Cornwall 2016 - Newquay

Five million tourists visit Cornwall each year and it's not hard to understand why.  I'm sure that the majority of those tourists visit in the summer months but believe me, autumn in Cornwall is magical too.

October was a busy, in a really good busy way, month here in my world.  My sister and her husband came over from Arkansas for a three week visit.  While they were he we managed to take them on not one, but two trips. The first being to Cornwall where we stayed in my lovely cousin Sylvia and her husband Andy's gorgeous quaint little cottage in Wadebridge near Padstow.  The second was up to Silverdale in Cumbria.

Maureen and Jerry arrived here early on Thursday morning 13th October and early the following Sunday morning the four of us piled into our loaded car and set of for the 325 or so mile journey.   It wasn't a bad journey either.  No major roadworks or incidents, so different from the same journey in the summer months.

Monday, we had decided we would visit Newquay.  It was lunchtime when we got there so what better lunch to have than a Cornish pasty. A pasty shop was easily found and we consumed the said pasties on the hoof.  They were good too!

Walking down the main stretch to the beach we wandered in and out of a couple of shops. This one in particular was worth browsing.  Maureen and I each bought ten greetings cards for £7.  Really good quality ones and a bargain for sure.  All bright and cheerful.  They do online sales at https://www.whistlefish.com/  

Of course a walk on Towan Beach was essential.   

The obligatory photo of the house on  the rock reached via a suspension beach.  Imagine having to regularly carry all your shopping over that bridge.  I wonder do the local supermarkets offer click and collect for these homeowners?  I would think not.

What a beautiful day it was.  And what a place to stop for coffee and admire the view!

Our day had been planned out and driving back home via the coast road was part of that plan.  The last time we had driven along this road, which was in 2011, our eyes ogled this picturesque wide sweeping bay but then we had merely driven right past it!  But this time I wanted to stop and experience the full splendour of Watergate Bay.

Watergate Bay is wonderful.  Even on a wild and windy day like the day we stopped there for an hour or so it was wonderful.  The tide was out quite some distance which meant we could walk out on the sands...

... and take in the dramatic coastline.  Spectacular!

Turning back we took shelter under the rugged cliffs and looked for those special stones and shells that somehow just find their way into your pockets.

One for the album.  Isn't that stone gorgeous?  We didn't hang about near the cliffs for too long.  It looked like there had been a fair bit of cliff crumbling to me and you never know when the next one might be.

Yep, lots of people out there surfing and bodyboarding even though it was mid-October.  

Pressing on we drove further up the coast taking in eye catching glimpses of blue sea at nearly every bend in the road.  

Newquay was Maureen's old stomping ground having worked there in her heyday when she was a single footloose and fancy free young woman.  So this day was a bit special for her.  A trip down Memory Lane for sure.  Memories of the summer she had spent working with a dear friend and of the friends she had made came flooding back to her.

In 2011 we had brought Maureen and Jerry here to Bedruthan Steps Hotel where Maureen had been a receptionist for the summer but that time we just wandered through the hotel while Maureen gave us a running commentary on the fun she had had during her summer working there.

Not this time.  As we wandered into the reception area Jerry approached the desk and told the the receptionists that his wife had had their job in the late 60s.  They were so cheerful, smiley, surprised and interested in the story that it was only a few minutes before a lady came out of the office opposite and said she thought she knew Maureen from somewhere.  It turned out the lady, Debbie, was the owner's daughter and had been a ten year old girl when Maureen worked there.  Her mother, the owner whom Maureen remembered well, was alive and kicking and living down the road.  Well, between them they must've remembered every member of staff from that time!  Some of them had returned year after year and Debbie was able to update Maureen on the whereabouts of most of them.  

How incredible it was that somebody who knew Maureen and the people she had known all those years ago and could reminisce with her about those happy days was on duty in the hotel on the day we visitied!  Truly amazing.  After their long animated chat we all toured the hotel.  A rather splendid upmarket hotel it is too.

Rooms with a view.

This view.

Leaving Bedruthan Steps behind we headed for home but not before we made a stop at Harlyn Bay.

Twilight and people still out there in the water!  Must be a hardy lot those surfer types.

William, Jerry and Maureen.  Up on a sandbank enjoying uninterrupted views of that beautiful bay and coastline.  You can see by their clothes that the wind was still blowing.

Nearly home now but one more stop.  This time in The London Inn, Padstow for a welcome drink and a chat about the happy day's happenings. 

Until next time,

George the Teenager

Well, its been thirteen years in the making but the day arrived on the 8th August this year. (I'm a little bit late with this post!).  My first born's first born became a teenager!  Surely, it hasn't been thirteen years since the apple of  my eye entered the world!

But yep, it has.  Look at him.  He is a teenager.  Look at those beautiful big green eyes.

Look at that cheeky smile.

And look how handsome he is with that dimple in his chin.

Even so, he's still just a kid to me.  It doesn't matter that he's as tall, if not taller, than I am. He's getting taller by the day too. I don't reach down to give give him a hug any more.  His arms don't go round my middle any more.  They go over my shoulders now.  

 The first of my three little treasures and I love him to bits and always will.  Full stop.

Blackberrying Along by the Canal

A couple of weeks ago now, during our walks along the local canal William had commented several times on how many blackberries there were on this stretch of the canal and that we needed to pick some.  He's partial you see to apple and blackberry pie and crumble.  So we decided we'd go blackberrying and after telling Charlie what rich pickings there would be he was up for it and eager to come with us and find himself some whoppers.

However, Charlie's excitement was short-lived and disappointment was beginning to set in. He wanted to fill his tub in the first few minutes but we had some walking to do before we would find any worth picking.

It took just a little bit of encouragement for him to carry on...

...and it wasn't long before he found a few of those wanted whoppers

Soon it was going well and the tubs began to fill up.

Unfortunately blackberrying isn't without its hazards.  At one stage Charlie reached into and under a bush and stuck his hand into a pile of nettles.  Ouch!

The fluffy clouds reflected on the water were picture perfect I thought.

  

Still going well.  I think this photo looks very autumnal.

Billy's tub was practically overflowing!  I have to say he collected the most.

On the way back now but it's difficult to stop picking blackberries once you start.  There's always just another bunch of them that catches your eye.

And one last whopper.  Look at this one, grandad!

Lots of Canada Geese.  There's always a gaggle of them here.

Halfway back to the car and a little breather was taken.  This is one of those photos that just pleases me.  Don't know why in particular that it pleases me.  It just does.

A couple of days later I made the pie and the crumble and there's still half a tub of blackberries in the freezer.

An Afternoon on Rhosneigr Beach, Anglesey.

Back toward the end of May Victoria suggested a day out to Anglesey.  In particular Rhosneigr.  The boys and their dad all have bodyboards and Rhosneigr had been recommended as having the waves needed to use them.  Nicholas was particularly keen for this trip.  For his birthday in April he got a surf board and wanted to use it.

None of us had ever been to Rhosneigr before so it was all new.  We didn't know the best way to the beach so we parked up and followed a likely looking path to the beach.  We soon found out it wasn't the best path. This path took us up and over those sand dunes you can see.  

When we got closer they loomed big, wide and hilly... but manageable... and fun... kind of. Happily the view the other side of them made the trek worthwhile.  Plus it was a sunny, blue sky day.  Perfect for a day on the beach.

Nicholas with one of the body boards while he waits for his surfboard to be ready.

Gary got it sorted.

And then they were off!

And doing what they came for.  All three of the boys doing their thing.

Behind a laughing Gary, Nicholas is to the left of him and George to the right.  

George tried the surf board too.

It's a shame George is missing from this pic but just over there in the background on the right is William sitting reading the paper with all the picnic stuff around  him.

As with all good things, they come to an end and all too soon it was time to pack up and make our way back to the car.  Thankfully by an easier route than we had taken on the way in. William, above, was loaded up to the gills while Nicholas carried just his crocs.  To be fair to Nicholas he had tried to help by carrying one of the fold up chairs but it kept falling out of its bag and was more trouble than it was worth to have him carry the thing, so grandad got to carry that too.

William took a well earned breather while the van was packed up.

We had had a lovely afternoon.  There had been fun in the water, a picnic on a beautiful beach, sunshine and fresh sea air. Not bad for a day in May in Great Britain.

Until next time,