Escape, Unwind & Find Yourself at Middle Picadilly Holistic Spa Retreat

You can be forgiven if you have never heard of Middle Piccadilly Holistic Spa Retreat.  It’s not particularly well hidden and lots of people know and love it, including Loving Dorset, but Middle Piccadilly, like its owner and guiding hand Dominic Harvey, is understated and discreet. 

Located on the outskirts of Sherborne, Middle Piccadilly attracts guests from all over the world – many head down to Dorset from London and there is a loyal following of more local clients too.  I was introduced to Middle Piccadilly by a good friend a while ago but it was only when I actually visited the retreat recently that I really began to appreciate the tranquillity and the real opportunities offered there to reflect and ‘find yourself’.

Accommodating a maximum number of 9 guests at any one time the atmosphere is very informal and guests are made to feel instantly at home.  Dominic’s view is that only when people are completely relaxed can they truly unwind and be receptive to holistic treatments and rejuvenation.

Middle Piccadilly was originally the brainchild of Dominic’s mother – anecdotally her father was the first osteopath to practice in Harley street London.  Established in 1985 the retreat has evolved and is still evolving to meet the needs of guests looking to escape the stresses of everyday life for a while and re-charge their batteries.  

Radios and TV’s (with the exception of one room) are nonexistent and other electronic equipment is discouraged.  Food as you would imagine is organic, locally sourced and delicious. Celebrity guests over the years have included the likes of Lulu, Maureen Lipman and Terence Trent d’arby!

 A six sided stand alone wooden building on stilts in the grounds provides a tranquil location for yoga practice and meditation

Dominic explains his philosophy, “In order to meet the demands of stressful 21^st Century working life, it’s important to implement sustainable strategies to enable you to maintain a healthy lifestyle that will allow you to manage all the daily challenges at home and at work.”

Middle Piccadilly’s recipe for positive change, a renewed sense of self and an empowered outlook on life includes:

·          An inspiring list of transformative, potentially life changing and empowering healing  treatments for the body mind and spirit.

·          Therapists that work from a holistic perspective – considering all the aspects of your being in wholeness

·          A ‘home from home’ atmosphere to assist you to be your most comfortable

·          An opportunity to clear away anything in your life that doesn’t serve to benefit you

·         Mouth-watering ‘Feel Good’ vegetarian cuisine, the taste sensation that is Roaw Food and all our own freshly prepared recipes

·         Specific and tailored breaks with Detox, Raw or Retreat options.

      For more information visit their website or email Dominic E.dominic@middlepicadilly.com

She certainly is all art!

This week we've been musing over the great work by Claire Streather, a Dorset based artist with a small studio  on Portland. Claire recently set up She Is All Art which see's her exhibiting around once a year, selling online and putting a name to her work!

Claire has studied painting, photography, textiles and graphic design and continues to research, study and explore, in order to keep her work informed, exciting and fresh.
Some of Claires many influences include the feminine form, the changing seasons, nature, paint, photography, film and digital, textiles, colour, layers, texture, surface pattern, light, the modern world, graphics and advertising. 

Claires future looks promising with continued development both artistically and professionally. Her work has been stocked in Mary Portas’ Living and Giving shop in Kensington, London, with 50% of the proceeds going to Save the Children, her work is also widely available around Dorset at the following locations;
- Poundbury Garden Centre, Dorchester

- Every Cloud Boutique, Dorchester

- Gallery on the Wey, Upwey, Weymouth, 

- Bibis, St Alban Street, Weymouth, 

- Miss Trudy, Bridport,

- Whitestones Cafe Gallery, Easton, Portland,

- Elite, Chiswell, Portland

You can also purchase pieces of the She Is All Art collection from Claires Etsy and Folksy. 

Claire creates all sorts of things, including paintings, photographs, cards, cushions, bags and many more and describes making things as "like breathing, it's essential". 
When we asked her who inspired her work, she gave us an eclectic mix which included Frida Kahlo, Tracey Emin, Howard Hodgkin, Moholy Nagy, Rothko, Damien Hirst, Itten, Stella, and Vivienne Westwood to name but a few.
Loving Dorset loved the entire She Is All Art Collection, but this one of the red rose particularly caught our eye - we love the contrast of colours! 
Claire's personality is what we can only describe as a perfectionist and she is constantly striving for new ideas for her artwork, as she combines different techniques to achieve new and varied outcomes.
If you're loving Claire's artwork as much as we are and want to see more, She Is All Art is currently exhibiting at The Engine Room in Dorchester until 1st September so make sure you go down and check it out! There is more information on our Events Page.  To find out more about She Is All Art, you can visit her Facebook Page or follow Claire on Twitter @SheIsAllArt 

  

Dorset Seafood Festival - Fanatic about Fish?

One of our favourite annual events around Dorset is the Dorset Seafood Festival, taking place this year on the 7th and 8th July! Bringing hundreds of people down to Waterfront Weymouth every year, the festival boasts over 100 stalls and a range of expert and celebrity chefs and foodies!
With 2 large demonstration stages, you get the chance to get up close and personal as the chefs teach the crowds some basic skills for cooking fish and show off their talents at whipping up delicious meals! (If you're close enough to the front you may even be called up to taste!)
As you walk round the festival, the crowds are awash with visitors sampling all sorts of fishy treats ranging from oysters, scallops and 'new and upcoming' delicacies as they chat with local restaurant owners, chefs, and fishermen who really know their stuff about catching, buying and cooking! 

Once again the festival is sponsored by Pommery Champagne who, as we know from past experiences, keep the crowds hydrated with iced buckets of scrummy champagne. (Let me tell you now, a chilled glass of fizz beside Weymouth Harbour is something you NEED to experience!)

Celebrity chefs in attendance this year include Dorset’s very own Ashley Palmer Watts (Heston Blumenthal’s No 2) plus River Cottage contributors, Tim Maddams and John Wright,  Lesley Waters, Mat Follas, Richard Bertinet and Russell Brown. They will all bring their own unique skills and interests to the demo stages and teach the basics (filleting, gutting etc). 
For those less able in the kitchen, there is also champagne pouring demonstrations and expert wine tasting (yes, there will be samples!) to help all visitors become the perfect hosts at functions, dinner parties and more! 


This year the event will open with the Weird Fish Cross Harbour Challenge at 10:30am on the Saturday, judged by Sarah Ayton OBE, double Olympic sailing gold medalist, that sees swimmers race accross the cold waters of the harbour to be the first to down an oyster and a class of Pommery Champagne! 

For the younger ones, restaurateur Mark Hix will be judging The Dorset Young Seafood MasterChef of the Year Competition and for the cookbook collectors there will be book signings from famous chef authors - there really is something for everyone! So, if you fancy going along, just get down to Waterfront Weymouth on the 7th/8th July! See you there! More information available on the Website, Facebook and Twitter. 

Sensational Sculpturing - Sandworld Weymouth

Popular Dorset attraction, Sandworld Weymouth, is home to some of the most amazing sand sculptures you will ever see in the UK, on a scale that will certainly surprise you.  

Under the cover of a giant marquee, international artists have been creating scenes from Greek Mythology, including Hercules, Medusa, Icarus  and The Trojan Horse, plus a 3m high Royal Coat of Arms in celebration of the Queens Diamond Jubilee and a 5m high sandcastle. 

Set up in 2011 by Weymouth’s own sand master – Mark Anderson - with friend David Hicks, Sandworld is a progression from the traditional beach front displays synonymous with Weymouth, and made world famous by Marks grandfather Fred Darrington.  

Fred started creating sand sculptures on Weymouth beach as a young man back in the 1920’s and worked with sand all his life, retiring eventually in his 80’s but not before he had passed his passion on to Mark. Mark has now been sand sculpting for 25 years, and David has been working alongside Mark for the past six. 

Apart from the main displays, Sandworld has a giant covered “Sand Pit” where you have a chance to get stuck in and have a go for yourself! Instruction boards and a selection of tools are available, and the staff are very happy to give essential tips and tricks to create the perfect sandcastle or sculpture. (A great idea for children's birthday parties and school trips!!)

To keep younger children entertained, there is an under 5’s play area with play equipment while older children have a go at sculpting. The main marquee is also home to The Wildflower Café which serves hot and cold snacks and drinks and icecreams. If you manage to visit Sandworld on a sunny day, there is an area with picnic benches for a bit of Al Fresco dining! The environment is very relaxing!  

The Sand Art area provides the opportunity to fill shaped bottles with coloured sand or create a Sand Art card (at additional cost) and we thought these were just lovely, and perfect gives to bring home for family and friends or keep as a souvenir of your day! We love the heart ones! There is also a small gift shop selling branded merchandise, postcards and gifts completes the experience. 

 Sandworld runs sand carving competitions from time to time, an “Easter Egg” carving competition at Easter, which proved very popular, and for The Diamond Jubilee will be running a “Crown Carving” competition – check Website and Facebook for details 

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I'm sorry but how AMAZING is Wimborne Folk Festival?!