Travel

Travel: Take a trip to Nova Scotia

by Jo Mooney of Stunning Escapes

Now that spring is here, we can see a level of normality coming back to travel, not just because of the number of clients travelling, but most excitingly for us, the range of destinations they are visiting is rapidly increasing. Our specialities are long-haul and cruise, which were both badly hit by Covid, but now they are having a resurgence, which is fantastic.

I love it when clients ask us to send them somewhere different, so we spend a great deal of time sussing out the less obvious places to go. I had the great pleasure of spending some time with the Nova Scotia tourist board recently, and it really opened my eyes to how much more we could offer our clients at this destination.

Let me share with you some of the reasons Nova Scotia could entice you. • Nova Scotia is one of the most beautiful and diverse provinces in Canada, famous for its history, culture, food, music, natural beauty and wine. • It’s a very accessible destination from the UK. The average flight time from London is 6 hours and 40 minutes, but it can be even less than this. • Nova Scotia has over 4,500 miles of coastline. Clients are always surprised by the quality of the beaches – on a sunny day some will even rival the Caribbean, with white sands and crystal-clear waters, often with no-one else to share them with! • The Bay of Funday has the world highest recorded tides in the world. This makes it a very attractive place for 12 species of whales to come and play. They can feast on the incredible amount of plankton found here. Stand on the 300ft cliffs and take in the spectacular views and see what you can spot. • You can experience just about every type of boat ride you can think of, from white water rafting to sailing on a tall ship. • Nova Scotia has been growing grapes for wine since the 1600s and has some of the oldest vineyards in the world. You can experience a huge variety of local vintages sitting on a patio with sensational views. • If you enjoy movies, why not base you trip around the world’s biggest film festival, Devour, which takes place in October? A great name, as it also encompasses a food festival! • This is a great part of the world to enjoy riding, whether along the magnificent beaches or as part of a tour where you may end up sampling some of that fabulous wine! • Obviously, Nova Scotia is a seafood lover’s dream – but did you know that you can enjoy fresh lobster 12 months of the year? • Nova Scotians are some of the warmest and friendliest people you couldmeet. They love sharing their rich and varied history with you. There are so many different cultures you can learn about. We’ve just booked a fabulous self-drive tour for clients who are heading out to Nova Scotia at the end of September. They are travelling on the shoulder side of the peak season, so they can see all Nova Scotia has to offer, as well as the magnificent changing foliage – the oranges, reds and yellows should be in full display towards the end of their trip. We have booked them into some boutique hotels, and they have some fabulous experiences arranged – including, of course, a whale-watching tour and a private introduction to the wines of Nova Scotia, as well as dining on the ocean floor! Safe travels to those of you venturing back out into the world Best wishes, Paul and Jo x

01872 248 534 WhatsApp: 07534 723 955

ST IVES COMMUNITY LAND TRUST

Our project to bring a ordable rented housing to the heart of St Ives is making progress

When you walk down Street-an-Pol, you will be able to see the new roof on the Old Vicarage Flats. This is the latest stage in St Ives Community Land Trust’s plans to redevelop the building to create six a ordable ats for rent in the centre of town.

We raised funds to buy the building in 2019, and thanks to much-needed community fundraising and other nancial support, we have been able to commission some pre-development work. Because of the challenges we faced during Covid, some work was delayed, but more recently, we have been able to arrange for the removal of asbestos, and safely carry out the internal inspections that were needed. Because the old slate roof was in need of substantial repair, it was decided to renew the whole roof and guttering.

Local construction company Chard Builders have been working on site, and since the work began the Trust has been hearing from more people about the memories of members of the community who recall their Sunday School and nursery days in the old Community Rooms. We would love to hear from you about your recollections of the building, or the time that you spent there,

We now await the nal decision on capital funding, when all of the Town Deal projects’ business cases are reviewed by Cornwall Council. In the meantime, our project is being supported by a number of community-led housing initiatives from government, together with funding from Cornwall Community Foundation and the Architectural Heritage Fund.

We are steadily getting nearer to our goal of creating two one-bedroom ats and four two-bedroom ats, plus a substantial shared garden space – volunteers are beginning to put together some ideas about how this will look.

As a community group, we rely heavily on donations, as not all of the renovation costs can be covered with grant aid. We encourage local support, and we welcome questions and ideas. We are planning a number of Open Days over the summer months ,which will be an opportunity for a tour of the site and a look at our plans. In due course, we will be posting photo board of our progress to keep our supporters informed.

CLT membership costs only £1, and we now have over 230 members .If you would like to join us, and help by making a donation, please email clt@stivesclt.org.uk, or visit our website

www.stivesclt.org.uk.