Grandma Pat and Dad set off at 4.20am, arriving in Oxford at 8.45am and Hemel at 10am. Journey was trouble free. Mum, Charlotte and Emma caught the train and arrived back in Hemel at 4pm.
Overall, we had a great time in Cornwall - although the weather could have been warmer and sunnier. But it was good to re-visit places we hadn't been to for many a long year.
Saturday 21 August 2010
August 20, 2010 Last Day
We spent the last full day in Cornwall in Truro as the weather was not very good. Mum caught up with shopping bits and pieces.
August 19, 2010 Falmouth (again!)
The day was not very pleasant so we paid a return visit to Falmouth where we caught the Park and Float, same as Park and Ride but the second half was a boat transfer into Falmouth. Went to the Maritime Heritage Museum in a new area of the town - big changes from when Grandma Pat and Dad were there before, some 16 years ago. There was even a Rick Stein fish 'n' chip shop but we settled for pasty.
August 18, 2010 Watergate Bay
Today is Pete and Julie's 3rd wedding anniversary and as it happens they are in Cornwall on holiday with Eleanor, camping near Padstow. So we decided to meet up at Watergate Bay, just up the coast from Newquay, which is a very keen surfing beach. Not that we participated.
The weather wasn't brilliant but stayed dry all day. Spent a lot of it in the nearby cafe / restaurant!
August 17, 2010 Touring Around
After a well-deserved lie-in, we awoke to persistent rain with a promise that it would improve later. We decided to find Pandora’s Inn, an old place on the Helford River. By now the rain had stopped and we had something to eat.
Left Pandora and caught the King Harry ferry (effectively a platform pulled by chains) across to the St Mawes peninsula. Visited the 12th century church at St Just in Roseland. Very picturesque.
Drove through St Mawes and then called into Pendower beach where Mum and Dad used to go. Ended up in Tolverne (for cream teas at the Smuggler’s Inn) before catching the ferry back to the Falmouth / Truro side of the river.
Left Pandora and caught the King Harry ferry (effectively a platform pulled by chains) across to the St Mawes peninsula. Visited the 12th century church at St Just in Roseland. Very picturesque.
Drove through St Mawes and then called into Pendower beach where Mum and Dad used to go. Ended up in Tolverne (for cream teas at the Smuggler’s Inn) before catching the ferry back to the Falmouth / Truro side of the river.
August 16, 2010 Sennen Cove
We enjoyed Sennen Cove the other day so we decided to get up early and park up for the beach. The weather was OK – not spectacularly hot but good enough.
Enjoyed lunch at the place on near the beach where we saw Angela Griffin (who plays Kim in Waterloo Road) and the guy who played Tony in EastEnders. What with Derek Thompson the other day, this holiday has become a celebrity watch!
Enjoyed lunch at the place on near the beach where we saw Angela Griffin (who plays Kim in Waterloo Road) and the guy who played Tony in EastEnders. What with Derek Thompson the other day, this holiday has become a celebrity watch!
August 15, 2010 Porthtowan (again)
A dry day was forecast and, although not overly hot, we headed off to Porthtowan, our local beach. Got there early (ish) which was good because there wasn’t a huge amount of beach given the high tide. Stay until about 4pm when the sun disappeared.
August 14, 2010 Land’s End, Sennen Cove, the Theatre and St. Michael’s Mount
We decided to head west today as it had the most promising weather forecast! After a grey drizzly start we were lucky to be able to enjoy some much needed sunshine!
Land’s End rewarded us with some spectacular views. We also enjoyed the Dr Who props exhibition and a 4-D film called Skull Rock! We decided to head to Sennen Cove for lunch but when we got there we were unable to park due to its popularity. We were disappointed as the beach was so beautiful and the restaurant had a very promising menu. We vowed to return another day! We had lunch at the First and Last Inn (dating back to 1620) which had a chequered past and an entrance to some tunnels used for smuggling!
Next stop was the Minack Theatre set into the cliffs above Porthcurno beach with its breathtaking views. The sun was still shining and the colours of the sea were amazing.
Dad, Mum and Charlotte went into Truro in the evening to have a meal – Grandma and Emma didn’t want to go. We ended up in an Indian restaurant and were surprised to see Derek Thompson, the guy who plays Charlie Fairhead in Casualty!
Land’s End rewarded us with some spectacular views. We also enjoyed the Dr Who props exhibition and a 4-D film called Skull Rock! We decided to head to Sennen Cove for lunch but when we got there we were unable to park due to its popularity. We were disappointed as the beach was so beautiful and the restaurant had a very promising menu. We vowed to return another day! We had lunch at the First and Last Inn (dating back to 1620) which had a chequered past and an entrance to some tunnels used for smuggling!
Next stop was the Minack Theatre set into the cliffs above Porthcurno beach with its breathtaking views. The sun was still shining and the colours of the sea were amazing.
Dad, Mum and Charlotte went into Truro in the evening to have a meal – Grandma and Emma didn’t want to go. We ended up in an Indian restaurant and were surprised to see Derek Thompson, the guy who plays Charlie Fairhead in Casualty!
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August 13, 2010 Falmouth and Boat Trip
Caught the Enterprise boat from Truro to Falmouth. Cold, windy but good fun. Enjoyed fresh fish and chips at the award winning Harbour Lights restaurant in Falmouth which had stunning harbour views. Afterwards we wandered the streets to explore the quirky shops (mainly Mum!) and cafes.
Lastly we bought some homemade cakes to take back with us before catching the boat back. 
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Lastly we bought some homemade cakes to take back with us before catching the boat back.
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August 12, 2010 St Agnes
Grandma met up with some old friends and spent the day talking. We had a bit of a lie-in (must be the fresh air) and then set off for the Blue Hills Tin mine near St Agnes which was great fun and very interesting. Blue Hills is Cornwall’s only tin producer and we followed the process from extraction to casting a finished product (some of which we bought). After a spot of lunch, we stopped off at Trevaunance Cove and in St Agnes itself for a short while.
Drove to Truro and visited the house in Trevithick Road and Dad’s old school. Picked up Grandma in Truro – she had a good day.
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Drove to Truro and visited the house in Trevithick Road and Dad’s old school. Picked up Grandma in Truro – she had a good day.
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August 11, 2010 Porthtowan and Hell’s Mouth
Got up early today and headed for Porthtowan beach which is a favourite for local surfers. Weather overcast and chilly at first so when our legs turned blue we decided on an early lunch at the Blue Bar - a trendy upmarket surfers watering hole with a great menu and lovely views of the bay. Plenty of local produce to sample - we enjoyed fish and chips, (Cornish) steak and pan-fried sea bass (mum of course) followed by fab home-made chocolate brownies with clotted cream vanilla ice!
The weather had brightened up by the afternoon and we spent another couple of hours lazing on the beach. When it started to cloud over again, we drove to Hell’s Mouth to take in the spectacular views.
The weather had brightened up by the afternoon and we spent another couple of hours lazing on the beach. When it started to cloud over again, we drove to Hell’s Mouth to take in the spectacular views.
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August 9, 2010 St Ives
Awoke to a wet, drizzly morning but decided to head off for St Ives and chance the weather. Caught the Park and Ride train from Lelant Saltings and arrived in St Ives around 11am.
Walked down from the station (by now the weather had cleared up with a few sunny intervals) and ended up outside the lifeboat house which had moved from where we remembered it. Apparently it moved in 1994. The old boathouse is now a nice restaurant and we had a good lunch there.
Set off for the cottage at 5pm. At least Emma can watch Eastenders. An enjoyable day.
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Walked down from the station (by now the weather had cleared up with a few sunny intervals) and ended up outside the lifeboat house which had moved from where we remembered it. Apparently it moved in 1994. The old boathouse is now a nice restaurant and we had a good lunch there.
Set off for the cottage at 5pm. At least Emma can watch Eastenders. An enjoyable day.
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August 8, 2010 Perranporth
Some struggled to get up following the exertions of yesterday. However, the weather was drizzly early on. By 10.30am things had picked up and we headed off to the beach at Perranporth.
It was pretty much as we remembered it. Although sunny, it wasn’t overly warm which made it perfect.
It was pretty much as we remembered it. Although sunny, it wasn’t overly warm which made it perfect.
August 7, 2010 The Journey Down
Grandma and Dad up at 4am and off by 4.45am. Stopped at Taunton for a coffee and arrived at Exeter Services for a pit stop at 7.30am. Easy driving – we were obviously ahead of the main wave of traffic.
Ended up at Chiverton Cross Starbucks (only 5 miles from cottage) at 9.30am where we managed to get on the internet. Drove past Slipknot Cottage (in Mount Hawke) – looked good from the outside.
Headed to Truro to kill some time and drove past where Grandad used to work. Also went to the house in Trevithick Road and to Dad’s old school. Drove to Malpas Park and had our lunch before heading off to the cottage where we arrived at 1.45pm.
Keep in touch via text messages with Mum, Charlotte and Emma who were travelling down by train. Eventually picked them up at 3.30pm and went to the cottage, which is excellent.
Went to an Italian restaurant in Truro which was enjoyed by everyone. Met an old friend of the family (Nicola Norman as was) for the first time in more than 16 years. Small world.
Ended up at Chiverton Cross Starbucks (only 5 miles from cottage) at 9.30am where we managed to get on the internet. Drove past Slipknot Cottage (in Mount Hawke) – looked good from the outside.
Headed to Truro to kill some time and drove past where Grandad used to work. Also went to the house in Trevithick Road and to Dad’s old school. Drove to Malpas Park and had our lunch before heading off to the cottage where we arrived at 1.45pm.
Keep in touch via text messages with Mum, Charlotte and Emma who were travelling down by train. Eventually picked them up at 3.30pm and went to the cottage, which is excellent.
Went to an Italian restaurant in Truro which was enjoyed by everyone. Met an old friend of the family (Nicola Norman as was) for the first time in more than 16 years. Small world.
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