Latest news with #WutheringHeightsDay
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
The up-and-coming English seaside town with beachfront hotels, viral Kate Bush event and new ‘open-air art' trails
WHAT do Kate Bush and Folkestone have in common? Absolutely nothing — apart from one day of the year when nearly 1,000 red dress-clad Kate fans descend on the town to celebrate the singer. 5 The lighthouse cool bar Credit: Alamy 5 Participants celebrate Wuthering Heights day Credit: PA 5 The town's scenic harbour Credit: Alamy Called The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever, the unusual event has been running in the Kent town since 2023 and kicks off at midday today on the harbour front. It's certainly a sight to behold — men and women throwing their arms in the air, dancing to the famous Wuthering Heights song. But even non- Launching today is the Folkestone Triennial, a huge open-air art exhibition that takes place every three years. Read More on Travel It features 70 pieces of artwork, including works by Tracy Emin, Chased by oysters One of my favourite spots is the beautiful Lighthouse Bar inside a former lighthouse. Look up and you will see 'Weather is a Third to Place and Time,' painted on the side, a leftover piece from the 2014 Triennial. Look even further and you might glimpse France. Most read in Best of British It's not a place for sitting indoors — there are barely more than a couple of tables. Instead grab one of the benches lining the harbour. Martin Lewis warns about strict passport rule that could see you board your flight - only to get sent home on arrival There is no better feeling than having the sea breeze blow past, and watching errant paddleboarders while sipping a glass of champagne chased by oysters. I'm surrounded by city dwellers (dubbed DFLers — Down From Londoners) who are all exclaiming how surprised they are by the town. Lighthouse Bar owner Simon explained to me: 'We were told we were mad to open in Folkestone ten years ago — now look at us.' Often aligned with other Kent seaside destinations Most tourists will flock straight to the Harbour Arm, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Lined with shipping containers serving food and drink, every summer there are new additions to the complex. My favourite new stall this year is The Mompling House, serving Nepalese snacks with juicy steamed momo dumplings and aloo chops, a spiced potato croquette. There's the award-winning Rocksalt, serving up fresh seafood while overlooking the harbour. Or new this year is Pomus, a restaurant that opened earlier this month after success in But my favourite spot is Marley's, an unassuming place from the outside that offers a small, farm-to-table menu inside (be sure to try the zesty pan-fried sea bass). 5 The town's quaint, quirky shops Credit: Alamy 5 When the booze and food becomes too much, the best place for some respite is The London & Paris Hotel Credit: Alamy It's one you'll need to make reservations for, as it is always full of locals, but it's one that's worth the wait. You can barely turn a corner without spotting a bar here. I inadvertently ended up doing my own drinks crawl, after being tempted inside many of them. Two must-visits are Burrito Buoy for their frozen margaritas, or The Beer Shop Folkestone, which serves up local craft beers. When the booze and food becomes too much, the best place for some respite is The London & Paris Hotel. First opened in 1853 to cater for travellers heading across Each of the rooms has a sea view, all with modern coastal chic decor — think blue striped walls and floral patterned pillows. It felt like my head barely touched the pillow of my extremely plush king-size bed before I was woken up to the sound of seagulls. A tap on the door heralds the arrival of breakfast, a cute hamper with fresh croissants, juice and fruit And being so close to town, my early awakening also meant I was able to make the most of the peace and quiet before the crowds came in for the day. I filled my bag with souvenirs from the Creative Quarter, the famous multi-coloured, steep street peppered with locally run shops. But after all that eating and drinking, you won't see me Running Up That Hill. GO: FOLKESTONE STAYING THERE: One night at The London & Paris Hotel is from £90 on room-only basis (£114 to include breakfast). See OUT & ABOUT: For more on the Folkestone Triennial, see
BBC News
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Kate Bush fans' Wuthering Heights dance tribute on Brontë moors
Red dresses and extravagant dance moves are likely to be the order of the day later this month on the moors above Haworth in joint celebration of writer Emily Brontë and singer Kate is known as The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever is held on 27 July each year, and sees thousands of people across the world recreate the video to Bush's 1978 song Wuthering Heights, inspired by the Brontë novel of the same name. This year's West Yorkshire tribute will be held on moorland on Penistone Hill, not far from the famous Brontë sister's home in Clare Shaw, a writer who lives near Haworth, said 500 tickets for the "Mass Wuther" event were snapped up "within hours". Ms Shaw said she wanted not only to celebrate Bush and Brontë's cultural heritage, but also to raise awareness of a campaign to protect Top Withens - believed to be Brontë's inspiration for the Wuthering Heights farmhouse - and the surrounding moors from a planned windfarm development. Ms Shaw said wearing a red dress for the event, as Bush did in the video for her classic song, was non-negotiable, meanwhile participants were encouraged to learn the dance moves in explained that the project was co-hosted by Happy Valley Pride, the Calder Valley LGBTQ+ celebration. "There's a really strong element of of celebrating LGBTQ+ as part of the event, which fits perfectly with Kate Bush because she was always a gay icon, even in the days when that wasn't the thing to be," she Shaw said the event would also tie in with a project called Wondering Heights, created for Bradford's City of Culture celebrations, and would fuse Brontë's literary heritage with Bush's pop classic. Created by artist Lucy Barker, the project was described as a "mass dance meditation for everybody", including dance workshops running between 5 and 23 July inspired by the Wuthering Heights routine. Ms Barker and Ms Shaw said they had been working together to make sure as many people as possible who wanted to join in with the "Mass Wuther" were able to. Ms Shaw said: "The project is part of Bradford 2025, and is about making the moor more accessible, but also making dance accessible."So, people who might not be able to attend the event - either because they can't get a ticket or because they have caring responsibilities or mobility restrictions - can take part in different ways."Ms Shaw said she had long been a Kate Bush fan, but added that supporting the campaign against the proposed wind farm was "the driving force" for the "Mass Wuther". The wind farm development is planned for land on Walshaw Moor, near Hebden Bridge - about four miles (6km) from Top Withens. Ms Shaw said: "I've been really heavily involved in the campaign against the wind farm, which I never thought I would find myself saying."I'm absolutely a proponent of green energy, but green energy has to mean green energy. "If you look at a wind farm on a blanket bog, that is a habitat for a multitude of really important creatures, on deep peat, it's not green energy - it's an energy factory located in a really important ecological and cultural site."Calderdale Energy Park, behind the proposals, has said it would apply for permission to build 41 turbines on Walshaw company's first consultation on the project ended on 10 June. Christian Egal, project director, said it could power up to 250,000 homes, cutting annual CO2 emissions by up to 350,000 Egal said: "We are committed to shaping the project by engaging with local people and our first stage of consultation has already received more than 1,000 individual responses."This feedback, alongside detailed technical and environmental assessments, will be critical to shaping the scheme's final design that is sensitive to its moorland location." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
