Out on the Towans

The wonders on our doorstep by Martin Rule, Towans Ranger

Writing this in early April, I’ve still not seen a swallow, wheatear or sand martin – but I have seen a healthy-looking male adder, heard some lovely uplifting skylark song and smelt the coconutty gorse. By the time you read this, our special Towans wildlife will have been flowering, buzzing and singing for some time. This is the season for going outdoors and appreciating the wonders we have on our doorstep.

I’ve been heartened recently to have met some lovely children – and staff! – from two local schools, who have enjoyed a tour around Gwithian Green. It’s been an absolute pleasure to see their enthusiasm and sense of wonder at nature. I’ve also been struck afresh by how much knowledge many of them already have about wildlife and the environment.

These two schools have committed to running weekly trips into the Towans, which is fantastic, and something I’m trying to aim for with all the local schools. One thing the pandemic surely showed us is how restorative getting outside – especially into ‘wild’ nature – is for all of us. I’m also sensing that children have a natural desire to do something positive for the environment – this perhaps almost despite (or maybe because of?) how overwhelming the climate and biodiversity crisis is. One specific positive project we can all get involved with in this area is the North Cornwall BeeLines project, run by Buglife. The aim is to plant and encourage various plants that help to conserve pollinating insects – some of which, in this area, are becoming scarce. Friends of the Towans has recently adopted a flowerbed on Penpol Terrace in Hayle, and we aim to plant many wildflowers there. Our programme of wildlife events has started, so keep an eye on our website or Facebook page for details. Due to increasing demand, you’ll need to book ahead for all our events, to help us manage group safety, parking, and insurance requirements. A particular one to look out for will be a Bioblitz on 25th and 26th June around Gwithian, where our aim will be to record as many species as possible within 24 hours. This will also mark the second International Sand Dune Day, so you’d expect to see us taking part! Another quick reminder, please, to keep your dog on a lead during April to the end of June, in particular when you’re close to tussocky areas of grass, to help allow our skylarks and meadow pipits to nest. Thank you, and please spread the word among your dog=walking friends!

Enjoy the start of summer, and if you’d like to get involved with our work, just email me at martinrule@talktalk.net

www.friendsofthetowans.co.uk

St Ives eBikes: a traditional local bike shop for the 21st century now offering rental, servicing, repairs and sales

Electric bikes are a fantastic way to get around St Ives – and to explore the dramatic coast and countryside beyond the town. It’s what inspired keen cyclist Ben Colclough to launch St Ives eBikes. The business started with 10 bikes for rent, and such was the demand for them that within a year they had 35 eBikes to rent, and now also offer bike servicing and repairs, alongside a range of new and reconditioned eBikes for sale.

Ben had seen electric bike hire companies operating successfully in his travels around the world, and he was confident that this was something which would work well in St Ives. As he says: “I live on the edge of town, and if I wanted to go surfing, it was o en a nightmare finding somewhere to park!” The Covid lockdown summer of 2020 was the ideal time for Ben to set up this new business, as his overseas travel company, Tourdust, was significantly affected by restrictions on long-haul holidays.

Following the launch of the business, local folk and holidaymakers alike began to make a beeline for St Ives eBikes. “Most people are trying an eBike for the first time, and they love it,” says Ben. “Tourists love cycling out to Zennor – as soon as you leave Rosewall Hill behind, the scenery is breathtaking, and the best way to see it is on a bike. The most adventurous go all round the Land’s End peninsula. It’s very hilly and not normal cycling terrain, but if you’re riding an eBike, it’s more like going for a good walk.”

St Ives eBikes offers full information for self-guided tours, including details about lunch stops and sites en route. And if your bike has a puncture, one of the team will come out and get you mobile again.

The company now rents out a range of regular and electric bikes, including gravel bikes, road eBikes, mountain eBikes, touring eBikes and cargo eBikes, which have space where two children can sit.

Rental stock is sold each year, which can be good value for people interested in buying their first electric bike. St Ives eBikes also has a small but growing range of new electric bikes for sale. Anyone interested in having a test ride is welcome to call in at the shop in Ventnor Terrace.

The shop employs two experienced year-round staff, with seasonal support to clean and check the bikes at the end of each day, and the business has expanded to offer all the services provided by a traditional local bike shop.

Bring in any bike, including a child’s cycle, and the team will be happy to take a look at it and get it back on the road.

St Ives eBikes, Ventnor Terrace, St Ives, TR26 1DY 07536 171214 • info@stivesbikes.co.uk •www.stivesbikes.co.uk Instagram.com/stivesebikes • Facebook/stivesebikes

Trevena Cross Nurseries: Special plants from exotic places

Trevena Cross needs a good reason not to grow a plant from scratch on site. A case in point would be exceptional exotica, like the large specimen Trachycarpus and Phoenix palms, big gnarly olive trees, and majestic tree ferns it showcases at the garden centre.

To produce these real wow factor statement pieces, the right climate and time is hugely important – it would take many decades to grow anything close to these specimens here in Cornwall, and it might not be possible at all.

Trevena Cross imports its palm trees and olive trees usually from Spain, and tree ferns from Australia and New Zealand. All are checked and certified disease-free, and ready to adapt to their new homes as well-established, mature trees. Stock levels vary, as deliveries are only once or twice per year – and sometimes, as has been the case with tree ferns this year, it is very difficult to source any at all. This makes each specimen extra special, one of a kind, and frankly irreplaceable. Particularly appealing every spring is the huge range of patio 4-packs that Trevena Cross grows (£3.50 per pack, that’s less than 88p per plant!) From geraniums to Begonia semperflorens, verbenas to impatiens, argyranthemums to bidens, petunias to marigolds, there is a plant and colour to suit every pot, trough, basket, bed and border, in every garden. Contrary to popular belief, these quality patio packs can offer colour for a very long time, too – from spring right through to Christmas in and around the St Ives area, if winter temperatures are kind. As the garden centre transitions to summer, plenty more hanging baskets and summer flowering perennials get their time in the spotlight too, as the garden really does become the most important room of the home.

This exotic offering sets Trevena Cross apart from any other garden centre locally and has helped retain its title as an exotic nursery – even though it also manages a huge range of home-grown stock (more than 90%) encompassing a wide range of hedging, shrubs, perennials, succulents, coastal plants, other exotics, and – timely for now –continuous, plentiful supplies of seasonal bedding, patio and veg plants. Trevena Cross is always on hand to offer not only exceptional plants, but the advice and expertise which goes along with them. This is in addition to the wide array of garden furniture, gifts, and houseplants available, and of course the delicious menu ready to be sampled in the on-site Garden Kitchen Café.

Trevena Cross, Breage, Helston, TR13 9PY 01736 763880 | trevenacross.co.uk