England Summer Tour 2013 (5)

Monday 19^th. August

Coverack to Padstow and on to Minehead.

An Early start for us and it was a very nice trip from Coverack to Padstow, we stopped to take a couple of Photos of Carn Brea, the monument to Cornish tin and copper mining which overlooks both Camborne and Redruth, the site has been inhabited since the Neolithic period BC 3700. The moorland tops and granite outcrops abound with the disused lead mine workings, winding houses, crushing machinery and boiler-room chimney stacks near lend a beauty to the surrounding bleak landscape, they remind me of the area where I was born and brought up, but there are now very few reminders of the old coal workings, such a pity as they are also a part of our heritage. I hope that they will save these for future generations to wonder at what their forefathers went through to irk out a miserly living.

 

 

We had intended to do Steinsville (Padstow) and stay the night in the a touring site not far from the town centre, but due to the early start and arriving early and well before the maddening crowds. We went to the Park and Ride, paid 4 quid this included the bus fare and it dropped us off right at the harbour, what with Linda’s disability and what we knew would be the crush later was a very wise move. We walked and hobbled the short distance into town, passing Rick Steins Cookery School.

The tide was out but I think that this adds to the beauty and charm of a fishing harbour, the gulls and wading birds picking through the slick in search of a square meal. 

Along the quayside the well stacked crab/lobster pots and loads of youngsters crab fishing. 

 

Across the Camel estuary could be seen the town of Rock, at times when the river Camel carries enough water a ferry crosses between Padstow and Rock, but unless it was one of those boats that fly around the Everglades, I don't think it would transporting tourists that morning. 

It was a smashing warm day so I got Linda seated at a small café at the harbour, here she was able to write her cards, drink her coffee and take her pain killers without being hampered and pushed.

I was also able to wander the streets of Rick Steins home town (not only his but I suppose the most famous of its residents). I found his patisserie, his deli, his shop and his café, I knew it was useless trying for the seafood restaurant as it is booked out 3 months in advance, but the café is on a first come, first served basis and I thought this would be the best bet for a spot of lunch.

I walked along the harbour wall taking in the wonderful atmosphere (it also happened to be “Lifeboat Day” and there was a smashing shanty choir from Wadebridge just up the Camel river. I had a pot of whelks and a pot of mixed sea food (plenty of pepper and vinegar) from the solitary shellfish stand.

I then returned to Linda’s café, gave her, her belated birthday present (Rick’s Indian book in a Rick Steins bag). I had been to Rick's café to ask if it was possible to book a table for me and my invalided partner, they said it wasn’t normal, but if we could be there within the next 10 minutes they would look favourably on us (it was my Geordie charm I am sure). We arrived and the nice young girl recognised me and said just take a seat in the hallway, there is a table just paying the bill and it was then ours, what wonderful service.

We got the French window seat leading to the patio, ideal as the waitress said put your bags in front and then no-one can come in through it (it is not the entrance or exit to either the restaurant, patio or toilets so disturbed no one .

We got offered plain tap water straight away and then allowed to peruse the lunch time menu at leisure; there is also the blackboard with the day’s specials.

I decided on Moule Frites, not actually on the menu, but by combining the mussels cooked in white wine with shallots and the thin fried chips, it was a very passable mirage of the real thing.

 

We had started with the bruschetta; this had been spiced up with the addition of   anchovies and I do believe I shall also do this in the future. Linda had the Pad Thai for her main and the portions are adequate for a lunch time, the café has some lovely wall decorations and the staff is very attentive but not overwhelming. We spent a very nice hour and had a leisurely lunch with no hassle, thanks a lot staff of Ricky’s caff (P.S: it was a pity we didn’t go the day before our original plan as Rick was in signing books).

We walked back to the bus stop looking in all of Ricks (well ex-Mrs Steins in reality) projects and enterprises; I think he has just about got every angle covered, funny how a simple thing like fish can make a man a household name.

We decided that as it was still quite early we would put as many miles (KMs) as possible on our journey as we now aimed to head for Pershore and our good friends Carol and Bill, the main reason was to give Linda’s leg a rest without the climbing in and out of high places, but also to return some borrowed equipment. We looked in the Camping and Caravanning Club guide and saw that there was a campsite in Minehead; this would make the dash up the M5 to Pershore the next day a one not too long.

We hit Minehead and as usual missed the turning, when we eventually found it, it was like ”a night on the bare mountain” only this campsite was not on a bare mountain but gave a wonderful view down onto Minehead and the Bristol Channel.

We asked the site warden where we could find a supermarket (we needed to do our Bi-annual UK shop), he informed us that there was a Morrison’s and a Tesco’s just a little past were we had turned when on the outlook for the site, something’s never change and missing turnings are no exception in my case. We spent a very nice evening again on a very nice site with a beautiful view.

 

A very nice quiet site with a fantastic view down to Minehead bay

England Summer Tour 2013 (3)

Friday 16.Aug

The next morning after breakfast, it was time to visit Goonhilly downs relay station (you must pass the massive dishes to get to Coverack), I remember well the very first transmissions sent from the USA to the UK via satellite all those years ago, I believe it was Raymond Baxter that presented the programme. I do wish I had taken a bit of time and visited the Wildlife Trusts Nature Reserve that adjoins the Telecom. site.

Here is a bit from their website:

Goonhilly Downs

In the centre of the peninsula, this area of heath is best visited in the summer when the heather and gorse are in full flower.
Buzzards, owls and other birds of prey hunt across the downs. In summer the open pools hum to the sound of dragonflies, while adders and lizards bask on sunny bare ground and rocks. The area is dominated by the giant satellite dishes of Goonhilly Earth Station.

We then went to the RNAS Culdrose and HMS Seahawk and visited the visitors centre and took a few photos, I was interested in this Naval Air Station as one of my ex-colleagues is about to be posted here, he is a very lucky chap as it is very expansive installation and in a very beautiful part of the company.  

 The view of the airfield from the visitor viewing centre (well worth a visit they do a nice cuppa)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We  left the viewing area and turning left headed down the narrow roads (Linda was not amused)

 to the Seal Rescue Centre at Gweek, this is a worthwhile project and well worth the entry fee. We spent a good two hours watching the feeding of the grey seals (all with disabilities that would have made them unable to survive in the wild), all of the rescued pups had been raised and released into the wild in July, so none on view either in the hospital or the pools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also saw three South African fur seals that had come from various zoos, that no longer had space or need for them.

 

The penguins did seem a bit out of place, but a homes a home I supposed when faced with death.

 

We walked down to Ottercreek overlooking the Helford river

and saw two South Asian Otters lying basking curled up together in the morning sun. (bit far from home though)

We then trudged the path back to the large but steep car park. We then headed on along the winding roads and into Helston for a look around and a spot of lunch.

We parked up quite centrally and walked through a small alleyway (the towns and villages of Cornwall seem to consist of joined up alleyways)

and out into the main street, Coinagehall street. There was a small market taking place (6 stalls) the most interesting was the fish stall with lots of local fish and shellfish. We popped into the old townhall to have a look at the small market selling various bric-a-brac, local produce and local art.   

We then walked through the back streets stopping off in cross street (obvious name really) to view some very nice back yards,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 until we eventually reached the bowling green, we watched a couple of ends (very good they were as well)

and then decided to have a spot of lunch, turning our backs on the bowling greens, headed up coinage street. 

We thought we would have Cornish Pasty and chips (well if not in Cornwall then where ever). We thought the best place would be a local pub so we first popped into the famous Blue Anchor Inn that brews its own beer called Spingo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was lucky, down the alleyway with the pubs rooms leading off right and left, the brewer was just transferring some of the wort into the fermenting vat and removing the hops that had done their job and would now be used as pig feed.

All this beer and no pasties, so we went along the road looking at the menus at all of the pubs, cafes and restaurants not a one selling the local delicacy. Plenty of Bakers and Ye Oldie Cornish Pasty Shoppes, but no hostelry selling them, why oh why? So it being a smashing day we decided to buy our pasties and drive out of town and find a spot to have a pasty picnic. We popped into a pasty shop and bought 1 large traditional Cornish pasty made with skirt, swede, onion and potato all wrapped in nice flaky pastry and another made with chicken and leek. We turned down an alleyway (did I say Helston is full of alleyways) and there it was, a fantastic small shady park with a bench and table, through the gate, opened up the pastry package, they were massive, I got out my trusty hunting knife and sliced the Cornish Pasty in half, the air was at once filled with the wonderful aroma of beef and vegetables, this wonderful pasty turned out to be the best we ate on the trip and I do believe the best I have ever tasted, absolutely delectable. We didn’t eat the Chicken and Leek as the Cornish one was more than sufficient.

 

After our pasty picnic, we went back to the van and headed off towards the National Trust gardens of Glendurgan, these wonderful gardens planted with all manner of flora from all over the planet. 

The fallen giant, with its new offspring

The gardens were set out by a Quaker named Alfred Fox in 1823, over the years he increased the number of exotic plants and even built a maze made out of laurel bushes, this was made to keep his 12 children occupied (though I don’t think it kept him occupied for long). Unfortunately I the last severe storms caused some of the oldest of the parks inhabitants to become unstable and for safety reasons they had to be felled, the discussion is now on, are they to be left to rot giving homes for various other plant and insect life or to be removed and something new planted to replace them, I am of the former school of thought, as they would still be giving life to the gardens and also some of their branches have taken root and are turning into trees. Alfred’s Great-Grandsons bequeathed the gardens to the National Trust and they are doing a fine job in keeping with the founder’s original idea.

At the end of the valley you come to a wonderful fishing village it consists of no more than 10 houses one of them an old schoolhouse now converted into holiday properties.

Saturday 17^th August

Godolphin gardens, St Ives and the crab and rum shack

The once fish ponds that used to feed the house

The southern wall of the walled garden with the trained pear trees and the holes that once housed bee hives.

Garden Gnome

We had decided to go to St Ives for the day, taking in Godolphin house and gardens. It dawned a beautiful morning, though it had rained during the night, again, we decided to head out towards the National Trust Godolphin house and gardens, little knowing that the house is used for seminars most of the time and is only open to the general public on certain days in the month and of course this was not one of those certain days. But never the less, the NT staff told us where and what we would be able to see.

It had once again started to rain, not heavy and as we had our waterproofs on and our cowboy hats it didn’t really bother us, Linda has a bright yellow one so I am able to keep her in sight and call her to rein if she strays from the beaten path, mine is a real pukka gen Aussi one brought back from my daughters last vaunt there.

The Boss

Here he comes girls

It didn’t rain hard and not all of the time so we did enjoy our visit. The gardens are well kept and we did visit the some of the outhouses (stables, old dairy and storage facilities) as well as the Kings Hall, this hall is supposed to be where King James slept as he escaped to the Scilly Isles on his flight from Cromwell’s army.

This is not the only place that he is supposed to have stayed, so maybe he was using doubles a bit like Churchill did during the Second World War to throw the following Round Heads.

We then headed off to St Ives and the park and ride at Lelant Saltings, this had been suggested by us by our friends Alison and Rob, who had visited Cornwall in July, a great Idea, the branch line train runs every 30 minutes and only costs 4 pound return for both of us, add to this the 2.50 for the pay and display, it is just not worth the hassle of looking for parking slots in a 6mtr mobile home in St Ives. The train journey is very pleasant and as it was low tide the Saltings were full of bird life, Oyster catchers, Curlews, Grey Herons, Little Egrets, Godwits and of course the Ducks, Terns and the Great Black backed Gulls. It is a paradise for Ornithologists and nature lovers and would be well worth a visit just to Bird watch.

It rained intermittently during the day, but with a bit of raindrop dodging by visiting the Lifeboat station (always a must whenever I am near one),

having lunch, visiting the Tate, it certainly didn’t spoil our enjoyment.

We lunched at the Rum and Crab shack;

this is an unpretentious upstairs eatery done out in West Indian style, rough tables and mismatching chairs absolutely wonderful, this is to be found on the main street. It serves fantastic food at very reasonable prices. I ordered crabs claws and the Jambalaya, Linda the Gumbo and was not disappointed, large meaty claws and a spicy Jambalaya full of prawns, crab and ling. Linda also said her meal was very, very tasty.

 

We then walked through the town doing bit of window shopping until we arrived at St Ives Tate gallery, it is an imposing building overlooking the main surf beach of Porthmeor.

The Architects David Shalev and Elred Evens certainly knew what they were doing when they designed this inspiring building and they picked the site well, if you go to the up to the first floor gallery and look away from the sea into the windows, you will see the sea reflected it is so mesmerising and that alone was worth the visit.  On entering you are hit with the clean lines and then the wonderful glass window of Patrick Heron, there was also many of his textile designs from his early years. Of course there was also a multitude of works by Hepworth, Moss and Ruppersberg to name but 4 of the 8 artists.  We spent a wonderful couple of hours wandering and looking at the works of the St Ives artists before watching the video presentation of Lindner performed by the Northern Ballet under Kenneth Tindall representing Hepworths The Family of Man, a riveting piece of visual art. We then made our way back to the railway station and back to the P&R and our van and headed for home.