The North(ish) Lass

Explore the North.

Tag: visit the north

  • Five Great Music Festivals in the North

    Five Great Music Festivals in the North

    Kendal Calling

    Kendal Calling has been held at Lowther Deer Park since 2006, as such 2025 (held from 31st July – 3rd August) will be it’s 20th event!

    Coming up this year are headliners Courteeners, Fat Boy Slim, The Prodigy, and Kaiser Chiefs. There are plenty of other bands playing as well though, including Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls (one of my faves!), The Last Dinner Party, Scouting For Girls, and The Wombats. There’s also stand-up comedy, and other performances to catch as well. Sadly, tickets for 2025 are sold out, so if this kind of rock ‘n’ roll/indie vibe appeals to you, you’ll have to wait until 2026 to head up to the festival.

    The whole history of the Festival is illustrated “Bayeux Tapestry” style on their website, which is amazing way of doing it (illustrated by Jim Tyson).

    The Festival is also dedicated to the “Leave Nothing But Memories” campaign – something which I think is extremely important after a high footprint festival. As such, in 2024, 98.93% of tents were taken home, and they saved 45,000kg of CO2 emissions with a reusable cup scheme. They’re also committed to reducing energy usage, and have brought down their overall fuel usage by 15% since 2023. All good things in my book!

    RockPrest/Festwich

    Bit of a different one here – RockPrest and Festwich are actually tribute band festivals, which a) makes them more affordable than regular festivals, and b) means you can hear some of your favourite songs in one massive line-up, without having to go to loads of different festivals/gigs depending on who’s playing.

    This year’s line up at RockPrest was split into two different genre days, with the “metal” day being on the Saturday, and the “rock and roll” day being on Sunday. I went along on the metal day, watching Motley Crue*, Megadeth*, Evanescence*, and KISS*… it was really good fun! There was also stalls, face-painting, and fairground rides to amuse as well…

    RockPrest is always on in late June, but Festwich is on August Bank Holiday Weekend in Manchester, so there’s still a chance to enjoy this tribute festival, and tickets are definitely reasonable priced. The line-up for Festwich 2025, held in Heaton Park in Manchester, can be seen here. It’s more of a mixed bag than RockPrest was, so there’s something for all music tastes to see, although the Saturday seems to still be the “heavier” day of the two, if that’s more to your taste.

    Eskfest

    Eskfest is a self-proclaimed “micro-festival” that is held in Eskdale in the Lake District every year. This year it’s on from the 10th-12th July. Eskfest has a much more folk/indie vibe than some of the others with headliners like Omega Nebula, The Undercover Hippy, and Sam Redmore. There’s also loads of other things to do at the festival including Pottery, Yoga, a Dog Show, Tale Telt Cumbrian Myths and Legends, Wood Carving, and a Drum Workshop, all of which sound rather fun!

    Eskfest’s location means that it is fairly remote, and it is a bit of a challenge to get there by public transport; although you can catch a train to Ravenglass, and then take the “La’al Ratty” steam train to Dalegath station. Arriving at a festival by narrow gauge steam train is a pretty unique and amazing way to do things!!

    Highest Point

    I’m including Highest Point Festival because it takes/took place in my hometown. Held at Williamson Park, Lancaster from 2018 – 2024, the festival grew in popularity and drew some big(ish) names into the town including Tom Odell, Busted, and Sam Ryder. Sadly, it didn’t take place in 2025 due to funding and economic issues, with the organisers saying that it was difficult for the festival to make any money, whilst also keeping ticket and merchandise prices reasonable for festival goers. I’m sure this is an ongoing problem for many of the smaller/independent festivals, trying to keep ticket prices at a somewhat affordable level, whilst also still making enough for the festival to be economically viable.

    I hope it comes back in future years as it was always an exciting point in Lancaster’s annual calendar!

    Leeds Fest

    I couldn’t do a post about festivals in the North without a little bit about Leeds Fest. Leeds Festival is actually an Northern offshoot of Reading Festival, which started in 1971, with Leeds being added in 1999. The Festival has been growing in size for the twenty-five that it’s been at Bramham Park, and whilst it hasn’t been without it’s problems, it’s still one of the largest rock and punk festivals in the UK.

    It’s also, traditionally, one of the last festivals of the season, taking place on August Bank Holiday weekend – of course, that’s always a bit of a risk, as it’s a well known British trope that it always rains on August Bank Holiday weekend. And Leeds has certainly had it’s fair share of muddy moments; there are many photos of “trader’s alley” turned into a mud slick, or tents sinking into muddy puddles. The year I went camping at Leeds, in 2011, the British Summer lived up to it’s reputation, and it hoyed it down. I was absolutely soaked to the skin, but I still got to see loads of amazing bands that I loved, including My Chemical Romance, Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls, Muse, and The Offspring. I went again in 2013 (to see my absolute faves Green Day), but only for a day – camping is definitely not my thing!

    In recent years, the festival has diversified further from the “rock/punk rock” sort of line up (although it has definitely had lighter rock/indie on in the past), and included headliners from lots of different genres. Case in point, this year the headliners are due to be Travis Scott (rap), Bring Me The Horizon (hard rock), Hozier (softer rock/singer-songwriter), and Chappell Roan (pop). So plenty of different things to choose from!

    Have you been to any of these festivals? Which was your favourite? Who did you see? Are there any other Northern Festivals that you think should be featured?

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  • Visiting the Spring Fair @ Holker Hall

    Visiting the Spring Fair @ Holker Hall

    On May Bank Holiday, Holker Hall held it’s annual Spring Fair and Festival, and yours truly went along for the third year in a row to check it out.

    The weather was beautiful; sunny but not overly hot, with a slight breeze. Perfect for wandering around looking at artisan products, food, and crafts from local businesses. It also made it perfect weather for lots and lots of doggies to be around – my favourite! (Note to readers: I am absolutely dog mad, and will pet dogs wherever I see them. To be honest, I’m absolutely creature/animal mad – I will pet anything vaguely cute and fluffy; will never kill bugs or spiders; am in awe of all wildlife… I’ll even try and gently waft wasps outside, despite the fact they scare me!).

    Upon arriving we parked in the disabled parking area (my mum has access needs and is a blue badge holder), and headed up the hill towards the fair. I bought us both a coffee from a stall before we had a noodle around the stalls. There were local artisans and craft stalls, such as Gazelle Crafts (Making Your Garden Wildlife Friendly), The Zero Pantry (Serving daily needs, plastic free), The Wilde Bakery (flapjack makers from Bare), and Northern Baked (Cakes, scones, pastries etc.). There was also representation from various charities associated with nature and animals, such as the RSPB, The Woodland Trust, and the Wildlife Trust.

    Stalls at the Spring Fair

    As well as seeing the stalls and the artisans who had come along, I also went for a walk around the Hall & Gardens itself. I come to Holker Hall regularly, and there’s always something to see whatever time of the year. In Spring, the Gardens are famed for their rhododendrons and azaleas, as well as the wildflower areas specifically left to create havens for bees, insects, and other wildlife. I’ll be doing more posts about what to see at Holker Hall in the future. Holker also have other events running throughout the year – you can check out their ‘What’s On‘ page to see what’s coming up.

    Beautiful black lab called Winston in the wildflower meadow

    ^ P.S – this was Winston, a 10 yr old Black Labrador that I just had to feature because he looked so gentlemanly and majestic standing in the wildflower meadow. He was a such a sweet boy and I gave him a big cuddle after he posed so nicely for a photograph.

  • Café Culture in Lancaster: Part Two

    Café Culture in Lancaster: Part Two

    Following on from last week’s post: Café Culture in Lancaster: Part One, this week it’s time for Part Two where I will look at four more independent (or smaller) coffee shops/cafés in Lancaster. The same pricing scale from last week still applies.

    Journey Social

    Features: Excellent Menu

    Price: £££

    Journey Social is a lovely café/restaurant to be found just behind the library in the town square. With a diverse menu and excellent coffee, it’s a great place to go for breakfast, brunch, or lunch, but you will need to take your appetites – plates are (in my experience!) quite large! Also be prepared to pay that little bit more for the great ingredients and the from-scratch cooking. Journey Social is one of the more expensive on this list, but definitely worth it as a treat or a special breakfast out. I particularly like the avocado and pea puree they add to various dishes, and from the cake display I’m a fan of their pastel del nata.

    Holm

    Features: Scandinavian Cuisine, Great Cakes (Fika!)

    Price: £

    A small café that is now looking to expand because it’s done so well, Holm is a café/bakery that specialises in Scandinavian food and fika. Fika is the Swedish name for cake and a hot drink taken in the afternoon, and Holm offers a deal on this Swedish tradition. The café is also in a moment of exciting expansion, as they’re about to expand to the empty shop next door, taking their capacity up from only three tables, to quite a few more!

    Last time I was there, mum had a dish with Salmon, pickled cucumber, rocket, cream cheese, and dill, with a lemon flavour. She enjoyed it, but she did say the portion was very large (she has quite a small appetite!). I had a bagel with cheese and salami.

    They also home bake all their cakes, and we took home a tart with berries and crème anglaise, which was delicious with a cup of tea later that afternoon!

    Atkinson’s Coffee House

    Features: Great Coffee (own blend), Social Tables/Space, Dog Friendly

    Price: ££

    Atkinson’s has been coffee blenders and tea sellers in Lancaster for nearly two hundred years. Thomas Atkinson opened his tea warehouse in Lancaster in 1837, at which time his shop was one of six.

    There are also three different locations of Atkinson’s in Lancaster. There’s The Hall, which is the original café next to the coffee roasting shop; The Music Room on Sun Street; and The Castle Courtyard which can be found (unsurprisingly) in Lancaster Castle Courtyard. The Hall is a huge space on the main road heading towards Sainsburys out of town with smaller tables to work at, or bigger communal tables for chatting with friends or other coffee lovers. I like going into the hall and seeing all the coffee making experiments that they have going on – it looks like an alchemist’s lab in there!

    The Music Room is a smaller venue with an outdoor courtyard space which is gorgeous to sit in the spring and summer. The Castle Courtyard is a lovely café in an amazing historical location, but it’s worth noting that whilst it is all flat or ramped, it is a bit of a trek from the road up to the castle and it might be a challenge to someone with accessibility issues.

    The Storey

    Features: Social Space/Laptop Space, Garden Seating

    Price: £

    The Storey is a council owned building dedicated to the arts and learning. There are always exhibitions, classes, workshops, and other things going on within the building. There is also a little accessible café space with plenty of comfortable seating and tables for either enjoying a coffee with friends, or plugging in a laptop and catching up on some work. My old singing teacher used to have a classroom and singing space in the Storey, so I would often have a coffee and cake before going to my lesson. There is a little courtyard area where I sometimes sat outside in the late afternoon sunshine in the spring and summer.

    The Storey Gardens are also worth a visit, perhaps with a takeaway coffee. The Gardens are perhaps one of Lancaster’s best kept secrets, and beautiful to take a walk around. I’ll be doing a whole piece about the Storey Gardens and the history of the place at a later date.