired and disgruntled after a two-day journey, I was unnerved by my first impressions of the town. “Jesus,” said one friend, “it’s like a holy Blackpool.” Indeed it was. Lourdes was packed with God-themed tat, seedy bars and tourists. The town has the atmosphere of a bustling holiday resort, with salesmen touting holy souvenirs on the streets. The whole town revolved around the Grotto of Massabielle – where in 1858 the Virgin Mary reputedly appeared to 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous – and residents had turned miracle-hunting into a thriving business. Got a life-threatening illness? Have some holy water in a Virgin Mary-shaped bottle. Need gifts for the family? A chocolate saint should do the trick. Our nearest sweet shop was called the Immaculate Confection.

Yet watching Hausner’s film, there was little I recognised. The movie focuses on the experience of Sylvie Testud’s Christine, whose multiple sclerosis is temporarily “cured” after she visits the grotto and bathes in holy water. Fellow pilgrims and aides become jealous of her “miracle” and question why it was she who was made better. Hausner’s film is set mostly within the walls of the grotto, and her commitment to subtlety makes for a muted depiction of the town.

I remember streets lined with busy bars, full of aides and locals desperate to get away from the dying, the desperate and the pious. In one of our regular haunts, we would sing along with the piano player and order drink after drink. Tearing down the streets to evening mass, we would dash into bars and down shots of cheap tequila. Afternoons off were wine-fuelled benders that usually culminated with the hammered aides pairing off. But the supervising priests put their trust in us, and as a result we showed up for shifts on time and worked hard.

The job itself was physically and emotionally shattering. There was fierce, sometimes violent, competition between aides from different tour groups, which could make even the simplest tours treacherous. The candlelit procession and mass was notoriously difficult to get into, and hundreds of pilgrims lined up in the evening to be part of it. Instead of queuing, the Italians endeavoured to skip in front of us by burning our arms with their candles. Lining up for blessings in the Basilica of the Rosary, aides from other pilgrimages would kick our shins to get in there first.

In the film, the job of an aide is portrayed as little more than pushing a wheelchair, with these helpers depicted as shallow and vain, and the priests as charlatans, fudging their answers to pilgrims’ questions about God. Yet in my experience, the priests leading our groups, mainly from the Paisley area, were highly dedicated, counselling those who they knew were close to death. Aides too spent as much time with pilgrims as was needed; acting almost like foster grandchildren, we took them shopping, to mass and confession. Many pilgrims were not there looking for a miracle, but for companionship and escape. Our daily efforts to provide conversation and comfort often meant rising at 6am and clocking off at 9pm.

In the film, bathing in the grotto’s holy water is an anti-climax, yet going into the baths was one of the most intense experiences I have ever had. Kneeling in heart-stoppingly cold water to pray while two nuns held my hands left me, inexplicably, in floods of tears. Of course, every pilgrimage is different. And things have undoubtedly changed over the past 10 years. But cinema-goers should not take this film as gospel – the real Lourdes is far more compelling. The mix of tacky commercialism and a sense of spiritual fulfilment for its pilgrims is something you’ll see nowhere else on earth.

Finnair has encouraged people who will be travelling with the airline during the Easter period to make their trip easier by using the carrier’s online check-in option or a self-service kiosk at the airport.

The company pointed out that these time-saving procedures can make the travel experience much smoother and less stressful for consumers at busy times of the year.

People catching domestic and international flights from Heathrow Airport or Manchester Airport with Finnair can make use of the airline’s self-service check-in kiosks, which are also available from European destinations such as Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.

Those returning from Helsinki Vantaa Airport can use the automated kiosks in the second terminal, which are available to passengers with hold luggage as well as carry-on items.

Finnair spokesman Markku Remes said: "We recommend that passengers use Finnair’s internet or text message check-in services or the self-service check-in kiosks at the airport. This can speeds things up significantly."

As well as providing access to Finland and Scandinavia, the airline allows people travelling from the UK to connect to flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and other long-haul destinations.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2009 – Just The Flight

US Airways has confirmed that its inflight internet product was launched on five of its Airbus A321 aircraft yesterday (March 29th).

The Gogo Inflight Internet service is set to be extended to all 51 of the carrier’s A321 planes by June 1st.

Provided by Aircell, the technology allows users to surf the web, access email accounts, log in to corporate networks and enjoy online entertainment during their flight.

When the plane reaches an altitude of 10,000 feet, passengers will be informed that they can switch on their laptops and Wi-Fi-enabled devices to use the service.

Customers can then create a profile and pay for their session using a credit card.

Andrew Nocella, US Airways’ senior vice-president of marketing and planning, said: "Gogo fits in perfectly with our business model by offering more choices in flight.

"Our customers are able to be more productive with their time and have new ways to stay entertained in the air."

The airline has hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix and operates more than 3,000 daily flights to destinations across the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe and other regions.

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2009 – Just The Flight

The Queen has spurned a personal appearance in Canada after she was warned that the steps there might be too steep for her. But which other flights might the 83-year-old Queen happily climb?

The Queen has cancelled an appearance at a military tattoo in Canada after a row about a flight of steps. Organisers of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo decided it would be “very, very dangerous” for the Queen to climb up to a 12ft high stage via 17 steps rising at an angle of 60 degrees. The Palace disagreed, stating that if Her Majesty wasn’t allowed to speak from the platform, she wouldn’t appear at all. Are there any other steps that might defeat the sprightly 83-year-old monarch?

Wembley stadium, London

How many steps? 107 from the pitch to the Royal box.

How steep? “About the same angle as those in the average home,” says a spokesman.

Could the Queen climb them? Yes.

The Spanish Steps, Rome

How many steps? 138.

How steep? The website lists “curves, straight flights, vistas and terraces”. Not too steep and plenty of places to rest.

Could the Queen climb them? Yes.

The Eiffel Tower, Paris

How many steps? 1,665.

How steep? Most fit people can reach the second level (over 600 steps). The third stage is now closed to the public, who must take the lift.

Could the Queen climb them? Probably not.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, AKA the “Rocky steps”

How many steps? 72.

How steep? Each step has a 12in tread and 6in riser: very gentle.

Could the Queen climb them? Yes – but not at a sprint.

EasyJet has revealed that it is expecting to carry over one million passengers across its network during the Easter holiday period.

The airline has launched 78 new routes to destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East over the past 12 months, providing extra choice for travellers planning to head overseas during the coming weeks.

EasyJet’s flights to Geneva have been the most popular option for Easter, suggesting that many people are taking advantage of the opportunity for a late-season skiing holiday.

Getting some sun also appears to be a priority, with Malaga, Faro, Palma and Marrakech completing the list of easyJet’s top five destinations for a spring getaway.

The airline also revealed that its new routes to Sharm el Sheikh, Cyprus and the Canary Islands have been proving popular.

Paul Simmons, the carrier’s general manager in the UK, said: "This Easter travellers are looking to escape post-Budget blues and the endless grey winter.

"The majority seem to be seeking a little winter sun, with families heading for the beaches and couples seeking romantic getaways in some of the great cities of southern Europe."

Cheap Flights and Travel News – © 2009 – Just The Flight

From Stilton racing to eel throwing, where to see Britain’s most eccentric seasonal events

Bottle kicking and the hare pie scrambling

When 5 April, from 10am.

Where Hallaton, Leicestershire.

Every Easter Monday, the villages of Hallaton and Medbourne engage in a riotous bottle-kicking contest. Believed to date to the 1700s, the event begins with a parade through both villages, where a hearty hare pie (nowadays made of beef) is hurled into the crowd. Once the “hare pie scramble” is won, the real battle commences. On a best-of-three basis, the contest sees each team wrestle the “bottle” (a small keg or barrel) over ditches, hedges, barbed wire and a stream. The game is as ugly as it is competitive and can last for hours. goleicestershire.com

Scarecrow festival

When 1-3 May, 9.30am-6pm.

Where Urchfont, Wiltshire.

Once a year the people of Urchfont create competing tableaux of scarecrows positioned throughout the village. Last year’s theme was “stage and screen” (featuring Fiddler on the Roof and The Jungle Book); this year’s is “pairs”. Now in its 14th year, the event attracts more than 50 entries, and you don’t have to make a scarecrow to join in the fun: visitors can buy a programme and follow the scarecrow trail. Urchfont.org.uk; trail maps £2.50

Cheese rolling

When 3 May, from 10.30am.

Where Stilton, Cambridgeshire.

While the famous Cooper’s Hill cheese-rolling competition in Gloucestershire has been cancelled amid health and safety fears, the Cambridgeshire village of Stilton – birthplace of the king of cheeses – is raring to go. This annual knockout event attracts teams from as far afield as France, Poland and the US. Because real Stilton is rather smelly and ends up covered in grit, the teams of four instead roll wooden “cheeses” (sections of telegraph poles chopped up and painted white) down the high street for around 100 yards in a bid to win a 16lb Stilton and a tray of local beer. Enter by 11am on the day for the separate men’s, women’s and junior contests – the £5 entry fee is waived if you come in fancy dress (this year’s theme is “international dance”). stilton.org

Jack in the Green parade

When 30 April-3 May, from 10.15am.

Where Hastings, East Sussex.

With some of the most bizarre costumes in the country, this event dates back to the 18th century, when the garlands worn to May Day festivities were a matter of great competition among the various town guilds. The chimney sweeps created garlands so enormous they hid the person underneath them, and the costume eventually took on a personality of its own: Jack in the Green. Jack – a 9ft-tall frame covered in twigs and leaves, with a leather mask – was revived by Mad Jack’s Morris, a Morris dancing troupe, in 1983. He leads a parade of 1,000 dancers through the old town to the castle, accompanied by garlanded, bearded drummers, where he is slain to free the spirit of summer. hastingsjack.co.uk

Coal carrying

When 5 April, from 12pm.

Where Gawthorp, West Yorkshire.

What began in 1963 as a bar-room bet between two friends is now recognised by the Guinness Book of Records. The men’s race kicks off first, with competitors carrying a 50kg bag of coal over an uphill course 1,012.5m long in a bid to be crowned the “King of the Coil [sic] Humpers”. The women lug a 20kg load over the same distance. The “world” records are 4.06 minutes for men, 5.05 minutes for the ladies. Only 30 competitors may enter each race, but spectators are welcome. gawthorpe.ndo.co.uk/coal

Woolsack racing

When 31 May, from 10am.

Where Tetbury, Gloucestershire.

Tetbury thrived in the Middle Ages as a market for wool, and for the past 30 years locals have been running in pairs and fours between two pubs, up the steep Gumstool Hill, carrying a large sack of sheep’s clothing. Men carry a 27kg sack, women carry 16kg; you can enter a team for £20, and the winning teams can win up to £200. There’s also a street fair and entertainment. tetburywoolsack.co.uk

Hunting the earl of Rone

When 28-31 May, final procession from 6pm.

Where Combe Martin, Devon.

Banned in 1837 because of licentiousness and drunken behaviour, the Hunting of the Earl of Rone – revived in 1974 – is a four-day pageant in which the 600 villagers of Combe Martin re-enact the legend of Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, who was forced to flee from Ireland in 1607. Shipwrecked in the local bay, Raparee Cove, he was finally caught by Grenadiers. Now when the Earl is “found” on the Monday night, he is mounted back-to-front on a donkey and paraded to the sea, frequently falling when “shot” at by the Grenadiers. At the final shooting on the beach, he is thrown into the sea (happily, by this time the actor has been replaced by a dummy). earl-of-rone.org.uk

Nutters’ dance

When 3 April, from 9am.

Where Bacup, Lancashire.

The Britannia Coco-nut Dancers of Bacup have to be the country’s most eccentric dance troupe. Every Easter Saturday they parade through the town, accompanied by a band, performing five “garland” dances (each dancer carries a garland above his head) and two “nut” dances, in which they clap together the wooden discs which are strapped to their hands, knees and waist. The dances are thought to originate from 18th century Moorish pirates, who relocated to Lancashire via Cornwall, bringing the dances with them. The Nutters are the only surviving troupe practising this kind of folk dance in the country. coconutters.co.uk

‘Obby ‘Oss festival

When 1 May, from 10am.

Where Padstow, Cornwall.

Reputed to be the oldest dance festival in the country, ‘Obby ‘Oss (for “hobby horse”) is said to be Celtic and celebrates the coming of spring. Dozens of locals playing accordions and drums and singing Celtic songs follow two osses (one red, one blue), each adorned with a mask and a black cape, under which the men try to catch young maidens as they pass through town. To be caught under their cloaks is thought to bring good luck and encourage fertility. padstowlive.com

Eel throwing

When 1 May, 10.30am-4pm.

Where Ely, Cambridgeshire.

On May Day, the people of Ely dedicate an entire day to the city’s namesake – the humble eel. As well as tastings, folk music and a parade with Ellie the Eel (a giant rendering of the Anguilla anguilla, created by local schoolchildren) there is the eel-throwing competition, a sport dating back almost half a decade. Happily, these “eels” are tights stuffed with socks, with rice providing ballast. Entry is open to all. eastcambs.gov.uk/tourism; visiteastofengland.com