A new drama following Nicola Sturgeon and her estranged husband’s fall from grace has been commissioned as television movie for Channel 5 following his embezzlement scandal
A drama following Nicola Sturgeon and her estranged husband Peter Murrell has been commissioned by Channel 5(Image: PA)
Channel 5 announced today they will make a 90 minute factual drama about how Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, embezzled £400,000 from the SNP over a 12 year period.
Called ‘To Nicola, Love Peter’ it will follow the channel’s success with Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards. The drama creators say they will draw on an extensive range of factual sources including evidence gathered by Police Scotland, The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service as well as extensive TV and newspaper interviews with Nicola Sturgeon and interviews with other key protagonists.
Ben Frow, Chief Content Officer, 5 said: “This is an epic tale of Shakespearean proportions. An extraordinary tale of power, envy, deception and greed.
“It’s both a high-stakes political melodrama and bizarre domestic drama that has dominated headlines and gossip columns. We will be pulling together the events and characters involved to create a compelling revealing drama, as well as answering that very important question – why would anyone pay £2,600 for a pair of salt & pepper grinders…?!”
In June, former SNP chief executive Murrell was sentenced to five years and three months in jail after he admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.
Murrell – the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon – used the funds to buy goods ranging from cars and a motorhome to kitchenware and toiletries.
The Glasgow home he shared with Sturgeon was searched as part of the police operation, as was the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.
Murrell’s largest single purchase, in 2020, was a £124,550 luxury motorhome, paid for entirely with party funds. When it was seized by police three years later, it had only ever been driven four miles.
Murrell also used party funds to buy further items including a £3,223 coffee machine, a £3,000 robotic lawn mower, £2,600 salt and pepper grinders and a £425 gold pendant that Sturgeon was photographed wearing.
Sturgeon has said she was not aware that Murrell had purchased many of the high-value items listed in court documents. The former first minister has consistently insisted that she had no reason to believe that Murrell had not used his own money for the items he was buying.
Sturgeon had stepped down as first minister in March 2023 and was arrested In June 2023. But she was later told she was not being investigated.
Last year Sturgeon announced that the pair were ending their marriage. She appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe earlier this month and in an on stage interview told the audiences she “feels like a mug” for caring about estranged husband Murrell.
She also claimed he “lied right up until he pled guilty”, and said she won’t be visiting him in prison.
Sturgeon also said: “Over the years, he never really levelled with me. The day he pled guilty, I was still learning about some of the detail of what he had done for the first time. I suddenly realised I had been living with somebody that I never really knew properly.”
Casting for ‘To Nicola, Love Peter’ is currently underway with filming likely to begin later this year. it is expected to air on 5 in 2027.
Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards pulled in almost two million viewers when it aired earlier this year on 5.
By entering this promotion (the Promotion), you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions (the Terms and Conditions). Completion and submission of an entry form or e-mail will also be deemed acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. Promotional materials relating to the Promotion, including all information on how to enter the Promotion published in publications of the Promoter (including social media if applicable) or on the Promoter’s websites, also form part of these Terms and Conditions. In the event of any conflict between any terms referred to in such promotional materials and these Terms and Conditions, these Terms and Conditions take precedence.
The promoter of this Promotion is News Group Newspapers Ltd (publishers of The Sun and The Sun on Sunday) of 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF (the Promoter).
Eligibility
The Promotion is only open to residents of the United Kingdom.
You must be aged 18 years or older to enter the Promotion.
The following individuals are not eligible to enter the Promotion:
employees and agents of the Promoter, News Corp UK & Ireland Limited (or any group companies of the Promoter or News Corp UK & Ireland Limited);
employees and agents of (i) any organisation directly connected with the operation or fulfilment of the Promotion (including third party promotional partners); and (ii) any associated, affiliated or subsidiary companies of such organisations or partners; and
the immediate families and household members of all such employees and agents referred to in (a) and (b).
By entering the Promotion, you confirm that you are eligible to do so and are eligible to claim the Prize you may win. The Promoter may require you to provide proof of your age, residency, and eligibility to enter the Promotion. If a Winner is found to be ineligible, the Promoter reserves the right to award the Prize to another participant and to require the return of the Prize (or any portion of the Prize) if already awarded. The Promoter’s decision as to whether an entrant is eligible for this promotion is final and the Promoter is not obliged to provide any reasons for disqualification.
You must comply with the laws that apply to you in the jurisdiction that you access the Promotion from. If any laws applicable to you restrict or prohibit you from entering the Promotion, you must comply with those laws and, if applicable, refrain from entering the Promotion.
Timing
The Promotion starts at 01.00am (UK time) on Sunday 23rd August 2026 and closes at 11.59pm (UK time) on Monday 24 August 2026 (the Promotion Period). Any entries received outside the Promotion Period are automatically disqualified.
How to Enter
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
How to enter:
Email entry
send an email headed Reading OR Leeds to sundayfeatures@the-sun.co.uk containing your name, email address, postal address and telephone number during the Promotion Period. Emails are free of charge but you may be subject to data charges at the usual rate depending on your own individual arrangements for internet access.
Participants may make a maximum of one entry per person during the Promotion Period. Bulk, automatically generated or third party entries are void.
The Promoter reserves the right to remove or temporarily suspend any entries submitted from the Promotion if it reasonably suspects any breach of these Terms and Conditions or if it receives any complaint from any third party relating to such entry.
Any entries received other than via the official entry methods will not be accepted. Use of script, macro or any automated system to enter the Promotion is prohibited. Entries made (or which appear to have been made) using any such system may be treated as void. Any illegible, incomplete or fraudulent entries will be rejected. No purchase of any product or service is required to enter into this Promotion.
Incomplete or illegible entries will be void.
Winners and Prizes
There will be 2 (two) winners of the Promotion (the Winners), who will receive a Prize (as defined below). One Winner will be selected at random from all valid entries for “Reading”, and one Winner will be selected at random from all valid entries for “Leeds”, received during the Promotion Period by a computer process that produces verifiably random results. There will be no prizes for any other participants.
The Prizes are:
One pair of general admission tickets to Reading Festival (awarded to the Reading draw Winner). Tickets are valid for 5 days between 26 August 2026 and 30 August 2026 only. Winner must be 18 or over (valid photo ID may be required). If the Winner’s guest is a minor, the minor must be accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian (at their own expense). Venue reserves the right to refuse entry. Winner and guest are responsible for travel to and from the show, at their own expense. Winner and guest must use tickets on the same date[s].
One pair of general admission tickets to Leeds Festival (awarded to the Leeds draw Winner). Tickets are valid for 5 days between 26 August 2026 and 30 August 2026 only. Winner must be 18 or over (valid photo ID may be required). If the Winner’s guest is a minor, the minor must be accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian (at their own expense). Venue reserves the right to refuse entry. Winner and guest are responsible for travel to and from the show, at their own expense. Winner and guest must use tickets on the same date[s].
The Prize is non-exchangeable and non-transferable. The Winners have no right to request or receive an alternative to the Prize, and the Prize cannot be redeemed for cash or its monetary value, in whole or in part.
Notwithstanding paragraph 16 above, in the event that, for any reason beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control, the Promoter is unable to award the Prize as described in these Terms and Conditions, the Promoter reserves the right to award a prize of a similar nature and an equivalent value, or at its sole discretion, the cash value of the Prize. The Promoter also reserves the right to award a prize of a similar nature and an equivalent value, or at its sole discretion, the cash value of the Prize if in its reasonable discretion it is appropriate to do so.
The Winners are responsible for paying all costs and expenses that are not included within the Prize, but are incidental to the Winners redeeming the Prize, including (for example) transport, accommodation, meal costs, spending money, insurance and any other incidentals. The Winners is also personally responsible for any personal expenses and any VAT, national and/or local tax liabilities (if any) incurred in claiming or using the Prize.
By participating in the Promotion, participants agree that the Prize is awarded on an “as is” basis and that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, neither the Promoter nor any of its subsidiary or affiliated companies, make any guarantees, representations or warranties of any nature with respect to the Prize.
The Promoter may amend or withdraw any element of a competition, prize draw, vote or poll for reasons beyond their reasonable control, including but not limited to the unavailability of the vote, poll, competition or prize draw entry platform before the closing date, or for strike, lock-out, labour dispute, illness, act of God, natural disaster, adverse weather conditions, war, riot, civil commotion, accident, public health concern in relation to potential infection, epidemic or pandemic, malicious damage, fire, flood and/or storm, compliance with law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, breakdown of plant, machinery or transportation. The Promoter is not responsible for any loss or damage caused to you as a result of any of these occurrences.
Winners Notification and Claiming Prize
The Promoter will use its reasonable endeavours to notify the Winners by phone or using the other contact details provided to the Promoter on Tuesday 25 August. The Winners need to confirm acceptance of the Prize within 24 hours of being notified they have won. Winners may be required to submit valid identification before receiving their prize.
If a Winner cannot be contacted within this 24 hour window or (ii) refuses or is unable to confirm acceptance of the Prize, the Promoter reserves the right to re-draw a new Winner at random, using a computer process that produces verifiably random results), from the remaining valid entries that were received during the Promotion Period.
The Prize will be delivered, or details with instructions on how to book or obtain the Prize will be communicated, to the Winner within 12 HOURS after the Prize has been accepted.
Publicity and Data Protection
The Promoter will collect and process participants’ personal information in accordance with the privacy policy at http://www.newsprivacy.co.uk/.
The Promoter is required to either publish or make available information that indicates a valid award took place. As such, (and subject to any objections of the Winner) the Promoter will send the surname and county of the Winners and, if applicable copies of their winning entries, to anyone that contacts the Promoter at the address given above by no later than 28 (twenty eight) days after the end of the Promotion Period.
The Winners of this Promotion may be asked to participate in publicity.
If Winners objects to their information being published and/or made available, or participating in publicity as described above, they should inform the Promoter at the earliest opportunity by emailing help@thesun.co.uk. The Winners acknowledge that the Promoter may still be required to share their details with the Advertising Standards Authority or other regulators.
Liability
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall in any way limit or exclude the Promoter’s liability for fraudulent misrepresentation, death or personal injury caused by its negligence or for any other matter where liability may not be limited as a matter of law.
The Promoter will not be responsible for any damage, loss or injury resulting from participants’ entry into the Promotion or their acceptance and/or use of the Prize, or for technical, hardware or software failures, lost, faulty or unavailable network connections or difficulties of any kind that may limit or prohibit participant’s ability to participate in the Promotion. Your statutory rights are not affected.
The Promoter will not be responsible for any lost, damaged, defaced, incomplete, illegible or otherwise unreadable entries. Proof of sending an entry (whether by post, email, SMS or other method) is not proof of receipt by the Promoter of any entries.
Without prejudice to a participant’s statutory rights and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Promoter, its agents or distributors will not be responsible or liable to compensate the Winners or accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by or any personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking up a Prize.
The title in the Prize and any risk of loss or damage to the Prize will pass to the Winners upon delivery of the Prize to such Winner. The Promoter is not liable for or obliged to replace any defective, lost, damaged or stolen Prize where such defect, loss or damage is not due to the fault and/or negligence of the Promoter.
General
The Promoter’s decision as to the Winners of the Prize is final and binding on the participants. The Promoter will not enter into correspondence with participants in relation to this decision.
Participants agree to keep confidential any information of any nature regarding the Promoter and its businesses, personnel, agents, sponsors and event promoters received by participants as a result of winning or participating in any Promotion.
The provision of the Prize does not imply endorsement by Festival Republic or any third parties concerned in any way with the Promotion.
Unless otherwise stated in the promotional materials, this Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, the manufacturer or service provider of the relevant Prize. Participants are providing their information to the Promoter and not to the manufacturer or service provider of the relevant Prize (although, if a participant wins, their details may be disclosed to the Prize provider in order to provide them with the Prize).
Participants must not do anything illegal and/or dangerous and/or that would put themselves or others at any risk with the Prize or in connection with the Promotion in any way.
Any participant who enters or attempts to enter the Promotion in a manner, which in the Promoter’s reasonable opinion is contrary to these Terms and Conditions or by its nature is unjust to other participants (including tampering with the operation of the Promotion, cheating, hacking, deception or any other unfair playing practices such as intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other participants or the Promoter and/or any of its agents or representatives) may be rejected from the Promotion at the Promoter’s sole discretion. Furthermore, where such actions have significantly impaired the Promotion, the Promoter may, at its sole discretion, add further stages to the Promotion as it deems reasonably necessary in order to resolve any problems arising from such actions.
The Promoter reserves the right, at any time, to cancel, modify or amend any element of the Promotion and/or these Terms and Conditions. Any such cancellation or any material amendment will be notified by posting the updated Terms and Conditions on the Promoter’s website. The Promoter is not responsible for any loss or damage caused to you as a result of any event outside the Promoter’s control.
These Terms and Conditions are governed by English law. The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear any dispute or claim arising in association with the Promotion or these Terms and Conditions.
The Promoter may transfer all or part of its rights under these Terms and Conditions to someone else without obtaining your consent; provided such transfer does not significantly disadvantage you.
Any provision of these Terms and Conditions which is deemed illegal and/or prohibited or unenforceable under any applicable law will be ineffective to the extent of such illegality, prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions.
If you have any difficulty accessing or entering this Promotion, please contact the Promoter at help@thesun.co.uk. If you would like these terms and conditions in another format (for example: audio, large print, braille), please get in contact and the Promoter will endeavour to provide it.
In-paper T&Cs
Your terms and conditions to be included in the paper are set out below. If space is particularly limited, please discuss with legal to ascertain if it is possible to shorten these further.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Promotion closes at 23.59pm on Monday 24 August. Open to residents of the United Kingdom who are aged 18 years or older, excluding employees and agents of the Promoter and its group companies, or third parties directly connected with the operation or fulfilment of the Promotion and their affiliates, and their immediate families and household members. One entry per person. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries and notified by phone/email on Tuesday 25 August 2026. Winners must claim their prize by 23.59 on Tuesday 25 August 2026. No cash alternative and prize is non-transferable. Your information will be used to administer this Promotion and otherwise in accordance with our privacy policy at newsprivacy.co.uk Promoter is News Group Newspapers Limited. Full T&Cs apply – see [insert hyperlink].
Social Media T&Cs
Your terms and conditions to be included in the social media post are set out below. If space is particularly limited, please discuss with legal to ascertain if it is possible to shorten these further.
How to participate: Enter via Sun Club hub or email sundayfeatures@the-sun.co.uk with name, address and contact number. UK residents 18+ only. Ends23.59GMT 24/08/2026. Promoter: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The walls are then painted in different shades of brown.
There is a new ramp for wheelchair access as well.
Around 350,000 people use the station each year to head to Glastonbury Festival, which is around six miles away and served by a free shuttle during the festival.
From the station, there are numerous services including Great Western Railway services direct to London Paddington.
Around 350,000 people head via the train station to get to Glastonbury Festival each yearCredit: Redferns
According to the BBC, Tim Hedley Jones, director of the Railway Heritage Trust, said: “I’m particularly pleased to see the reproduction of the original Great Western Railway benches so that people can appreciate the quality of furniture that was provided in stations, and also the colours that were used.
“Historic stations have character. This project, whilst also bringing back the old heritage at the station, removed the clutter and made it a much more positive experience for passengers in a modern context.”
What do you get if you cross two mini ice-cream cones with Ursula and King Triton from the Little Mermaid?
The wacky and immersive world of Camp Bestival of course!
Britain’s happiest family festival once again put on a show for not just the ages, but all ages.
For one glorious weekend each summer, the stunning grounds of Lulworth Castle in Dorset are transformed into what can only be described as a giant playground.
The brainchild of renowned music specialist Rob da Bank and creative director Josie da Bank, and founded in 2008, Camp Bestival is known as the UK’s ultimate family festival, having won Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards six times.
Created with a vision of reinventing family time, it has gone from strength to strength, and from personal experience as a multi-time Bestivaler, 2026 delivered one of its strongest editions yet.
While Camp Bestival has never been centred on drawing the crowds solely for big name headline acts, you’d be hard pushed to get a better line up than rave DJ Fatboy Slim, De La Soul, the Cuban Brothers, Billy Ocean, Leftfield and chart-topping Bastille, just to name a few.
For sure, these acts would pull in massive crowds at any venue round the country, but the magic for 30,000 festival goers in any year is what you will find away from the main stages.
Have you ever danced to a country band in a Pig’s Big Ballroom, or raved with your kids to a grammatically correct rap MC Grammar? No, then what are you waiting for?
For our family, two big kids (me and my wife Katie) and our two small humans, aged five and two, like so many others, running around sun soaked fields, listening to music, climbing giant robot sculptures (them not us!), riding a ferris wheel or letting loose on swinging chairs at the fun fare; this was a real chance to connect.
Let’s be honest, life can seem pretty tough these days. The news cycle can be overwhelming at times, then chuck in work, school, bills, exams, kids!
But as soon as you enter into this kaleidoscope of countryside colour, where bubble machines float across fields packed with picnics, children chasing giant puppets through woodland trails, and every pathway revealing another adventure waiting to be discovered, your worries can be a distant memory.
Unlike many festivals where the music is everything, Camp Bestival’s magic lies in the moments in between.
As we gathered for the annual trolley competition – the type you either haul to the beach or the park with your camping chairs in, or your exhausted children back to your tent after a day of festival fun – we were given a glimpse into how special this place can be.
The aforementioned mini ice-cream cones were two toddlers dressed up in exquisitely made papier mache inventions, alongside parents dressed as ice cream sellers and their vehicle imaginatively turned into a mobile ice cream stall.
Dozens of families queue patiently every year to show off their creative talents, but this particular entry had an added meaning.
As people clapped and cheered their flawless construction, the mum-of-two not only announced that she was pregnant – nine months and a week in fact! – but that she had just got the all clear from cancer and the festival was the family celebration of how far they had come.
I’ve always been impressed with how, unlike many large-scale events, at Camp Bestival there is an overwhelming sense that everyone was looking out for one another, but the cheers and applause that rang out in that moment was something magical.
And what more could you want from a weekend away with your loves ones?
Scenes where parents dance with toddlers on their shoulders to TV pranksters Dick & Dom, chats with Traitors star Joe Marler and the odd appearance from kids’ favourite Bluey – even on stage with Bastille – and teenagers queuing patiently for activities alongside parents and grandparents.
This is a place where children truly get to enjoy the rare freedom of exploring a safe, welcoming environment where imagination is not only encouraged, but pretty much mandatory, at every turn.
Festival founders Rob and Josie have spent years perfecting an event that understands exactly what families need.
Every year the festival revelers such as us also get a chance to play dress up and this year’s theme played homage to the Sunday headline act, Brighton boy Norman Cook, aka DJ Fatboy Slim,.
The 2026 At the Seaside Fancy Dress Competition was a full-blown celebration of British seaside spirit: swimmers, mermaids, jellyfish, lobsters, sailors, and a Baywatch themed lifeguard flashmob.
Yes, there are headline acts capable of filling arenas, but there are also puppet shows, storytelling sessions, outdoor adventures, comedy, wellbeing activities and enough arts and crafts to keep even the busiest little minds occupied for hours.
There are hundreds of free activities for families to explore from theatre, circus skills, science explorations, sports and immersive theatre through to amazing live acts and DJs, family raves, comedy, award-winning street food, and flamboyant evening cabaret – all shared with families simply there to have the best time.
Tucked away in a haven of calm amidst the festival buzz, Slomo Wellbeing offered a three-day programme of free wellbeing session designed for all ages.
Headliners Jasmine Hemsley, Joe Wicks, Zita West, Trish Whelan, Rosie Underwood, Jonni Pollard, Carla DiMattina and Mama Shrooms lead a wellbeing programme featuring soundbaths, meditation, breath work, mindful movement, dance, yoga and food workshops, alongside a range of one-on-one treatments and, of course, Slomo Wellbeing’s hugely-popular saunas, ice baths and hot tubs.
Reflecting on Camp Bestival, presented by Debenhams 2026, festival curator Rob da Bank says: “What a ridiculously fun and sun kissed weekend we’ve had, bringing families together in proper Camp Bestival style.
“It always blows us away to see 30,000 revellers get stuck into so many activities, dancing to the beats and bands, getting arty and active with their families across our amazing site.
“There’s nothing Josie and I love more than to see all generations enjoying time together. We can’t wait for 2027 and are thrilled to announce that Early Bird Weekend Tickets go on sale this Friday! See you in Lulworth next year, campers!”
Returning for a second year as a headline partner, Dan Finley CEO of Debenhams Group added: “After such a fantastic debut with Camp Bestival last year, we couldn’t be more thrilled to return as headline partner for 2026.
“The energy, engagement, and connection we saw across families and festival-goers was incredible, it brought the heart of Debenhams to life in a vibrant way.
“We’re looking forward to building on that momentum, deepening our relationships, and delivering another unforgettable experience together.”
In an increasingly crowded festival market, Camp Bestival remains exactly what it has always aspired to be: a joyful celebration of music, adventure and family life, leaving thousands already counting down the days until next summer.
Thank you Camp Bestival. We can’t wait to come back!
============
With memories made and next year’s adventure already calling, eager fans can already snap up 2027 Early Bird Weekend Tickets from 10am on Friday 7th August 2026.
Camp Bestival by Debenhams will take place from Thursday 29th July – Sunday 1st August 2027.
Early Bird Weekend Tickets go on sale 10am on Friday 7th August.
For more information and to buy tickets visit campbestival.net.
I cannot remember a summer when at least one evening hasn’t been spent following signs to a local sagra. Not quite a food market and not quite a village fete, a sagra is like a village moving its kitchen outdoors for a few nights.
When I think back to those nights from childhood, the first image that comes to mind is of a woman’s hand closed into a fist above a pan of hot oil. Through a tight circle formed between her thumb and forefinger, she would squeeze soft lumps of batter, one small ball at a time, into the oil. In a few seconds, each soft mass would become a pittula, a small Salento fritter: swollen, uneven, golden, too hot to eat straight away but too good to wait for.
Illustration: Guardian Graphics
I was born in Salento (Italy’s heel), in the south end of the Puglia region, and grew up in Taviano, a small town south of Lecce. Going away for the summer was something other people did. For my family, as with many local families, summer meant packing the car and moving from our main house in town to a smaller place by the sea, only a few miles away.
That place was Mancaversa, the seaside part of Taviano, where the Sagra tu Furese(mid August, dates to be finalised), which in Salentino dialect means the farmer’s festival, seemed to bring the whole village outdoors for dinner. From a small child’s perspective, it was a forest of legs and voices. I remember trying to pull my parents past the grown-up ritual of stopping every few yards to greet people they seemed to see only in summer, as we made our way towards the stalls near Piazza delle Rose, where men fanned embers with cardboard, sausages hissed on grills, horse-meat stew simmered in tomato sauce and gnummareddi (rolls of lamb offal) tempted the more adventurous.
Music came from a small stage and the village became an open-air sitting room, where people met over food that was ordinary for us, and almost incomprehensible to anyone who came to Salento looking for beaches and white light. No one would have thought to call them experiences. They were simply the proper way to get through summer, and in a country where a meal can quickly become expensive, they still make dinner feel possible for about €15.
Sometimes my parents, my brother and sister and I would go to Cannole. We would drive inland, passing through villages that all seemed to have a festival on. Only later did I understand that those roadside signs were a map of Italian summers, one I would go on to follow beyond Salento. Each led to a village gathered, for a few nights, around a dish of its own.
Cannole itself – a small town of just over 1,500 people – lies on the other side of the province of Lecce, towards Otranto and the Alimini lakes, and since 1985 the local Pro Loco Cerceto volunteer association has organised the Festa della Municeddha(10-14 Aug), dedicated to the small snail that has always been part of home cooking there.
Festa della Municeddha celebrates the small snail that has long been part of home cooking in the Puglia region of Cannole.
The municeddha is eaten in three main ways: in tomato sauce, cooked down with onion and oil, or roasted. But whichever the version, the method for consuming them is the same: you free it from the shell with a toothpick and eat it standing up. The festival today is large, with music, stalls and full tables, and is a far slicker operation than the one I remember.
Around 400 miles up the Adriatic coast, in the Marche, is the small town of Campofilone, on the hills above the Aso valley. Since 1964, its Sagra dei Maccheroncini di Campofilone IGP (7-10 Aug) has taken an extremely thin local pasta (maccheroncini) and transformed it into the centrepiece of a public feast: cut even finer, made with semolina and eggs and cooked in one minute. As soon as it is drained, it is tossed through red mixed-meat ragù on large wooden boards, where these very fine strands, so delicate when dry, become a compact mass, glossy with sauce, ready to be sent out to the tables.
Fusillo is an egg pasta served at the Sagra del Fusillo Felittese in Felitto, south of Naples.
For the Sagra del Fusillo Felittese (13-23 Aug), set aside at least half a day. You leave the Cilento coast in the Campania region and climb inland, up to Felitto and the Gole del Calore (the Calore river gorge). The festival began in 1976 at Remolino, when fusillo (literally, little spindle) was used to bring people to the village. The reason to go is still the pasta: made with fresh eggs, long and hollow, rolled by hand around a thin iron rod. It is served with castrato ragù, traditionally made with goat from a castrated male animal, or with veal ragu.
If you’ve spent any time around Modena or Bologna in northern Italy (I moved to Modena to study at 18 and have lived there since), Castelfranco Emilia is the sort of place you’ll have passed through. At first I thought of it as a drive-through kind of town, but today I’m drawn to such places as they tend to keep their traditions fuss-free.
The tortellino, claimed by both Modena and Bologna, finds a nice compromise in Castelfranco. Legend says it was born here, at Locanda Corona, when an innkeeper glimpsed Venus’s navel through a keyhole and took it as his model. In practice, it is thinly rolled egg pasta, folded by hand around a filling of pork loin, prosciutto di Modena, mortadella di Bologna, parmigiano reggiano, egg and nutmeg. Here it is served in hot capon broth.
Local customs are still going strong at Sagra del Tortellino Tradizionale between Modena and Bologna
In September, Castelfranco holds the Sagra del Tortellino Tradizionale in Piazza Bergamini (4-14 Sept). What I remember is the square filling with long tables, people queueing at the cash desks and bowls of hot broth arriving one after another. Later, the parade leaves Corso Martiri like a small Renaissance pageant: women in brocade gowns and veils, men in caps and doublets, banners, music, and the innkeeper and noblewoman at the centre of the navel story that gave the tortellino its shape.
I arrived in Vipiteno, in Alto Adige/South Tyrol, in September, when summer in north Italy was cooling down. The Sagra dei Canederli (13 Sept) takes place during the day, and what I remember most is the strange orderliness of it: a 400-metre table laid with a gingham tablecloth in the historic centre, people finding a place, menus changing from one section to the next, and plates of dumplings arriving. It feels less like a fair than an alpine dining room laid out in the street, with folk music in the square and the mountains close enough to seem part of the meal.
A canederlo is a dumpling made from stale bread, eggs and milk – a way of using kitchen leftovers became one of the most recognisable dishes of these valleys. In Vipiteno, they come in broth, with speck, mushrooms, cheese and herbs; or sweet, with apricots or plums.
Giarratana onions at the Sagra della Cipolla onion festival.
Sicily is at the southern end of the sagre map. I came to know Giarratana through the onion that bears the name of this village, in the south-east of the island. In August, those onions fuel an open-air supper and a small seasonal economy, with visitors coming to taste them where they are grown.
The Giarratana onion is large, flat and particularly sweet. It has been recognised by the Slow Food Presidia, and during the Sagra della Cipolla Giarratana(12-14 Aug), traditionally linked to the feast of San Bartolomeo, it fills markets, food stalls and tables along the village streets. It is served raw, finely sliced and dressed with olive oil, salt and cheese; baked whole or stuffed; or inside scaccia, a local speciality similar to a thin, folded focaccia. There are also hot dishes, preserves, local wine and music.
Giarratana is small: it is worth arriving before dark, parking outside the centre and, if accommodation in the village is full, staying in Ragusa, Modica or Chiaramonte Gulfi.
The Italy of sagre is too wide to fit inside a dining room and, for every silver cloche lifted, somewhere else in Italy there is a ticket number being called over a microphone and a dinner being served from a pot larger than anything you’d find in a home kitchen.
The town of Menton on the French Riviera is beautiful at any time of the year but becomes even more of a treat during the annual Lemon festival (Fête du Citron, 10-28 February 2027). Its microclimate, courtesy of the Alps to the north blocking colder winds, gives Menton lemons a distinct fragrance, flavour and quality that set them apart. For me, the event transformed a damp cold UK winter into a fortnight of colour, taste and light. There were food tastings, salads made with lemons, tarts, cakes and pies all full of zesty colour and flavour at stalls and markets in the town. There are sculptures made from citrus fruit, parades and exhibitions in the Golden Garden of Light (Jardins Biovès). More than a food festival, it’s a celebration of what nature can give to the world. April
Veneto’s Tiramisù World Cup
Photograph: Stefano Mazzola/Getty Images
Last autumn, I discovered there is an annual Tiramisù World Cup. I was staying in Treviso (the lovely town near Venice where the dessert originated) during the three-day event featuring tastings, demonstrations from local chefs and a judging contest involving the public. There’s also folk music in the streets, and restaurants offer promotional prices on set meals from about €20 for two courses. In fact, sitting in a mini gondola, prosecco in one hand, bowl of tiramisu in the other, gliding along a canal past ornate houses while the distant snow-capped mountains of the Dolomites sparkled in the sunshine, certainly aided my appetite for food and life. Peter
Profile
Readers’ tips: send a tip for a chance to win a £200 voucher for a Coolstays break
Show
Guardian Travel readers’ tips
Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers’ tips homepage
–
A cheeky celebration in Tuscany
The Gota Cotta festival takes place in the village of Colle di Val d’Elsa. Photograph: Silvan Bachmann/Alamy
The Gota Cotta festival in Tuscany (4 October) is a celebration of local meat – pork cheeks. It was a niche product, falling out of favour, but a group of local butchers created the festival to celebrate the local delicacy. It takes over the medieval hilltop town of Colle di Val d’Elsa in Siena province with stalls selling everything from pasta to gelato – all made with pork cheek. There’s also excellent wine and craft beers … all in the most beautiful setting. Rebecca Nicholl
Switzerland knows its onions
Models made from onions on display at the Bern onion fair. Photograph: Alistair Scott/Alamy
I stumbled across Zibelemärit, Bern’s annual onion fair, on a chilly November morning. The old town was packed with farmers selling beautifully braided onions, garlic and seasonal produce. The streets were filled with tempting aromas from stalls frying onion tarts and serving steaming bowls of onion soup and cafes selling sweet onion-shaped pastries. A mug of warming glühwein was the perfect accompaniment. It was a wonderfully local event and chatting to growers about their harvest made me feel part of a genuine celebration of Swiss farming traditions. Zibelemärit takes place on the fourth Monday in November. Susanna
The Italian town devoted to leeks
Photograph: Lorenza photography/Alamy
You have to admire the town of Cervere in Piedmont, south of Turin, which is so devoted to its leeks that it has erected a permanent pavilion called the Palaporro (porro is Italian for leek) for its annual festival, called Fiera del Porro Cervere (7-22 November). Book ahead for the sit-down tasting menu, or buy leeky treats such as gratin and risotto to take away, as we did. During the sagra, the town centre is packed with stalls, many heaving with the distinctive bunches of extra-long local leeks. Our favourite part was taking a shuttle bus down to the sandy leek fields in the valley, where enthusiasts explained the traditional cultivation techniques. Martha
Farmers and brass bands in North Yorkshire
Photograph: Alan Wise/Alamy
Malton is a little village in North Yorkshire that punches way above its size when it comes to food festivals. The annual festival is worth a visit in late spring (29-30 May 2027), but so are the monthly farmers’ markets that bring together incredible local suppliers and makers. Plus, there’s a good chance of hearing a top-class brass band while you mooch and taste. Bloomin’ marvellous! Beth
The Wylam Brewery Photograph: Ben Hughes/Food Battles
Wylam Brewery’s street vendor food battles in Newcastle upon Tyne showcase local independent eateries serving their bestselling dishes to win a chance at being crowned the culinary King of Newcastle at the final Battle Royale (28 & 29 August). The competitions are wittily titled, for example Lord of the Wings for the chicken wings competition (23 & 24 October) and Argie Bhaji (27 & 28 November) for Indian street food. The concept is simple: each event offers different cuisines from pizza to pan-Asian to plant-based. The winner of each event is the vendor with the most pre-paid tokens. Set in the idyllic Exhibition Park, with DJs playing into the night, locals know not to miss these summer festivals. Carly Bamborough
‘A proper northern’ affair in Bolton
Photograph: Paul Heyes
Bolton food & drink festival (28-31 August) is brilliant because it feels properly northern: busy streets, good smells, live music and families everywhere. It is not trying to be too polished, which is why it works. You can wander from stall to stall, try something different, grab something sweet for the kids and still feel like you are part of the town. The best bit is the atmosphere. Chefs, local businesses, music and people all come together in one place. It is simple, affordable and full of energy. For a family day out, it is hard to beat. Nicholas Pearce
The pride of Plymouth
Photograph: Roy Perring/Alamy
Plymouth Flavour Fest, at the end of May each year, ranks among the finest food gatherings I’ve experienced anywhere. Boutique delicatessens form neat rows, with smartly dressed stallholders presenting produce with infectious pride. Pies, salamis, chillies, confectionery, preserves, hot food – all the good stuff laid out irresistibly. Take a cool bag and budget for things you never knew you needed. Plymouth’s Armada Way is perfect for the event, never claustrophobic when busy. A short stroll takes you to the Hoe, perfect for munching on a treat overlooking one of the finest harbours in the world. Good food brings out the best in people and, for a few hours at least, the world is put to rights. Grant Wyness
‘Ireland’s culinary playground’
Photograph: Valerie O’Sullivan/Visit Ireland
Every October, the charming fishing town of Dingle transforms into Ireland’s ultimate culinary playground. The Dingle food festival (2-4 October) brings more than 60 venues to life for the famous Taste Trail, where pubs, galleries and shopfronts serve up local seafood, artisan cheeses and much more. Add bustling market stalls, cookery masterclasses and workshops, live street music and a strong zero-waste ethos, and you’ve got a weekend that celebrates the best of Irish food, drink and hospitality, all with Irish small-town warmth. John O’Kelly
Loop’s website shows images of people wearing their devices in casual, fun settings, and the brand has also collaborated with festivals such as Coachella and Tomorrowland.
Alpine CEO Arthur van Keeken says their ear-plugs have been popular with “younger, urban people” – exactly the audience for these types of events.
He believes they are more conscious of looking after their hearing, and wants a future where music fans view ear protection in the same way skiers see helmets.
The British Association of Audiologists – healthcare experts who specialise in diagnosing and treating ear problems – say hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities.
According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), it affects about one in three UK adults.
The charity’s audiology manager Franki Oliver says that, under a microscope, the sound-sensing cells in our ears and the tiny hairs growing out of them resemble a patch of grass at a festival.
“The first day, the grass looks absolutely beautiful,” she says. “Nice and green.”
“After the first couple of days, it’s OK. But at the end of the weekend it’s looking pretty dead and it’s probably not coming back.
“The same thing is happening with our ears when we expose them to loud noises”.
Oliver says it’s a good thing that ear-plugs are increasingly seen as an “accessory to a night out, rather than something you have to use”.
But, like our ears, they are not all created equal.
A NEW “world-class” arena is being plotted for an iconic UK seaside resort.
The Government has pledged £20million to explore the possibility of bringing the development to life.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
A landmark arena in Blackpool has been proposedCredit: independently developed concept work by Carters Building ConsultancyThe venue would form part of the city’s planned regenerationCredit: independently developed concept work by Carters Building Consultancy
A new indoor arena has been proposed for Blackpool, as part of the area’s continued bid to become the UK’s City of Culture for 2029.
Currently dubbed the Phoenix Pavilion Arena, the venue would become the focal point of the city’s wider regeneration strategy.
With a proposed capacity of 15,000 to 20,000, Carters Building Consultancy said the site would host major concerts, sporting events, festivals, trade shows and live performances.
It would also create a new waterfront hospitality area, with cafes, bars and restaurants facing the promenade.
Blackpool South MP, Chris Webb, began a petition in November last year supporting the proposal, which has since been signed by thousands of local residents.
As a result, the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, has now pledged £20million to explore the next stage of the development.
Webb said: “This funding gives Blackpool the opportunity to properly test whether the project is commercially viable and put us in the strongest possible position to attract an experienced private-sector partner with the expertise to develop, operate and programme a world-class venue.
“It has the potential to attract visitors throughout the year, support our hotels, restaurants and local businesses, create high-quality jobs and strengthen Blackpool’s position as the UK’s entertainment capital.”
The investment will assess whether the construction of the arena is financially feasible and whether it would be the right investment for the area.
It also places the proposal in a better position to attract private investors.
This comes as part of Blackpool’s £2billion regeneration program set to transform the seaside city.
Completed projects include the Talbot Road tramway extension – which connected the Promenade to Blackpool North railway station – and construction is currently underway on a new £65million, high-tech university campus.
