Summer Holiday Home Touristry

So it seems most people will have spent their decade’s worth of holiday money at Glastonbury, Leeds or some other mud-filled, uber-cool festival that is simply not suitable for a Lego Tourist.

With this in mind our little yellow friend has been scouring the pages of event guides and websites and spending a great deal of time getting stuck in revolving leaflet racks to find the best Home Tourist activities on your door step this summer.

1. Leeds Waterfront Festival
Leeds Waterfront 25^th &26^th June

Not one to lounge about Lego Tourist will be starting his summer of home touristry on the banks of the Leeds Liverpool Canal at the Leeds Waterfront Festival. While his guardian makes a foolish display in one of the Wow Balls at Granary Wharf, Lego Tourist has a hit list as long as his little self. He’s planning to take in the annual dragonboat race at Clarence Dock, Salsa lessons at Brewery Wharf and back up to Granary Wharf for a relaxing cuppa at Out of the Woods and maybe a float on a swan pedalo!

2. Junction
Across Leeds 27^th June

Our Lego Tourist has received an invite to an exclusive sneak peak of this great little art project that will be officially launched on 27^th June. Junction, a project commissioned by Situation Leeds & The Culture Company will be turning our boring green and grey junction boxes into beautiful works of street art. So next time Lego Tourist is perched outside Jamie’s Italian slurping his spaghetti he’ll be overlooking one of the city’s beautifully ordinary gems of art.

3. Gelato in July
Islington Wharf, Manchester 9^th July

Now, who knew that Manchester was the UK’s Little Italy? Lego Tourist that’s who so he’s packing his case and hopping across the peninnes to Islington Wharf’s second annual Icecream festival. With Sunset Ices from Morecambe and Manchester’s own ice cream van for a more sophisticated palate and Ginger’s Comfort Emporium, bringing the treat bang up to date, he may have to buy new trousers while he’s over there…

4. Great Yorkshire Show
Harrogate Showground 12^th-14^th July

For those who thought the Great Yorkshire Show was just for farmers and country folk Lego Tourist aims to prove you wrong by trying his Lego claw at the Al Fresco Forge and taking to the water for a canoe lesson on the Tuesday. Wednesday might bring a chance for him to visit the region’s livestock and sample some fine Yorkshire produce, with a small stop of Betty’s on Thursday – it would be rude not really.

5. I Love West Leeds Festival
West Leeds 1^st-24^th July

Shamefully Lego Tourist has never been taken to the I Love West Festival so we’ll be rectifying that by taking him along to the Water Music on the 24^th July at the beautiful Bramley Baths. He might event make a day of it visiting the Armley caffs for a fry-up and a chin wag with the artists taking up residence there. Other things he’ll be on the look-out for include Dog Art, a photographic exhibition especially for man’s best friend, and catching an open air movie at the roving cinema.

6. Paperworks
Barnsley Civic until 26^th August

Being a lover of the arts, and things small enough for him to fit in without getting lost, Lego Tourist is quite giddy about this exhibition at Barnsley Civic which features everything from delicate wall hanging, to intricate origami and papier-mache sculptures. Featuring work from 20 international artists this exhibition also has a programme of events including a paper-folding workshop, so if his origami boat fails at the waterfront festival there’s always a second chance here.

7. Eva Rothschild: Hot Touch
The Hepworth, Wakefield until 9^th October

Our little yellow chum has taken his finger of the cultural pulse and not made it to the stunning new Hepworth Gallery yet. That will all be changing as he’s pencilled in a little tour of the gallery and the exhibition of Eva Rothschilds new and recent works including photagraphs and sculptures.

8. Artist’s Rooms: Damien Hirst
Leeds Art Gallery 15^th July – 30^th October

Those cultural Gods at The Tate and National Galleries of Scotland had a few too many sherrys at Christmas 2008 and decided to release their collections of precious artworks from some of the world’s leading artists to galleries across the UK outside of London (gasp!).  Well, never one to miss a trick Leeds Art Gallery have only gone secured themselves a collection of Damien Hirst’s most infamous pieces. Lego Tourist will be first in the queue when the exhibition opens on 15^th July.

9. Love Arts Festival
Across Leeds 27^th September – 16^th November

Celebrating the role of arts in improving the mental health and well-being of us all, this quirky festival will include an exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery exploring emotional responses to art and the artist’s responses to happiness. There will also be a guest appearance from Ruby Wax at the festival launch at Howard Assembly Rooms. Lego Tourist will be spending most of August practising his paparazzi moves.

If you’re going to any of these events and would like to take Lego Tourist along for the ride drop him a note on his Facebook Page, he’s not fussy so all advances welcome!

Spot Lego Tourist on his travels and post your pictures to his very own Facebook Page – you could even win a prize*!

*Although probably not as payment is given in Lego Bricks and businesses can be a bit sniffy about this method payment.