5 amazing things to do in May & what to take

How was your May Day Bank Holiday weekend? We enjoyed some great times with family, friends and the dogs, of course! While researching trips, we spotted some cool things to do this May, from music festivals and family activity ideas, to cultural experiences around the UK. The 3wisemonkeys team thought we’d share them here and include some handy gadgets that we don’t leave home without on those precious weekends away.

1. Keswick Jazz & Blues Festival, 11th – 14th May 2017

In its 26th year, the festival is a “four-day celebration of the best of New Orleans, Swing, Hot Club, Classic, Traditional, Mainstream Jazz and Blues in Keswick”, in the beautiful Lake District. You can buy a one day ticket if you’re just passing through, or attend the full festival with acts in various venues and even catch a dance lesson while you’re there. Amble down to the lake for a boat ride, walk off into the hills or take a bike ride, when you’re not busy boogy-woogying and take in the glorious surroundings of the Lakes.

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Keep the music playing in your room

We take one of our DAB radios along on our festival trips, to keep the music playing while we’re getting ready and to get us in the mood. The Denver DAB-38 digital radio in dark grey at £49.99 +P&P, has a retro design, old school controls and a smart carry handle to pick up and play it wherever you go. Switch between DAB and FM radio and select the station you want, clearly displayed on the 2.8” LCD screen. The dual alarm clock gives you the option to wake up by radio or buzzer, depending on your mood and it includes a snooze button, sleep function, stereo headphone jack and battery back-up.

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2. Suffolk Walking Festival, 13th May – 4th June 2017

If you love to stretch your legs in the great outdoors, The Suffolk Walking Festival’s 10th birthday event offers over 100 walks, from strolls around medieval towns, ambles along the coast or wanders through two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Families can take a trail at Jimmys Farm, more serious walkers can complete the Classic or Mega Challenge Walks and everyone can enjoy a slice of cake or two at the launch day at Sutton Hoo on 13th May.

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Take a car dash camera along for the trip  

A car cam is a great way to give extra peace of mind when setting off on a road trip any time of the year. The Nextbase 202 Lite In Car Car Cam With Free 32GB Memory Card & Case at £68.99 +P&P records wide angle, at 120 degrees and up to 720p HD video. It has a large 2.7 inch backlit anti-glare LED display and comes with G-Sensor with auto save function on impact. The dash cam simply sits up on your car windscreen and records what’s happening for playback later, which can help in case of an insurance claim and could help reduce your insurance cost.

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3. Aberystwyth Cycle Festival, 21st – 30th May 2017

Wales has a fantastic landscape for cycling enthusiasts and the ‘aber cycle fest’ in Aberystwyth in Mid-Wales is a celebration of all things cycling. It includes town centre criterium racing, downhill mountain biking and a mass participation ride, the Continental Welsh Wild West Sportive that you can join, covering all the best roads in Ceredigion. The Festival also includes fringe events all week and brings you some of Britain’s top cyclists and the thrills of town centre cycle races all afternoon and evening on 26th May.

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How about filming your bike rides on an action cam?

The Denver ACT-5020TW at £59.99 +P&P is a WiFi enabled action camera with smart phone app, HDMI output, 1.5 inch colour screen with touch sensitive buttons. With a wide angle, 120 degree lens, full High Definition video (1080p) and superb quality photos of up to 8 megapixels, it captures images right up to the edges of your vision. It comes in either pink, blue, yellow, black or white colours and when enclosed in its waterproof housing it can be used down to a depth of 30 metres. Download the free app and use your smart phone or tablet as camera view finder, plus you can use your phone or tablet to control the camera for taking photos & movies too.

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4. RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 23rd – 27th May 2017

We’re loving everything botanical at the moment and the Chelsea Flower Show 2017 is billed as “the pinnacle of the horticultural calendar and is once again set to inspire millions by showcasing the best in gardening”. With a huge selection of garden types from artisan and fresh gardens to show gardens, there are over 100 floral displays to view too. What’s not to love about walking through beautiful displays of gorgeous-smelling flowers, inspiring landscaping and award-winning garden designs? There’s always new botanical inspiration around every corner. 

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Has everyone got their phone on and charged up?

Our mums love to come along to the show and we make sure they’ve got their phones on them, turned on and with the volume up, as it can get quite crowded at times. The Denver GSP-120 big button senior mobile phone is on offer at £18.99 +P&P, is easy to use and gives all the basic functionality needed from a mobile phone for a senior citizen, including standard voice calls, SMS texts, speed dial, SOS button and number read out as you dial. The phone comes unlocked (except for the Three network) and with a built in torch, FM radio, alarm clock, calculator, micro SD for photos and rubberised grip for ease of use.

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5. Montrose Music Festival “Mo Fest”, 26th – 28th May 2017 

We love a road trip up to Scotland and what better way to spend a weekend than to catch a music festival while we’re there. Mo Fest celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and is a non-profit, free live music festival promoting all styles and genres of music. Based in Montrose, it also showcases two big band names at paid concerts on the Friday and Sunday nights, which this year feature Deacon Blue and The Beach Boys, no less. The festival has a family friendly event on the High Street on the Saturday and Sunday with stalls and activities for all and a total of 150 gigs in 20 venues throughout the weekend.

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Practice the words before the gig, on your phone and Bluetooth speaker

Do you like to get together to practice singing along before your favourite bands come on stage? Take a Bluetooth speaker away with you and get those lyrics flowing before you hit the gig. The Denver BTS-52 Bluetooth speaker in smart black, compact cylinder design at £18.99 +P&P is a doddle to transport. Play your music from your smartphone, MP3 player, iPhone or PC either wirelessly via Bluetooth or through the USB or aux-in connection. With the 5W RMS speaker, Bluetooth range up to 10 metres and built-in battery with 8 hours of playing time, you can sing along to your heart’s content.

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Have a great time this May whatever you get up to,

From the team at 3wisemonkeys

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