TAKE FIVE

Sizzling Summer Treats by Judith Schrut

Welcome to summertime Britain! While our famously fickle weather can’t be guaranteed, you can absolutely count on long days, light nights and a breathtaking bonanza of music, festivals and other seasonal treats. So, pack your wellies, macs, sun hats and picnic gear, and join us for a peek at some of this summer’s best.

1. Anniversaries All Around

“The further back you look the further forward you can see”, Winston Churchill was reputed to say. Summer’s the perfect time for a trip down memory lane, stopping to salute some great British and American anniversaries.

While no one expects the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party to be widely cheered this side of the Atlantic, there are lots of other 2023 milestones we can all celebrate. In Britain, it’s the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service. It’s 300 years since the death of pre-eminent architect Sir Christopher Wren, whose crowning achievement was rebuilding 51 London City churches destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666, including St Paul’s Cathedral. The great man’s legacy will be fêted throughout the summer with concerts, tours and a mass Wrenathon of choirs across the City of London.

The music world celebrates several big birthdays this year. Expect plenty of birthday bumps for William Byrd at 400 and Sergei Rachmaninov at 150. Late, great rock stars George Harrison, Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin would have turned 80. Meanwhile, very much alive and still crooning in their 80th years are Mick Jagger, Joni Mitchell and Barry Manilow.

Birthday cakes with 75 candles await Scottish singer Lulu and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lulu’s marking the occasion with 33 tour dates around the UK, and you’ll always find a Lloyd Webber musical playing somewhere in the world. In London, you can see Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre or Evita in Concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, while Jesus Christ Superstar is doing a massive 50th anniversary tour around the UK.

It’s a huge year for anniversaries and birthdays in the film world. Let’s start by sending 90th birthday wishes to actors Sir Michael Caine, Dame Joan Collins and former Man From Uncle, David McCallum. 100 years ago, the iconic Hollywood sign went up in the hills above Los Angeles. The big, white, wooden original actually read Hollywoodland, stood 50 feet (15.2m) high and was lit by 4000 lightbulbs. This year also marks the 90th birthday of the world’s first drive-in movie theatre, opened in New Jersey by salesman and film fanatic, Richard Hollingshead. This was after many months’ experimentation in his home front yard, using a bedsheet nailed between two trees and a Kodak projector balanced on the hood of his car. The drive-in advertised its charms with the slogan, “the whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are”.

If you’re looking to celebrate at an outdoor film this summer, you’ll be spoiled for choice. Adventure Open Air Cinema, promises 250 screenings at an astonishing variety of venues across the UK, like Carlisle Racetrack, Salisbury Cathedral and Swindon Cricket Club. London’s Barbican Centre hosts outdoor cinema in its sculpture court, while Kings Cross Everyman puts on a fabulous and free Outdoor Film Festival on the banks of the Regent’s Canal

There are anniversaries aplenty in the worlds of science and technology. This year is the 550th birthday of astronomer Copernicus, whose revolutionary idea was that the Sun, not Earth, was centre of the universe. A mere 100 years ago our kitchen lives were transformed by Clarence Birdseye’s invention of frozen food, while 110 years ago we welcomed the first crossword puzzle and the first modern bra.

It’s also the 25th birthday of Google and the 50th anniversary of the world’s first handheld mobile phone call. That call was made on Motorola’s mighty brick DynaTAC 8000X, measuring 10 inches (25cm) high, weighing 2½ pounds and with a talk time of 20 minutes for each 10 hour charge.

You can honour these scientific turning points with a visit to one of the UK’s fabulous and free museums, such as Newcastle-UponTyne’s Discovery Museum, Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum and the Science Museum, London.

Further information:

Wrenathon, 13-24 June 2023 and Wren300

January-December 2023, wren300.org/ events

Kings Cross Free Open Air Film Festival, 22 June-6 August 2023, kingscross.co.uk/ event

Adventure Cinema Open Air Cinema Tour, various dates & locations, JuneSeptember 2023, adventurecinema.co.uk

Discovery Museum, Newcastle Upon Tyne, discoverymuseum.org.uk

2. Castles To Come Home To

It’s been quite a moment for Royal Britain. In recent years we’ve seen an unprecedented number of noble comings and goings - royal weddings, births and funerals; the Queen’s Jubilee, the King’s Coronation and the final series of The Crown

If you’re missing that buzz of pomp and circumstance, why not go on a royal venture of your own this summer? Whether you’re new to the UK or have been here since Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation, visiting castles, historic houses and stately homes is an unmissable and uniquely British experience. From perfectly restored fairytale fortresses to crumbling medieval wrecks where much is left to the imagination, these are attractions you definitely can’t get state-side.

For a first-class imperial outing, visit Sussex’s Arundel Castle and its medieval festival and Jousting Tournament.

Over six days, international jousters on horseback battle to be crowned Champion of Champions. As well as the thrill and excitement of the jousts, you can enjoy close encounters with minstrels, falconers, archers and fire eaters, and a chance to try your luck at archery, axe throwing, warrior training, forging and period crafts. Arundel’s Knights’ Table is the place for a spectacular feast, real ale and medieval mayhem. Other splendid summer events at Arundel include history days and open air Shakespeare in the castle’s lush gardens.

A particularly brilliant castle for families is Hever Castle in Kent. Over 700 years old and pure storybook, Hever is the ancient home of the Boleyn family and where King Henry VIII courted the second of his six ill-fated wives, Anne Boleyn. It has every enchantment you’d expect in a perfect palace: turrets and battlements, a double moat, knights in armour, weapons and instruments of torture on display, majestic gardens and a splashing water maze. Until November, Hever entry includes admission to a historic exhibition, Catherine & Anne: Queens, Rivals, Mothers. Here for the first time in 500 years two treasured Book of Hours prayerbooks, belonging to and cherished by Henry’s VIII first two wives, are reunited and displayed together.

Hever is famed for its annual summer festival, packed with plays, music, movies, comedy and family entertainment. Other fair weather options include open water swimming in the Castle lake, Afternoon Tea served in the Boleyn wing and picnicking on the Two Sisters’ Lawn.

Blenheim Palace , near Oxford, has a long and noble history, most notably as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and his illustrious ancestors. It’s renowned for gilded state rooms, breath-taking water terraces and magnificent landscaping. Blenheim’s Great Court is the stunning setting for the annual Nocturne Live summer concerts. This year’s starry lineup is topped by Lionel Richie, Gregory Porter and Gabrielle, with Pete Tong reprising his Ibiza Classics Show.

Further information:

Hever Castle and Gardens, open daily, hevercastle.co.uk

Hever Festival, May-August 2023, heverfestival.co.uk

Arundel Castle International Jousting Festival, 25-30 July 2023, arundelcastle.org

Nocturne Live, Blenheim Palace, 14-18 June 2023, nocturnelive.com

3. Pride Of The Proms

Hailed as the world’s greatest festival of classical music, the BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, affectionately known as The Proms and a national treasure since 1895, roll into London midJuly, filling the Royal Albert Hall with an incredible 84 concerts and eight weeks of sumptuous sound.

Prom seats are affordably priced and every concert famously features hundreds of ‘Promming’ tickets for £8 each. These give you the unique chance to stand in the central Arena or stand, sit or even lie down in the Upstairs Gallery. You can also tap into dozens of free and extra events, talks, films and workshops.

This year’s Proms are more imaginative and diverse than ever, a feast of international orchestras, conductors, choirs and soloists, and a huge variety of music. Visits by the musical great and good from around the world include thrilling Chinese pianist Yuja Wang and South Korean violin sensation, Bomsori.

There’s a star-studded Bollywood Night celebrating India’s ‘Queen of Melody,’ Lata Mangheshkar, while singer-songwriter Rufus

Wainwright takes audiences to new heights with his mesmerising Want Symphonic CBeebies Children’s Prom guides families on a fun-filled Ocean Adventure, while the folks behind the Horrible Histories series plus eminent musical guests team up for a high decibel and hilarious ‘Orrible Opera Prom, complete with dying divas, spellbinding sorceresses and ghostly generals.

The heavens above and the 9,999 pipes of the Royal Albert Hall’s glorious organ are front and centre for the Moon and Stars Late Night Prom. Several Proms are dedicated to shining single works, like Mozart’s magnificent Mass in C Minor and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, which the Aurora Orchestra performs completely from memory.

American musicians are always wellrepresented at the Proms and this year is no exception. Dee-Dee Bridgwater and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra sing jazz standard and big band classics, shimmer-voiced Reginald Mobley leads us on a musical journey through the AfricanAmerican spiritual, and there’s even a dedicated all-American evening. The vibrant Marin Alsop returns to conduct the legendary Last Night of the Proms

The Last Night is a beloved, very British annual ritual, replete with traditional fancy dress, party poppers, balloons and flagwaving sing-a-longs to ‘Rule, Britannia!’ and ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, and Last Night tickets always sell out fast. But if you can’t make it to get to the Last Night in person, you can still watch, wave your flags, pop your party poppers and singalong via giant public video screens around the UK, or enjoy the magic of the evening live on radio, laptop, smartphone or TV from the comfort of your own home, courtesy of the BBC. Further information:

BBC Henry Wood Promenade Concerts (‘the Proms’), 14 July-9 September 2023, bbc.co.uk/proms

4. Around The World At WOMAD

WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance and is simply the biggest international music festival on the planet. Happening the last weekend in July, WOMAD brings together performing artists from dozens of countries and thousands of world music fans to its splendid open air site deep in the Wiltshire countryside.

This year’s adventurous line up is topped by Afrobeat stars Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, and Cuba’s sensational Ana Carla Maza, with her distinct brand of Bossa Nova and Samba. Global musical royalty is represented by the queen of Portuguese Fado , Mariza, and by Malkit Singh, undisputed king of Indian bhangra.

From Morocco come the mesmerising sounds of Asmâa Hamzaoui and her all-female band, challenging the maledominated world of North African gnawa From Japan is a musical whirlwind known as Ajate, with its extraordinary blend of traditional Japanese Ohayashi and East African Afro-funk.

There’s also swinging juke-joint jive from King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys, hot and spicy southern Italian pizzica from Amaraterra, cumbia from the Peruvian Amazon’s Los Wemblers, self-described ‘freak cabaret’ courtesy of Ukraine’s Dakh Daughters, and much, much more. Don’t be surprised if your most memorable WOMAD sounds come from musicians or music styles you’ve never heard of before.

But WOMAD is much more than a chance to revel in a rousing feast of music. It’s also a place for dancing or drumming the night away, acapella singing workshops in a Bedouin tent, and celebrating all things spoken and written with the World of Words Stage and the Hip Yak Poetry Shack

The much-loved Taste the World Cookery Stage, will be back. Here, performing artists prepare choice dishes from their home countries whilst chatting about their lives, music and culture with charming stage host, Roger de Wolf. It’s all served up with a side order of spontaneous music and the audience gets to taste the completed dish.

All that hard work traipsing from stage to stage makes for hearty appetites and WOMAD’s Global Market is more than ready for this. Let your tastebuds do the travelling as you eat and drink your way around the world. Try festival favourites like Goan fish curry, Indian thali and Japanese tempura, whole spit-roasted chickens, sheep’s milk ice cream cones and splendid tea and cakes. Take time to browse the tempting range of crafts, clothing, music paraphernalia and worthy causes on display.

With free entry for under 14s, a dedicated kids’ zone, World of Children , offering hundreds of free activities from dawn to dusk and a relaxed vibe, WOMAD is an outstanding choice for families.

In need of a break from the hullabaloo? Nip into the World of Wellbeing, a cool, calming space among the trees of the Arboretum where you can sample laughter yoga, song baths, didgeridoo healing, sound meditation and some excellent tea and cakes. And if you’re tired of chemical toilets and ground sheet camping, treat yourself to the La Di Da Loos, luxury camping in tipis, podpads and yurts, or splash out on a WOMAD Spa ticket. This gives you unlimited access to pamper pavilions of Persian rugs and saffron light, gardens and gazebos, hammocks, hot tubs and barrel sauna, the exclusive Chakra Bar and a range of therapeutic treatments. Further information:

WOMAD, 27-30 July 2023, Charlton Park, womad.org

5. Eat Drink And Be Merry

Summertime Britain is a food lovers’ paradise, with dozens of festivals, fairs and other tasty offerings where food and cooking take centre stage.

For a top taste treat in July, head to Edinburgh’s famous Food Festival, taking over George Square Gardens in the heart of the majestic city’s Old Town for a 10-day eat and drink extravaganza.

Also in July, Cornwall plays host to RO, the annual Rock Oyster Festival , on the picturesque banks of the Camel Estuary. Think Michelin-starred chefs cooking in tipis, open fire feasts on Mussel Beach, and masterclasses such as Smoking and Curing, Foraging, Soul Food and How to Light a Fire. Be sure to save some room for RO’s usual and not-so-usual side dishes like music, comedy, cabaret, wild swimming, aerial yoga and Bacchanalian Bingo

‘Eat, Drink, Stink’ is the memorable tagline for Isle of Wight’s 40th annual Garlic Festival, complete with garlic games, garlic characters, garlic masterclasses - in short, garlic everything. The Festival is a pungent proposition of live music, family-friendly entertainment and most of all fantastic food and drink, though not exclusively garliclaced. Festival favourite, the Flying Seagull Project, delivers high energy cheer with its team of clowns, street artists, magicians and musicians. This year sees the return of the popular Garlic Festival Dogshow with prize categories including Best Little Stinker, Most Handsome Hound, Loveliest Lady and Best Veteran - strictly for senior pooches, 7 years and older.

In August, Meatopia comes to London’s Tobacco Dock. A self-proclaimed “love affair with food, drink, fire and music”, expect nothing less than exclusive creations from 60 world-leading fire chefs using ethically sourced meat, cooked to perfection over sustainable wood and charcoal.

Meanwhile, seafood lovers won’t want to miss Dorset’s sumptuous SeaFeast , taking place in early September on Weymouth’s beautiful sandy beach and historic harbourside. With an emphasis on responsibly sourced local seafood, you’ll find demonstrations and tastings from seafood superheroes, children’s cooking workshops at the School of Fish, plenty of lively entertainment and unlimited fresh sea air. SeaFeast proudly helps raise funds for the Fishermen’s Mission charity.

If multiple weekends of summer eating aren’t enough to satisfy the appetite, check out newly-opened Hackney Bridge in East London, offering a lively, year-round, open-to-the-wee-hours indoor street food market, with eating areas overlooking the canal and surrounded by East London’s biggest garden. This exciting venue will host weekly vintage and makers’ fairs as well as a wide variety of music, learning and entertainment events.

Further information:

Edinburgh Food Festival 21-30 July 2023, edfoodfest.com

Isle of Wight Garlic Festival, dates 19-20 August 2023, garlicfestival.co.uk

Dorset SeaFeast, 9-10 September 2023, dorsetseafood.co.uk

Hackney Bridge, hackneybridge.org

Take Five is our quarterly feature bringing the best of British to Americans in Britain.