myCornwall December 21/January 22

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS • VEGANUARY • DOG-FRIENDLY WINTER WALKS

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TRURO

CITY OF RENEWAL

TAMAR BRIDGE AT

SIXTY PLUS

Dark Skies on Scilly myCornwalltv DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 69 £3.25 t @myCornwall_ | G myCornwalltv | w www.thatsmycornwall.com 1 n

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Hello and It’s that time of year when we celebrate with family and friends, cast our eye over the last 12 months and look forward to the next – much like Janus, the two-faced Roman god who did exactly that, and gave his name to the month of January. (I know this thanks to the 2022 almanac which gave us this edition’s cover, by Elly Jahnz – see page 46 for more).

I’ve been editing Cornwall magazines for 15 years, and I never tire of Christmas. Pass me some mulled wine, slap on the Slade and I’m decking the halls like there’s no tomorrow. There are so many fabulous seasonal activities in Cornwall, and we’ve listed 12 on page 18 – having previewed Heligan’s Night Garden, I can confirm it’s very special, as are Truro’s Christmas lights (p26).

The Great Cornish Food Store and Rodda’s offer culinary inspiration. Look out, too, for myCornwall’s Christmas gift guide, free to pick up at a venue near you and stuffed full of ideas for your nearest and dearest.

There’s plenty of non-festive content in these pages to keep you going throughout overindulged,

January.

Taste

If

you’ve

also

contains

recommendations for Dryanuary and Veganuary (p78). Meanwhile, Elizabeth Dale visited St Martin’s on the Isles of Scilly to experience its phenomenal dark skies, and I scared myself witless by climbing to the top of the south tower of the Tamar Bridge. Turn to page 37 to find out what possessed me to do that, plus pictorial evidence.

It only remains for me to wish you a Nadelik Lowen ha Bledhen Nowdydh Da – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you on the other side...

Oll an gwella Kirstie

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News: iSight Cornwall at 165

10

Clean Cornwall: The Kernow Way

12

News: Heritage at Risk

18

12 Days of a Cornish Christmas

22

Bishop Philip: A Christmas message

24

The Want List: Cowhouse Gallery

26

Dog-Friendly Cornwall: Winter Walks

28

Truro: a city of renewal

36

Things to do in January

37

Tamar Road Bridge at 60

42

A year to view: 2022 Almanac

44

A weekend on St Martin’s, Isles of Scilly

48

My Cornish World: Marie Hand

52

Art News: exhibitions around the Duchy

56

Gallery of the Month: New Gallery, Portscatho

58

Maker Focus: Ceramicist Hugh West in Polzeath

60

Artist Focus: Ken Turner in Penryn

62

Meet the Maker: Jessye Boulton of Carnwear

64

Very Important Piece:

Cornwall Wildlife Trust Christmas card

68

Food Bites

70

Great Cornish Food Store

74

Dish of the month:

Emily Scott’s roulade with Rodda’s

76

Dryanuary inspiration

78

Places to eat: Veganuary

82

Experience: Lappa Valley’s new soft play area

EDITOR Kirstie Newton kirstie@mycornwall.tv

CONTRIBUTORS

01209 314147

thatsmycornwall.com myCornwall magazine, Box 27, Jubilee Wharf & Warehouse Commercial Road, Penryn, TR10 8FG

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Elizabeth Dale

DESIGN Paul Blyth

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Truro Cathedral by Arianna Hammersley-Fenton/Visit Truro

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myCornwall magazine welcomes contributions. We reserve the right to edit, amend, correct (or not use) anything submitted. Contributors must obtain all necessary permissions and credit all sources. All rights to works submitted are supplied for use by myCornwall and its parent company in all media (present and future). Whilst reasonable steps are taken to check the accuracy of work contained within the publication we cannot take responsibility for mistakes or the views submitted by contributors. Unsolicited contributions that fail to state they require payment or do not have a payment agreement in place will not be paid for but may be published. In order to avoid any confusion please state if you seek payment.

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Mel Colton-Dyer, chair of trustees with Ian McCormick, vice-chair

Making a Difference iSightCornwall celebrates 165 years of helping Cornwall’s blind and partially sighted In 1856, an association was founded to support Cornish miners who had lost their sight due to hazardous working conditions and accidents. Now named iSightCornwall, the organisation is currently celebrating 165 years of helping Cornwall’s blind and partially sighted, in increasingly innovative and effective ways.

In the mid-1800s, Cornwall was the most active mining district in the world and the largest producer of copper, employing up to 30% of the male workforce at its peak.

Miners rarely exceeded the age of 40 with many succumbing to consumption. Other lives were claimed by accidents, while those who survived might be left injured and unable to earn a living, leading to n 6 |

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severe hardship. Sight loss was common as miners would use gunpowder to blast through rock; unexpected explosions would occur, even after the invention of a safety fuse.

Plans for an association for the blind were first put forward at the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society’s Annual Exhibition of 1856. The following year saw the launch of the Itinerant Teaching of the Blind in the County of Cornwall to Read the Sacred Scriptures and to Write. As its cumbersome name suggests, its chief purpose was that of visiting blind people at home and teaching them to read the Bible using Moon type (a precursor to Braille).

The founding committee comprised the great and good of the day: clergy, solicitors, bankers, magistrates, MPs, mayors and health care professionals; and featured names still common in Cornwall today - Fox, Bolitho, Coode.

St Austell teacher William Baker, himself visually impaired, taught 61 blind people to read across Cornwall. One claimed

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

he “could not find language to express his gratitude to those who had... given back his eyes again”. Another, Thomas James, emigrated from St Just to Victoria, Australia, and spent the next 40 years teaching hundreds of blind people from the Moon type books he took with him.

By the late 19th century, pupils were learning to type on Braille typewriters grant-funded by the Society. Mining was on the decline in Cornwall, but the First World War saw an increase in injuries from a different source. The end of the war coincided with Cornwall’s first “register” of 250 blind people, while the introduction of the Ministry of Health Act in 1919 saw council-funded teachers making home visits

throughout

Cornwall,

teaching

music, rug making, knitting, chair caning and basket making in addition to reading.

Association funds went towards hospital transport, library subscriptions, typewriters, knitting machines and welfare payments.

In 1920, the Blind Persons Act became the first disability specific legislation

to be passed anywhere in the world, requiring local authorities to promote the welfare of blind people and reducing the pension age for blind men from 70 to 50. However, it was becoming impossible for teachers to visit those in more remote areas, and in 1927, the Association appointed its first sighted teachers who could drive to appointments.

William Baker, first home teacher From the collections of the Archives and Cornish Studies Service, Cornwall Council

The Second World War had a huge impact on what was now Cornwall County Association for the Blind. Some committee members had to resign to focus on war efforts, while home teachers helped people to fill in ration cards, gave advice on blacking out their homes, taught blind evacuees and provided lists of blind people to the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) wardens. In 1944, monthly social clubs started up throughout the county - those in Launceston and Saltash continue to this day.

Post-war, the Association purchased a property in Highertown, Truro. Malabar Home for the Blind was intended to care for elderly members with no family to look after them, at a time when the only alternative option was the work house.

It did so, and hosted garden parties for hundreds of members, until it was sold in 1971, by which time many blind people were choosing to stay in residential care closer to home.

Technology moved on apace. During the 1960s, only half of UK households had a telephone, with many relying on public telephone boxes - not a practical option for the visually impaired. To this end, the Association offered grants for home telephone lines. And in the early ‘70s, the Cornish Talking Newspaper and Magazine was launched on cassette tape (it’s now distributed on USB stick). In 1989, volunteers drove a converted bus around the county, providing a mobile information service about the increasing number of daily living aids, including magnifiers and desktop readers.

appointments in Penzance, Helston, Bodmin,

Moon Type

St Austell and Launceston.

The team continues to fight for visually impaired causes. In 2009, staff and trustees attended a major demonstration in London to lobby MPs about the Disability Living Allowance. The resulting changes meant more people were eligible for a higher rate of benefit. And in 2011, Terri Rosnau became the first visually impaired Chief

The Sight Centre opened on Truro’s Newham Road in 1994. Its equipment room and kitchen were used to demonstrate aids such as talking clocks, watches, weighing scales and raised stickers to help identify controls on cookers or washing machines, while a communications room was filled with computers featuring assistive speech software. Weekly clinics were launched to help the visually impaired live independently; these now run daily in Truro with monthly

Executive of Cornwall Blind Association, having worked her way up from volunteer to trustee over five years. She held the position until 2019.

Having switched from being an association “for the blind” to the Cornwall Blind Association,

which

sounded

more

empowering, in 2015 the organisation CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

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Kayak Club

for local businesses looking to improve the experience for visually impaired customers.

Malabar Home for the Blind

rebranded completely to iSightCornwall, in a bid to appeal to people of all stages of sight loss.

Its work in the community continues; in 2017, iSightCornwall collaborated with the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust to provide Cornwall’s first Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO), Tara Butler, who provides practical and emotional support at the hospital to help the patient understand their diagnosis. The following year, sight loss awareness training and accessibility audits were made available n 8 |

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When the UK went into a nationwide lockdown in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, staff moved to homeworking and all face-to-face appointments had to be cancelled. To combat loneliness, iSightCornwall launched MyFriend, a new telephone befriending service offering weekly phone calls from a volunteer. Low vision adviser Shannon Smith won a national award for devising a new way of helping patients via a telephone assessment, enabling them to access essential low-vision aids that would help them through long periods of isolation. Meanwhile, the Sight Centre reception area was refurbished and enlarged, with socially distanced seating areas, energy saving lighting and a new area for demonstrating living aids.

Today’s board of directors is made up of both sighted and visually impaired trustees with experience in business, finance, optometry and ophthalmology. These current custodians may differ in many ways from the founding committee of clergymen, bankers and wealthy landowners, but in their desire to give their time to improve the lives of over 23,000 blind and partially sighted people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, they are exactly the same.

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

iSightCornwall chief executive Carole Theobald says: “Since 1856, the charity has been known by several different names and gone through several different transformations, but our mission to support people living with sight loss has always remained the same. Reaching 165 years is a significant milestone for the charity, but it also shows that the need for sight loss support has not gone away over that time. In fact, demand for our services has never been higher. We support thousands of people across Cornwall each year and will continue to do so for many more years to come.”

This number is expected to grow to almost 30,000 by 2030. Your help is needed to ensure the legacy of Cornwall’s oldest charity lives on. All money raised stays in Cornwall and helps to provide home visits, essential transport for clubs and activities, and community events to deliver sight loss support. Become a Friend of iSightCornwall for as little as £2 a month, or leave a gift in your will – and make a genuine difference to people’s lives. l ISightCornwall, The Sight Centre, Newham Road, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 2DP. Tel 01872 261110 www.isightcornwall.org.uk

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Follow the Kernow Way Clean Cornwall’s mission is to reduce litter and pollution – the Kernow way.

If litter makes you angry, you’re in the company of 94% of Cornwall’s residents.

Litter has been deemed anti-social for decades, and yet it still costs taxpayers £1 billion a year to clear up rubbish. In Cornwall alone, the council employs 123 people and 60 vehicles in an average week to clean streets, car parks and beaches.

DO IT THE KERNOW WAY The Kernow Way means: • Being responsible for ALL of our rubbish • Remembering your reusable containers and coffee cups • Always picking up after our furry friends • Choosing to walk or cycle where you can, to save the planet • Using campsites instead of

In household waste terms, Cornwall residents produce 166,000 tonnes of rubbish annually - enough bin bags to line the A30 from Hayle to Bodmin every day.

Worse, 25% of the contents could have been recycled (Cornwall’s recycling rate is currently a woeful 34%).

Clean Cornwall is a partnership between local authorities and businesses, volunteer and community groups, all working together for a cleaner Cornwall that everyone can enjoy. Together they discuss environmental issues such as litter, and they are asking us all to consider how we can all minimise our impact on our surroundings.

Clean Cornwall provided equipment for a litter picking group for the Bray Rise estate near Redruth. “Our eager young litter pickers range in ages from 18 months to 13 years,” said the organiser. “Before n 10 |

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environment and know the impact they are having on it. Kids don’t get bored here anymore, they get picking!”

On the website, you can find local organisations, communities and groups who arrange and take part in litter picks that help to keep their neighbourhoods and our county clean, as well as a list of forthcoming litter picks - close to 1,000 full bin bags of rubbish have been collected by over 2,600 volunteers since January 2021.

wild camping • Respecting wildlife, giving them space to breed, feed, recover and thrive • Saying no to cheap snappable bodyboards - buy good quality, wooden even, or rent • Go slow - do it ‘dreckly’! Take your time and take it in.

Do it the Kernow Way, and remember to tell your friends about it by using the hashtag #thekernowway on social media.

Meur ras (Thank you)!

we began our mission to keep our streets clean, the gardens and roads were never litter-free. Thanks to Clean Cornwall, the children kept our streets immaculate throughout the summer holidays. They take a pride in their road and have formed friendships, with older ones guiding the little ones. They appreciate their

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

You can also find educational resources and information about specific campaigns, including balloon litter, single-use plastics and wildlife awareness. This year has seen a particular push to tackle litter left by the increasing numbers of people enjoying Cornwall’s outdoor spaces at a time when foreign travel is restricted.

The Kernow Way encourages everyone to consider their impact when out and about, taking responsibility as individuals and collectively, and understanding that everything we do has an impact. Be a custodian for Cornwall, and share the message of the Kernow Way. l Clean Cornwall is funded and hosted

by Cornwall Rural Community Charity, 2 Princes Street, Truro TR1 2ES. www.cleancornwall.org

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Heritage at Risk The birthplace of the Newlyn School of Artists and the little-known medieval castle at Cardinham, near Bodmin, have been saved from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, while a packhorse bridge in Launceston and a historic industrial site in Hayle have been added. The register is the annual health-check of England’s most valued historic places, identifying those at risk of being lost forever due to neglect, decay or inappropriate development. Published in November, the 2021 report showed 77 historic buildings and sites in the South West had been removed from the register thanks to the hard work of local communities, authorities, charities and owners who were determined to see them brought back to life. However, 31 sites have been added due to concerns about their condition. These include a five-arched bridge over the River Kensey, built in the 15th century to serve Launceston Priory; a pre-Norman cross in Lanivet churchyard, threatened by the growth of a centenarian yew (pictured); and 24 Foundry Square, part of the Harvey’s Foundry complex in Hayle, which is important to the story of mining heritage and its communities. Laura Walton, chief executive of Harvey’s Foundry Trust, said: “This is a call to action - the building needs significant structural work and being on the Heritage at Risk Register enables us to access advice and grants to protect it. l

Love Rowing grant Carrick Rowing Club has won a national grant from the British Rowing Charitable Foundation to give young people the chance to learn to row for free. Based at Ponsharden boatyard, between Falmouth and Penryn, the club was founded shortly before the pandemic by a group of friends linked by a love of the Carrick Roads, and now numbers 40 rowers of all ages and abilities. The £2,000 Love Rowing grant will enable the refurbishment of two second-hand coastal quad boats, followed by a schools engagement programme to open up the exciting world of rowing to young people on free school meals, as well as free taster days for all. l To find out more, contact carrickrowing@gmail.com n 12 |

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Victorian Quaker philanthropist commemorated

Iconic lock gates back in action

A Blue Plaque paying tribute to Victorian Quaker philanthropist, inventor and natural philosopher Robert Were Fox has been installed on Falmouth University’s Woodlane campus. Robert Were Fox lived in the Rosehill building, which is now part of the campus. In 1833, inspired by his teenage daughters, Fox founded the Cornwall Polytechnic Society, which later helped to found the world-leading Falmouth School of Art, which eventually grew into Falmouth University. Fox was also a distinguished scientist and inventor with a keen interest in mining and magnetism, developing a dipping needle compass that saved countless lives at sea. Recognising his contribution to science and innovation will connect Cornwall to its scientific legacy, according to Falmouth’s Civic Society. l

Having suffered serious damage during winter storms, Bude Sea Lock is back in use following major repairs. The lock allows vessels to enter the sea from the canal and vice versa, and is one of only two working manually operated sea locks in the UK. Built in 1823 and reconstructed in 1835, it is an iconic feature in the town. The outer north gate sustained substantial damage during winter 2018, rendering the lock unusable. A lengthy project unfolded, during which both gates were lifted out in June 2020 and subjected to extensive repairs and maintenance. The gates were recommissioned in September, allowing the first yacht in almost three years to lock out (pictured). l

Accessible Riots and Lobsters Pentire A recent project by the National Trust to improve access across Pentire headland is now open to visitors throughout the winter. Investment into facilities and the landscape mean the dramatic coastal views are now accessible to disabled visitors or people with limited mobility, who might previously have considered the area too challenging to visit. Old farm outhouses at Pentireglaze now house new toilets, including a Changing Places facility with a changing table and hoist. An all-terrain mobility scooter - a Tramper - is available to hire, and the adjacent orchard has been transformed into a beautiful sensory space with a picnic and play area, all buggy and wheelchair accessible. The café will be open Thursday to Sunday, 10.30am to 3pm over the winter. More information about Pentire and details on how to book the Tramper can be found at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/pentire l

Former Kneehigh collaborator Jim Carey has released a new live album, Riots And Lobsters, featuring a collection of songs exploring the whirling words and worlds of acclaimed Cornish playwright Nick Darke. Featuring a handpicked band of travelling multi-instrumentalists known as The Saboteurs, these diverse and poignant songs easily cross stylistic boundaries, sometimes folk songs, sometimes ska or swing. There are laments and ballads, some simple and lyrical, but often rich with vocal harmonies. The album was recorded from live performances during the Riots and Lobster 2019 tour and songs include The Bogus, Ting Tang Mine, Danger My Ally and The King of Prussia. The album is available on all major music platforms, and a physical album can be purchased on Bandcamp. l

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Kitting out local schools

A Gunnislake store owner has shared £3,000 worth of sports equipment with three local schools. Charlotte Southgate of Premier Gunnislake won the Birds Eye Kit Out Your Community competition, part of Birds Eye Green Cuisine’s sponsorship of the Team GB Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Lamerton Primary School, Delaware Pre-School and Tamar Valley PreSchool all received £1,000 worth of sports equipment, in the form of branded balls, bibs, hula hoops and other sports kit to help children get active. l

Hydrogen-powered flights to Scilly

Another critical step has been taken towards making zero-carbon flights to the Isles of Scilly commercially available. The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group (ISSG), Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) and its partner BrittenNorman have signed a Letter Of Intent and vowed to work together to make the vision a reality. CAeS is leading the collaboration with a view to integrating hydrogen fuel cell technology into the Islander aircraft; ISSG, which has operated the Islander for many years, has sold one of its aircraft to CAeS to be retrofitted. ISSG chief executive Stuart Reid said: “The Letter of Intent for hydrogen aircraft really shows our commitment towards a zeroemission aviation industry and to becoming an early adopter of this cuttingedge technology. We take our environmental policy very seriously, as well as our responsibility towards meeting the Government’s objectives of the decarbonisation of transport.” l

Reintroducing lost wildlife

Residents in Cornwall are being asked to have their say on whether Cornwall’s lost or threatened wildlife should be reintroduced. Working with a team of experts, Cornwall Council is exploring the potential to bring back different mammals to the Duchy. The project focuses on six species previously native to Cornwall: the water vole, red squirrel, pine marten, Eurasian beaver, wild boar, and European wildcat. The aim is to investigate the benefits and challenges that reintroducing these species might have on the local environment, our communities and businesses. It will help to inform the Duchy’s emerging ‘nature recovery strategy’ and ongoing work with local partners and landowners.

Complete the online survey on the Let’s Talk website before December 10. l

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Visit Alfords, your local Amtico Recommended Retailer

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Get 6 issues for £14.95* when you use code: CHRISTMAS21 UK: 6 issues (1 year) £20 | 12 issues (2 years) £40 EU: 6 issues (1 year) £45 | 12 issues (2 years) £80

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Roy Curtis/Visit Truro

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12 DAYS OF A CORNISH CHRISTMAS BISHOP PHILIP: A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE THE WANT LIST: COWHOUSE GALLERY DOG-FRIENDLY CORNWALL TRURO: A CITY OF RENEWAL THINGS TO DO IN JANUARY TAMAR ROAD BRIDGE AT 60 A YEAR TO VIEW: 2022 ALMANAC A WEEKEND ON ST MARTIN’S, ISLES OF SCILLY

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Things to Do Th 1. CHECK OUT A CHRISTMAS PANTO

2. EXPLORE THE TUNNEL OF LIGHTS

Christmas isn’t Christmas without a panto.

Until January 2. www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

Once used to transport clay to awaiting ships in the village’s harbour, the tunnels beneath Charlestown’s Shipwreck Treasure Museum have been transformed into a polar-themed wonderland. Follow the footsteps of adventurers through a world of ice, encountering shipwrecks frozen in time, glacial waterfalls, giant icebergs and caves, all illuminated with thousands of lights and filled with an arctic soundscape.

There will even be “real snow”! Admission includes access to the museum, which boasts over 8,000 treasures. Until Sunday, January 9. Advance booking required. www.shipwreckcharlestown.co.uk

Local company RAMPS’ performs Dick

3. BE INSPIRED BY THE TUDORS

Whittington

Cotehele’s garland has been a Christmas tradition since the Great Hall was first decorated for a 1950s staff celebration.

Oh no, it isn’t! Take your pick: In Truro, Hall For Cornwall presents Cinderella, packed with laugh-out-loud comedy, spectacular dancing, live music and singing - not to mention a large sprinkling of Cornish heart and fairytale magic! Ashley has the voice of an angel, and finds herself swept up as a masked contestant in the local Rock & Rhythm Championships, sharing centre stage with a charming prince. Will her true identity be unmasked?

Is this her chance to swap rags for riches?

Redruth

at

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the

Regal

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Theatre, to

16.

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

That simple yet beautiful swag used the evergreen shrub pittosporum; the garden team has since upped its game with increasingly stunning displays of dried flowers, all sown and grown in on-site in the Cut Flower Garden. Due to the pressures of the pandemic, this year’s garland will revert to a more modest design reflecting the kissing boughs Tudors brought into their homes in the winter. Until January 2 (closed Christmas and Boxing Day).

National Trust entry fee applies.

4. VISIT AN ILLUMINATED GARDEN See the Lost Gardens of Heligan lit by traditional paraffin lanterns in the shape of flora and fauna: owls, hares, foxgloves, butterflies and robins, and a joyful burst of fuchsias. Friday to Sunday; daily from December 16 to 23 and December 27 to January 2. www.heligan.com Alternatively,

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his Christmas follow a magical lantern procession through Trebah Garden to firelit festivities on the beach. Discover installations created by local artists and schools, and design and build your own lantern (£4pp, pre-booking essential).

This is a pilot event exploring the possibility of a winter festival of light from Scilly to the Tamar Valley, giving hope in the dark winter months. December 9 to 11, £8.50 adults, £6.50 children. www.trebahgarden.co.uk

December 19; daily from December 20 to

Victorian coach. Each child will receive an

24. More about Truro: page XX.

age-appropriate gift. Weekends December

In south-east Cornwall, Mount Edgcumbe Christmas Fayre returns for its 17th year on December 11 and 12. Right by the sea and overlooking Plymouth Sound, the country park is publicly owned and provides a marvellous setting for a memorable day out all year round. £3 adults, £1 children, parking £1 per car (cash only).

5. SHOP AT A CHRISTMAS MARKET Truro Farmers Market and Truro BID have joined forces to host a month-long shopping extravaganza on Lemon Quay. The BIG Christmas Market will feature a revolving selection of the finest local food, drink, arts and crafts from local farmers, small food producers and talented craftspeople - all the sights, smells and flavours of a Cornish Christmas. Wednesday to Sunday until

4/5 and 11/12, then daily between December 17 and 24. bodminrailway.co.uk

7. FOLLOW A FALMOUTH TRAIL The National Maritime Museum Cornwall hosts Lanterns and Lights from December 18 to January 2, complete with craft activities, a Star Trail and the Lanterns and Lights exhibition: displays of real and rare nautical lamps and navigation aids

6. MEET SANTA BY STEAM Bodmin & Wenford Railway’s popular Christmas trains return after a year off. Be

where sailors used the stars to guide them home. www.nmmc.co.uk

greeted by Santa’s elves at Bodmin General

Follow it up with the Christmas Adventure

before boarding the steam train to Bodmin

Quest at Pendennis Castle, Falmouth

Parkway. Children will be invited to write

(weekends until December 19, daily from

their list to Santa before returning to Bodmin

December 26 to January 2).

General for Christmas-themed activities and the opportunity to meet Santa in his

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9 10 12 Charlestown Harbour's Boxing Day swim, in aid of Sowenna young persons' mental health unit in Bodmin. Sponsorship forms are available by emailing charlestowngigs@gmail.com

8. MOUSEHOLE HARBOUR LIGHTS

10. MARK THE WINTER SOLSTICE

Mousehole Harbour Lights will go ahead this year, but to avoid large crowds, the traditional ceremony and Carolaire will be replaced by a “soft switch-on”. Displays in and around the village lit as and when they are ready by mid-December.

Fundraising was unable to take place in 2020, so please dig deep and donate online at www.mouseholelights.org.uk

One of the oldest Cornish midwinter customs takes place in Penzance on December 21, courtesy of the Cornish Culture Association. Highlights include guise dancing, mummers’ plays, the chalking and burning of the Cornish Yule log (the ‘mock’). Family-friendly events take place during the day and early evening, followed by an edgier, adult menu of misrule as the darkness deepens. The main procession leaves Chapel Street at 6pm.

9. CELEBRATE IN STYLE The Alverton in Truro is pulling out all the stops for the festive period, with festive lunches and afternoon teas served throughout December, special Christmas break offers including Christmas and Boxing Day, a performance by Near-Ta Theatre on December 27. Find out more at thealverton.co.uk

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11. SING YOUR HEART OUT Truro Cathedral is surely the place for a carol service. Look out for A Babe Is Born on December 18, and the traditional Nine Lessons And Carols service in the venue where it began - from 7pm on December 23 and 24, arrive early to get a seat. www. trurocathedral.org.uk

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Or join the Sterts Singers at their home venue in Upton Cross, near Liskeard for an hour of festive music and carols to put you in the yuletide mood. December 22, 7pm. www.sterts.co.uk

12. GO FOR A FESTIVE WILD SWIM On Christmas Day or Boxing Day, do as the Cornish do and earn your right to pig out! Seek out a community swim, and remember: leave your wetsuit at home!

Traditionally, you can find such events on Christmas Day at Coverack, Gyllyngvase (Falmouth), Trevaunance Cove (St Agnes), Polzeath and Crooklets Beach in Bude; and on Boxing Day in Poldhu, Porthminster (St Ives) and Charlestown.

Due to Covid-19, it’s best to check before turning out. Remember to swim with care, and stave off the shivers with a warm drink afterwards.

Carnwear

Emma Louise Art Stitch

Emma Louise Art Stitch creates Contemporary Art Cross Stitch Kits , Cornwall Colouring Books , Postcards and Gifts inspired by the Coastal Life and Designed and Manufactured in St Austell, Cornwall.

Carnwear is a knitwear brand embracing traditional artisan skills and smallscale production processes. Carnwear garments and accessories are hand crafted by designer/maker Jessye Boulton, who works from her studio in rural West Corwnall, a few miles away from Penzance. Creating stunning, tactile pieces of knitwear for both men and women, Jessye works on hand operated knitting machinery, using the finest silks, luxurious wools and other natural fibres. The ethos of slow fashion is at the heart of the Carnwear brand, with each item consciousness crafted with longevity in mind.

Pictured, and available to shop via www.carnwear.uk are: ‘Haze’ unisex hand warmers - £40, and silk and merino wool ‘Reflections Scarf’ in orange - £82.

Etherington Farm Shop

This Christmas season pop into Etherington’s award winning farm shop, set in the heart of Cornwall, for some tasty seasonal treats and gifts, including handmade hampers. Christmas pre-orders for hampers, fresh local meats prepared by our skilled butchers and locally sourced vegetables and potatoes are now being taken until the 13th December. While you are there at the shop don’t forget to try one of our traditional Cornish pasties all hand made on site. You can’t get fresher than that! For pre-orders please call the farm shop on 01209 899203 or come and visit us at Wheal Rose, Scorrier just off the A30 at Blackwater, and on the way to Porthtowan Beach.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from all the team at the Etherington Farm Shop and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Etherington’s Farm Shop, Wheal Rose, Scorrier, Redruth, TR16 5DF Tel: 01209 899203 • Opening times: Mon-Sat 8:30am to 5:00pm www.etherington-meats.co.uk Email: shop@etherington-meats.co.uk

Sophie Tilston

My Bright and Modern Cross Stitch Kits are fun and easy to make projects created from original Art work. They look fab when finished and are available in a variety of sizes from Magnets and bookmark kits to large Wall Art pieces. This year saw the release of my NEW Cornwall Colouring Book which is a quality spiral bound A5 book, this joins my Cornwall Colour in Postcard pack as a mindful stocking filler.

You can pick up an original creative gift from my Studio / Shop at 17 Duke Street , St Austell . Open Mon - Fri 9.30-2pm and Saturdays 10-4. I also offer free UK Postage and Gift Wrapped Delivery from my webstore www.emmalouiseartstitch.co.uk

The Grey Lurcher

We have recently become stockists for the fabulous candles and Reed diffusers from the St Mawes Scent Room. Handcrafted in small batches in St Mawes, using the highest quality essential oils these have proved very quickly that they are going to be one of our bestsellers.

For a Christmas Scent with a difference try Harbour Lights, a warm zesty fragrance with patchouli cinnamon and clementine. Or try the Coastal Living collection inspired by the Roseland peninsula, Black Rock, Lighthouse and Riviera will certainly remind you of living by the sea.

The Grey Lurcher, 20 High Street, Falmouth T: 01326 618240 • www.greylurcherfalmouth.com

St Moritz

Timeless eclectic homeware.

Designed by Sophie Tilston in her Falmouth seaside studio.

For a selction of stylish original designed gifts and homeware items, visit her new shop in Falmouth 12 Arwenack St,Falmouth, TR11 3JD or order online www.sophietilston.com

Give the gift of St Moritz this season!

A St Moritz Hotel gift voucher is the perfect Christmas surprise, a little thank you gift for that someone who has everything or someone just a bit ‘particular’-we all have at least one in our circles!... and let’s face it, it’s definitely better than socks! Take the stress out of late-night shopping and the endless hours of scrolling for the perfect gift and simply give the gift of St Moritz. This is our season, make it YOURS. Hotel, Restaurant or Spa Gift Vouchers. St Moritz Hotel and Spa stmoritzhotel.co.uk • T: +44 (0) 1208 862242

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

The Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, reflects on the pandemic and reveals his hopes for the coming year

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he pandemic came out of the blue and knocked us back on our heels as a society. Yet what I remember about the first lockdown, long before we knew about vaccines, is that there was a wonderful, quiet springtime.

Nature sprang back to life and there was remarkable beauty all around us, taking its rightful place again. I remember hoping we would learn to live more lightly and lovingly on the Earth. I want to hold onto that now, rather than going back to “normal”, living unsustainable lives.

As a church, we took a lot of flak about churches being closed. But my overwhelming feeling was that of being proud of how we responded - not just by putting services online, but also the way church communities rolled up their sleeves and did shopping, collected prescriptions, ran food banks. They stepped up to the plate.

I myself did Zoom services with my wife.

We had good banter together on screen; she pulled my leg about things, I got my guitar out and sang, people even got to meet our dog. It was good fun and a bit homespun, but people tell us they really appreciated it and found it encouraging.

I felt it was something we could do that filled a vacant space, and I hope it showed us in a nice, positive, human light. As other churches became more equipped, we stepped back and let them take over.

I don’t think we should be too quick to say we’ve got over this. The virus is still out there, and coming to terms with all the changes it has wrought in us will take quite a long time. That in itself is humbling for humanity. I was on Scilly for Remembrance Sunday, and wound up fog-bound – it was a reminder that you can’t live life without paying heed to rhythm of nature, the wind and the tides. Similarly, Covid has humbled us and I think as a human race, we have needed that a little bit.

Social media has become really important over the last 18 months. You can’t ignore it, and I don’t want to – I want to be connected. The church is in the business of communication; we have a message we want the world to hear. I want to engage, and use social media to listen and learn what’s going on, to take the temperature of the culture and society in which we live. I want to know what Cornwall is thinking and feeling.

I often tweet about Freedom of Religious Beliefs (FORB). This goes back to the work I was commissioned to do three years ago by then Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

It has developed real momentum - it’s on the political agenda much more than ever before, and I see it as part of my job to keep it there. It’s not just a narrow issue of interest to a few people, but part of a broader agenda around human rights and being able to live the life you want, free of the ugly regimes in the world today.

When in London recently, I went to the

Foreign Office to meet Richard Ratcliffe, [husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, currently imprisoned in Iran] during his hunger strike, to express my solidarity with him and to press the UK government to do what it needs to do to secure her release.

My message this Christmas is that rather than simply beginning at home, charity should broaden its horizons and have long arms. Central to my understanding of the Christian faith is that God has not held himself at a distance from this world, but is one of us and immerses himself in the messiness and uncertainty of human life to the extent that he himself became a refugee in Jesus and made himself vulnerable. He’s not one who keeps his hands clean, but gets them dirty and is there to care for us and love us. He holds his hand out to us, and we need to hold ours out to others, not just our nearest and dearest but those different from us and a little more challenging.

For 2022, I think we will discover a new and better, more caring way of living beyond the pandemic. We must ensure the good lessons of caring for one another in the community and cherishing the planet are not lost. I hope we will remember how fragile and vulnerable we are on this Earth, and not take one another or the planet for granted. l Follow Bishop Philip on Twitter @pmounstephen

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THE WANT LIST

Cowhouse Gallery 1

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Situated in the picturesque coastal village of Perranuthnoe, The Cowhouse Gallery is run entirely by a group of local artists and craftspeople, who take it in turns to work in the gallery each day. A wide range of original pieces is displayed in a light, bright art space, including paintings, ceramics, jewellery, glass, sculpture, leatherwork and more. Perranuthnoe Cove is just a short stroll away, with breathtaking coastal walks looking towards St Michael’s Mount in one direction and Prussia Cove in the other.

1. Turned Yew Wood Lidded Pot by David Wolstencroft £40 2. Miranda and the Hare, hand painted stoneware by Lorna Hirst Johnson £290 3. Little Chap, slab built stoneware by Jean Foulds £220 4. The Stag of the Wood, Acrylic on board by Linda Craig £200 5. Penzance, Oil painting by Katharine Mair £220 6. Magical Mermaid Clock by Candice Scorey £85 7. Pink Sunrise, speckled mix anodised aluminium and hammered sterling silver bracelet by Rachel Stowe £75 8. Low Tide at Perranuthnoe, Acrylic on board by Wendy Powell £150 9. Siren V, painted stoneware by Carol Chapman £150 Lynfield Craft Centre, Perranuthnoe TR20 9NE Winter opening hours: 11am to 4pm daily.

Tel 01736 710538 www.cowhousegallery.co.uk Facebook: Cowhouse Gallery Instagram @thecowhousegallery

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

CREATIVE & CULTURAL LIVING

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE IN OUR 2022 ART GUIDES PLEASE CONTACT JENI SMITH

TEL: 01209 494003 EMAIL: JENI.MYCORNWALL@GMAIL.COM

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

3 WINTER WALKS WITH BEACH CAFES Words by Victoria Carpenter

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inter is the time when dog owners can enjoy walks on most of Cornwall’s beaches, often with huge expanses of sand all to themselves. To help make the most of our beautiful coastline at this time of year, and to celebrate all those cafés which stay open all year round, here are some walks to try. Find more at www.dogfriendlycornwall.co.uk GUNWALLOE via Poldhu 1.5 miles, 40 mins With its 15th century church tucked right at the edge of the beach, Church Cove at Gunwalloe is a really lovely place for a bracing winter walk. This one is easy but beautiful. Leave the A3083 Helston-Lizard road to reach the village of Gunwalloe and head on past The Halzephron Inn (gorgeous food and super dog-friendly!) to arrive at the National Trust Car park at Church Cove. Park here and take a short stroll past Dollar Cove - which gets its name from silver dollars washed ashore from a famous treasure wreck, and is dog-friendly all year round. Next you will come to St Winwaloe Church, famous from a scene in the recent Poldark BBC series. Continue from the car park along the path behind the beach and follow the coast path up over the golf course with the sea to your right. After a short distance, you’ll come to another car park up on the headland with views over Mount's Bay and it’s a short walk down the road to Poldhu Beach from here, and along the back of the beach to the lovely Poldhu Beach Café, where you can stop awhile before retracing your steps.

No matter how hard the winter storms are blowing, Poldhu Beach Café is open 363 days each year (closed Christmas Day and Flora Day), offering a rather legendary selection of hot chocolates as well as snacks such as burgers, breakfast in a box and cakes. There is an annual Boxing Day swim for charity.

WIDEMOUTH BAY via Bude 6 miles, 3 hours Starting at the right hand side of Widemouth Bay as you face the sea, head over the footbridge and follow the path past Salthouse Cottage until you reach the circle of stones on the headland known as Lower Longbeak. From here, turn right and follow the coast path north towards Bude.

At a fork in the path, take the left towards Higher Longbeak headland. Continue on the coast path past Philip’s Point nature reserve. From here, follow the coast path through kissing gates and field gates and you will pass Compass Point, where there is a stone watchtower. Continue down some steps and you will soon come to Summerleaze beach in Bude. Turn inland and follow the path alongside Bude Canal, until you come to some steps signposted left which will lead you towards the road and the bridge at the Falcon Hotel. From here, follow the canal to Helebridge until you reach a fork and a footbridge. The path here is signposted to Widemouth Bay. Continue past the lake and turn right until you come to the public footpath. Turn left to follow this path which takes you through kissing gates and fields. Eventually the path will bring you back to Marine Drive

and Salthouse Cottage where you bear left back to Widemouth Bay. The Widemouth Bay café sells hot and cold drinks and has a really great menu, from coffee and cake to burgers and fish and chips. It is situated right on the beach and open year round. www.widemouthbaycafe.co.uk Porth to Watergate Bay 4 miles, 2 hours From Porth beach, head up the coast path from the right of the beach (as you face the sea) and bear left on the road until you come to a gateway onto a gravel path.

Continue past an information board at Trevelgue Head and follow the coast path to Whipsiderry beach. Cross the beach and climb the steps back onto the coast path. Here you will pass RAF St Mawgan on your right, and eventually come to a mound which is a Bronze Age barrow.

From here follow the coast path through a gap in the hedge and the route will take you down to Watergate Bay. The Beach Hut here and Wax are dog-friendly when open. To complete the walk head back up the path behind the car park signposted to Porth and retrace your path.

The Beach Hut at Watergate Bay may be closed for the season, but it has opened a winter pop-up, No.1 Cubs, offering coffee, drinks and food all year round. l For more dog friendly adventures visit www.dogfriendlycornwall.co.uk

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The Drummer by Roy Curtis/Visit Truro

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

A City of Renewal

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Truro Cathedral by Arianna Hammersley-Fenton/Visit Truro

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

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n a mild, sunny day in late autumn, Truro City councillor Bert Biscoe gestures to the mudflats close to the harbour office. “If you were to take a pair of compasses and draw a circle to show how Truro has grown, this,” he declares, “is the place where you would stick the pin.”

Here is the confluence of the three rivers that gave Truro its name - the Kenwyn, the Allen and the lesser-known Glasteinan and it’s a key point in one of Bert’s guided walking tours. Today, it’s a hotspot for wading birds, undeterred by the noise of nearby traffic thundering along Morlaix Avenue, the A39 ring road.

“The minute gills turned into limbs, and our back legs took all our body weight, it was inevitable Truro would become a town,” Bert continues, with the confidence and passion of someone who has lived in a place for decades. “The very geography of the place says this is a stimulating crossroads.”

He reels off the historic evidence that proves the river has always been at the heart of Truro’s status as a bustling centre of trade, from the Neolithic finds unearthed during the development of Tregurra Park & Ride and recycling centre, to comparatively recent industries, such as the biscuit factory once powered by the River Allen where it splits round an island close to the delta. The factory is no longer there, but the island bears the familiar name of Furniss.

“This was a machine. There was work here,” says Bert, with feeling. “Truro has always been a commercial centre, producing, exporting and importing.” He points to Truro’s position as a stannary town, weighed, stamped and sold – a row of houses was knocked out of Boscawen Street to make room for this activity, resulting in the space we see today before the Coinage Hall.

This month, that space will be lively with Christmas shoppers, especially on Wednesdays when stores remain open until 9pm (see page 34 for more details); while theatre-goers flock to the reopened Hall For Cornwall to see the festive production of Cinderella.

It has been a busy year for Cornwall’s capital city. In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson

visited Lemon Street Market to announce a £23.6m windfall from the government’s Towns Fund, and in September, top cyclists powered through the streets during the Tour of Britain.

Truro is one of 101 towns, and four in Cornwall, selected to bid for the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

The board hopes the £23.6m awarded will transform Truro into a Connected River City, and a modern economic, cultural and green capital for its residents and the wider community by 2030.

Plans are afoot for the main works to be funded: repurposing empty buildings, reimagining Boscawen Park to include a new ‘winter garden’, and creating an outpost for Falmouth University’s gaming students, which will in turn revitalise the city’s night-time economy. If approved, work will need to be completed by 2026.

Fast-tracked taster projects include the recently opened Moresk Centre on St Clement Street, a community space run collaboratively by a group of local churches; a mobile stage for high-profile events such as the Tour of Britain; Christmas illuminations, including a specially commissioned cathedral for Trafalgar roundabout and 100 reindeer models for shop displays; street market equipment which has been used for one-day markets such as antiques and collectibles, and free of charge for community events; and more benches and cycle racks throughout the city, in a bid to encourage green transport and relieve some of the wider city’s traffic congestion.

It’s heartening to see Truro still vibrant after the ups and downs of the pandemic and the ins and outs of lockdown, and local businesses are doing their best to make up for lost time.

Alun Jones, manager of Truro BID (Business Improvement District), admits trading has been "extremely tough” at times, but he is pleased to see new stores in town, from national chains (Mint Velvet, Crew Clothing) to local independents (Married To The Sea), as well as existing businesses upgrading to larger city centre premises (Regatta) and expanding to open second outlets (Lawrance's bakery, Pollen in the Park, and On The Boards –

an interactive social sports bar spin-off from cocktail bar On The Rocks).

Early indicators suggest that despite flirting with online shopping during lockdown, customers are returning to the high street in search of one-to-one interaction on the shop floor. Needless to say, Alun is delighted. “Our message to customers is: shop nice and early in the high street where you can see, smell and touch items before you buy. Don’t rely on online ordering, and don’t leave it until the last minute.”

Truro became a city by default when Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Truro, commissioned the building of the magnificent cathedral. During construction, services were held in a temporary wooden building, including the inaugural Nine Lessons and Carols service, since adopted and made famous by King’s College, Cambridge. It was first performed on Christmas Eve, 1880, and you can hear it twice in its spiritual home this year: on December 23 with the girl choristers, and December 24 with the boys.

You might be surprised to learn that Father Christmas will be in residence in Truro Cathedral’s crypt on Wednesdays, a storytelling and grotto experience with Coppice Theatre. This is the latest in a number of more secular events to make the most of the Cathedral’s cavernous internal space, from vintage and volunteer fairs to fashion shows and gala events, even silent discos. On New Year’s Eve, you can attend a masquerade ball by the organisers of The Great Estate.

This calculated move towards broader events is managed by the cathedral executive, including chief operating officer Sean O’Neill and four members of the clergy. “My role is making sure the cathedral stays here and is sustainable for generations to come,” says Sean. “That means everything from looking after the fabric of the building to getting people through the doors.

“Unlike many cathedrals, we don’t charge an entry fee, but our congregation is diminishing, and with it our donations.

We need to find ways of preserving the building without deviating too far from CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

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its primary purpose. While it’s obviously a sacred space, we want it to be a place for everyone of any background to come to. Sometimes, you have to give people a reason to do that.”

Funding from the Cultural Recovery Fund was used to survey people about their feelings towards the cathedral. Many were unaware entry is free, unsure if they were allowed to go in if not from a faith background, and worried about the etiquette – for example, whether children would be shushed for making a noise.

“Holding different events here means they put all that aside,” says Sean.

He hopes Santa Claus – who is based on St Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop who liked to give gifts - will attract young families who might not normally venture through the doors. “We’re mindful of the fact that this is a place of worship, and we're looking beyond the commercial to do something that will give people a connection to the true meaning of Christmas,” says Sean. “It’s not just ‘have 30 seconds in Santa’s grotto and come out with a present’. It’s an experience, a respectful journey round the cathedral.”

He adds: “The overwhelming feedback from people going in for the first time is ‘wow’. We hope some will join the congregation; if not, they are engaging with the cathedral as a heritage building, gaining an appreciation of it. It ticks that box, as well as earning us some revenue after a horrible year.”

Back on Boscawen Street, Hall For Cornwall is welcoming theatre-goers after a twoyear closure for major refurbishment. The stage was christened in October with the world premiere of Fisherman’s Friends – The Musical, a riotous performance based on the fictional film (itself inspired by the true story of the Port Isaac shanty singers).

It was a co-production by the theatre’s new in-house company, Cornwall Playhouse, as is the current pantomime.

The refurb was the culmination of a 10-year project by chief executive and creative director Julien Boast, who was personally invested and very hands-on, right down to the choice of soft furnishings. “Opening a brand-new theatre with a brand-new show – I must have been slightly crazy,” n 32 |

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he laughs, adding: “My God, haven’t we missed live theatre?”

Initial works concentrated on reclaiming the footprint of the building, which has served as a cattle market, a prison, a magistrate’s court and a bank during its 175-year lifespan, often adapting to changing times. Some fascinating features had been hidden for decades or more by previous “improvements”; a panel dating back to the 17th century is now in pride of place at the rear entrance. This space was latterly used as a flea market, but would often lie empty of an evening, a mere thoroughfare to the back door. Now, it houses a swanky bar, achingly beautiful arches and 1930s-style terrazzo flooring.

Inside the auditorium is all oak and concrete polished floors. Where there were once stalls and simple sloping seating, there are now proper dress and upper circles. Seats are covered with fabric in a design based on Cornish granite: grey, with flecks of yellow to represent lichen.

No two are the same.

A bigger auditorium means bigger productions: Everyone’s Talking About Jamie and We Will Rock You are both shows that would have struggled to pay for themselves with the previous full-house figures. “It’s good for the high street,” adds Julien. “People will come for the shows, then shop here, eat here.”

Outside the theatre’s Lemon Quay entrance, Tim Shaw’s sculpture The Drummer has been restored to its rightful place, having taken a holiday at the Eden Project during construction. The 15ft sculpture contains both Cornish tin and copper, and represents Cornish identity, symbolising a place “where the drum beats differently”.

Work began in 1926 to cover over Lemon Quay, and when the ring road was built in the 1960s, the port was well and truly sliced off from the city centre.

An inelegant car park for decades, the expansive piazza we now know was created in the early 2000s. The old quay walls and river are still there under the tarmac, and the River Kenwyn appears at either end: around the Compton Castle, and down the side of Mannings.

It can be hard to imagine Truro’s port history: a lively pilchard market, wooden

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

sailing ships under construction, sailors running hither and thither. The Truro Loops project is a long-held community ambition to reconnect the city to its waterfront. Its six “loops”, or circular trails, take in the city centre, Boscawen Park and Newham, as well as Moresk Forest near Malpas village - according to legend, doomed lovers Tristan and Iseult crossed the river here to escape Iseult’s husband, King Mark.

Thanks to a recent cash injection of more than £600,000 from the England European Regional Development Fund, resurfacing work is imminent on the disused Newham railway between Gas Hill and County Hall, now a trail for walkers and cyclists.

In April, a business case will be put forward for the flagship development that kicked off the project four years ago: a footbridge linking Boscawen Park with Lighterage Quay on the opposite bank of the Truro River, creating an attractive circuit and linking industrial Newham with recreational facilities. Funding is already earmarked as part of the Town Fund, and if successful, the bridge is scheduled to be built by 2025. There are loftier ambitions for a second bridge between Garras Wharf and Malpas Road, enabling pedestrians to avoid busy Morlaix Avenue.

“Truro turned its back on the port for a long time,” says Trish Hawes of architectural practice Mei Loci. “The project stemmed from the idea of the bridge creating the first loop, reclaiming the river as part of the city and giving people access again. Much of the work in this early phase - resurfacing muddy tracks and improving signage - is about making better what already exists in the hope of encouraging more people to use the existing infrastructure."

“There are so many beautiful areas around Truro. It’s about making it easier for people to get to those from the city centre, on foot or by bike, and enabling the people in those places to come in, using safe networks. Green spaces are so important for health and wellbeing.”

Sitting overlooking the harbour with Bert, watching the wading birds feed, it’s hard to disagree. l

By Kirstie Newton

War memorial in Boscawen Street,

by Charles Francis

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Shop ‘til you drop Wednesday is late-night shopping day, with traffic-free streets from 3pm and stores open until 9pm. Look out for largescale light projections onto buildings in Boscawen Street and River Street, and a sparkly reindeer trail in shop windows.

Make sure you explore the whole town, including the narrow opes and peripheral streets, for Truro’s independent traders – for example, Bishop Philpott’s boutique and Tugboat Tea in New Bridge Street, The Original Art Shop in Nalder’s Court and Bread & Butter in River Street. On Saturdays, the city centre is pedestrianised all day with entertainment, street food and drink in Boscawen Street.

Discover local traders The BIG Christmas Market takes over Lemon Quay from Wednesday to Sunday until December 20, then daily until 2pm on Christmas Eve. This is where you can find a selection of the finest local food, drink, arts and crafts.

Meet Father Christmas Santa’s grotto can be found on selected dates in Truro Cathedral’s crypt. Let his elves lead you there, courtesy of Coppice Theatre. Walk around the cathedral and hear the stories of James Bubb, the first Clerk of Works of Truro Cathedral in n 34 |

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the 1800s, and the tale of the Cathedral Mouse, wishing it could sing with the children in the choir. To book tickets, visit www.coppicetheatre.co.uk Sing some carols Hear the cathedral choir in all its splendour on Saturday, December 18. The programme for A Babe Is Born will include familiar favourites like Deck The Halls and See, Amid The Winter’s Snow alongside modern classics such as The Lamb. Nine Lessons and Carols takes place on December 23 and 24, and all are welcome for the Christmas morning service (Eucharist) at 10am on Christmas Day. See a show It isn’t Christmas without some seasonal theatre. Oh no, it isn’t! Pop into the newly refurbished Hall For Cornwall, to see its home-grown production of Cinderella. www.hallforcornwall.co.uk Or for something a little more anarchic, see Near-ta Theatre’s "Christmas. Time." for a comedic vision of the festive season in prison, at The Alverton on December 27. neartatheatre.co.uk Visit Victoria Gardens Marvel at the static light display, while Coppice Theatre’s new walkabout show, Jack Frost 5: Lost in Time, happens here after dark on Wednesdays December 15

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

and 22. Dressing up as your favourite winter character is also encouraged! Booking essential at www.coppicetheatre.co.uk Stop for refreshments Truro is awash with quality coffee shops, including Café Uneeka in Boscawen Street.

Take the weight off your feet with an Italian pastry (naughty!), and don’t forget to browse the gifts downstairs before you leave (and their Uneeka.home store in City Road). Alternatively, push the boat out with the Alverton’s Christmas afternoon tea, all red and gold and demanding to be accompanied by a glass of fizz, dahling. thealverton.co.uk Catch a gig The Old Bakery in Malpas Road is arguably Truro’s funkiest venue. December dates include folk musician Beans on Toast (December 10) and a Big Christmas Night Out with The Voice winner Molly Hocking and her new band (December 16). www.oldbakerystudios.co.uk/whatson Explore the countryside Truro is surrounded by verdant landscapes that are worth visiting. The National Trust property of Trelissick is a stone’s throw away, with excellent woodland walking and a lovely courtyard with a café, secondhand bookshop and the Cornwall Craft Association gallery, all free to enter.

The Original Art Shop

The Original Art Shop is a beautiful working Art and Framing Gallery, set in the heart of Truro. The owner and in-house Artist Julieann Kinley has over 20 years of experience of professional picture framing and art restoration. The Gallery invites new artists to exhibit their beautiful work carefully selected by Julieann, to reflect the diversity of talent around Cornwall. We currently display bespoke resin tables and acrylic flow work by local artists. We try to exhibit at least four times a year, featuring new artists and capturing local talent. We also display silver jewellery, sculpture and unique wildlife originals.

The Original Art Shop, 4 Nalders Court, Truro TR1 2XH Bespoke Framing studio above the main gallery open 9.30am-5pm Monday to Saturday and uses premium quality materials. www.original-artshop.co.uk

Bishop Phillpott

Sharon and Katie, the mother and daughter team behind Bishop Phillpott carefully curate their collections to bring the ultimate in luxury and style to the heart of Cornwall. Based on New Bridge Street, their beautiful boutique brings you collections from well-loved established brands including Paul Smith, Weekend by MaxMara, Marc Cain, American Vintage and Paige as well as a range of exclusive and exciting independent labels. The boutique is full of special pieces to treasure, from stunning cashmere and luxurious basics to those pieces for special occasions or simply a wardrobe refresh.

Bishop Phillpott, New Bridge House, 24 New Bridge Street, Truro, TR1 2AA T: 01872 261750 • E: info@bishopphillpott.co.uk • W: www.bishopphillpott.co.uk

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Happy new year! Celebrate Cornish style 1. CELEBRATE NEW YEAR Dust off your party attire and prepare for a night of glitz and glamour at The Alverton’s annual New Year’s Eve ball in the magnificent Great Hall. Arrive to a glass of champagne, dine on awardwinning food and dance the night away whilst our live band plays. Countdown to the new year, enjoying Truro’s dazzling midnight fireworks from the terrace. https://thealverton.co.uk If you have the energy on January 1, pop over to the Lost Gardens of Heligan, which are open in aid of Children’s Hospice South West. www. heligan.com our terrace.

2. STOMP YOUR FEET TO BLUEGRASS Acorn Penzance, January 8 A four-piece bluegrass outfit from Penzance, Flats and Sharps deliver energetic, enthusiastic and spirited music to audiences around the world. Powerful and well-crafted original songs offer a fresh outlook on foot-stomping bluegrass n 36 |

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material, blending strong harmonies and stonking solos. They’ll have you dancing, laughing and singing along in no time. theacornpenzance.com

3. DISCOVER TREASURES FROM MEDIEVAL CORNWALL Kresen Kernow, until January 22, 2022 Cornwall’s archive presents a free exhibition of Cornwall’s medieval manuscript treasures, including the Bodmin Gospels (pictured, with permission from the British Library) and Pascon Agan Arluth (The Passion of Our Lord), on loan from the British Library as part of its Treasures on Tour programme. Booking recommended.

Visit the new café (open 9.30am to 2pm) and downstairs exhibitions, including the new Slavery Through The Ages display.

Kresenkernow.org

4. BE A BOY CHORISTER FOR A DAY Saturday, January 22 Truro Cathedral has had a choir at its

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

beating heart since opening its doors in 1887, and year 3 boys are invited to experience a day in the life of a chorister, from morning rehearsal to a relaxed cushion concert in the cathedral. As well as singing at services, the choristers represent Cornwall on an international stage, with live TV and radio broadcasts and recordings - after Christmas, they will record a CD with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. All choristers are educated at Truro School and Prep, with the help of scholarships and additional means-tested support. For further details, contact admissions@truroschool.com

5. TAKE TO THE ICE Eden’s popular ice rink is back, and skaters of any age and ability are currently available to book. Sessions last 40 minutes and cost £8 per adult and £7 per child. Valid entry to Eden is also required.

Lessons are also bookable online. Until February. www.edenproject.com

60 years of the Tamar Road Bridge

In 1961, the counties of Cornwall and Devon saw a new and improved connection opened to the public. The existing ferry service had struggled to keep up with the growing popularity and accessibility of the motor car, leading to the commission of the Tamar Road Bridge.

Following its unofficial launch on October 24 – the Queen Mother would preside over the official ceremony in April 1962 - 4,000 cars used the crossing each day. t @myCornwall_ | G myCornwalltv | w www.thatsmycornwall.com 37 n

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ix decades on, that figure exceeds 45,000 daily – 16 million annually showing just how much we have come to depend on our vehicles for commuting, shopping and holidays. The vast majority of drivers pass through its toll booths more concerned with whether their TamarTag is topped up than with the stunning feat of engineering the bridge represents.

Not so engineering manager Richard Cole, who has spent the past 17 years working on the structure. “That’s a significant chunk of my engineering career,” he muses. “It’s more than just a job, as anyone who works here will tell you. That we’re all a bit long in the tooth is testament to the fact that we’re passionate about it. We care about the bridge and how it operates. We want to look after it and do a good job.”

The Tamar Road Bridge was just the latest development in the history of the river crossing. Flashback to the early 1800s, and the railway only reached as far as Exeter, leaving the rest of Devon and especially Cornwall isolated. Businesses faced a long and time-consuming route by road or around the coast by ship to get their goods into the hands of customers nationwide.

In 1846, the Cornwall Railway Act received Royal Assent on condition that a bridge be built at Saltash. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was the man for the job, but cost restricted his Royal Albert Bridge to a single line; to this day, around 28,000 trains per annum n 38 |

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slow down to cross at 15mph, while inspections and maintenance take place overnight to avoid disruption.

Road travellers, meanwhile, faced a ferry crossing from either Torpoint or Saltash frequent but often with lengthy queues.

The alternative was a long diversion to the single-lane bridge at Gunnislake, built for packhorses rather than 20th century horsepower. The new road bridge would cut journey times drastically, and transform Saltash into the gateway to Cornwall and the perfect commuter town for Plymouth, on the right side of the Tamar.

“Without a doubt, the bridge is very important to the local economy,” says Richard. “It’s the major crossing point over the Tamar at its southern end, and joins a trunk road network on either side. Without the bridge, the A38 wouldn’t exist in this form today, and I’m sure Saltash wouldn’t be the size it is.”

The Tamar Road Bridge was a landmark of its day, the first major suspension bridge to be constructed in the UK after the Second World War, and the longest single-span suspension bridge in the country at the time. It was built to a design by Mott Hay and Anderson at a cost of £1.5 million, and learned lessons from the catastrophic fate of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, better known as Galloping Gertie: built in 1940, it collapsed the same year in windy conditions (mercifully, the only casualty was a dog).

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

In contrast, the Tamar Road Bridge was “over-engineered” to ensure the safety of its users, and purposely built in the shelter of the Royal Albert Bridge to escape the full force of the south-westerlies. Its cabling was given extra protection against water ingress, and that it remains in impeccable condition today bears testament to the engineering skill of its creators.

Millions are spent keeping it in tip-top condition so it is operational and safe at all times. Richard estimates that £80 million has been spent on improvements in the last 20 years alone, including major works in 2001 to be widened from three to five lanes using cantilevers - the world's first suspension bridge to do so. The south cantilever is used by pedestrians, cyclists and mobility scooters, the north by Saltash and local traffic.

The original concrete deck was replaced by an orthotropic steel deck; to prevent corrosion, this needs to be resurfaced every 20 to 25 years, during which time it will have carried around 300 million vehicles. This work was completed in October, a mammoth task involving the removal of 949 tonnes of existing surface material using a road planer, followed by the application of 1,920kg of paint ‘primer’, two layers of waterproofing and two more of a specialist, super-thin asphalt surfacing material, not only to the three lanes and CONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

It’s worth visiting Tamar Crossings’ headquarters on the Plymouth side of the bridge. Not only can you enjoy superb views of the bridges from here, but the visitor centre has a fascinating display following the history of the crossings. You can also explore the bridge on Shanks’s pony from here; look out for QR codes linked to stories and creative work contributed by members of the public to the Bridging the Tamar archive.

Some offer colourful illustrations of what life was like on a construction site 60 years ago. Terry Parker recalls how, at 17, “I sat on two scaffold planks, 250ft over the Tamar, drilling holes into a cast steel structure! My first week’s wages at 17 was £1 17s 4d - about £1.70 - plus £1 a week danger money! A motor boat cruised up and down the river continuously in case anybody fell in.”

Terry recounts how up to 200 men were working on site 200ft up, with no toilet facilities; one unfortunate labourer had the job of emptying the buckets. Mike Pascoe, meanwhile, was paid £100 a week to paint the cables; complaints from Unigate Dairy revealed that specks of lead-based paint had made their way into their milk.

Sadly, not all construction workers were lucky enough to tell the tale 60 years later. Seven men died during construction: five were lost when a boat capsized, and a painter and a metalworker fell to their deaths. All were commemorated with a wreath on the anniversary of the unofficial opening, with some family members in attendance.

“Remembering them, and the work they did on this engineering masterpiece to reduce journey times and make travel easier for all - it’s the right thing to do,” said Councillor Jonathan Drean, joint chair of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee.

Saltash singer-songwriter Florence Hope, 25, responded to a social media call-out for creatives to contribute work to the archive. Her song Connections was written and recorded in her bedroom during lockdown. “I never feel alone with you, you always do what you’re supposed to do, and that’s protect me and connect me – we have so much history.”

The video – shot by Fotonow CIC and available to view on YouTube - combines film of Flo on site with archive footage of the bridge in its early days. “The song could be about the connections between indivduals and communities, but I also wanted to personify the connection and relationship between Devon and Cornwall, and the two counties coming together,” says Flo. t @myCornwall_ | G myCornwalltv | w www.thatsmycornwall.com 39 n

both cantilevers but also to the toll plaza area and the bridge approaches.

Richard is the first to admit this all sounds “nerdy”, but he’s extremely proud of the bridge's standing in the industry. “All the major UK crossings were interested in our resurfacing, as there aren’t that many solutions available to big bridges,” he says in the manner of a proud parent. “And when the bridge was widened by cantilever, engineers from Japan – which has the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world – came to see how we were doing it.”

Quite apart from the big jobs, around £1 million is spent annually on what Richard calls “the cleaning, dusting and tidying” basic but crucial maintenance and checks.

He points to another example of lessons learned: the Morandi bridge in Genoa, which collapsed in 2018 with the loss of 43 lives.

“A lot of people may wonder why we spend money like this, but it’s simply that without maintenance and investment, the bridge would fall into disrepair,” says Richard. “That’s what happened in Genoa.

If it happened here, there wouldn’t be a link between Devon and Cornwall.” Doing small jobs and regular inspections enables the team to identify the issues that need to be closely monitored and schedule the work into a tight budget before it becomes critical (and expensive). “That’s where engineering judgement comes in.” n 40 |

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The bridge is rarely closed when work takes place. “If we’d closed the bridge, the recent resurfacing work could have been finished in two months rather than the six it took, but it would have caused unacceptable levels of disruption,” says Richard, pointing out that the sheer volume of HGVs today would suit neither Gunnislake’s ancient bridge nor the Torpoint ferry’s weight limit.

However, even closing one lane can cause tailbacks. “A key point that we need members of the public to understand is the balance between time, cost and potential disruption that we have to consider each time. It’s often worth doing a job early to coincide with other work, so you only have to disrupt the traffic once.” When the road was resurfaced this year, the six crucial expansion joints that enable movement in suspension bridges were replaced a few years earlier than necessary.

Miraculously, the work was completed two weeks ahead of schedule, in time for all lanes to be open for half-term traffic.

The technology underneath the bridge is no less fascinating. Volunteer guide Simon Jones points out the “million-pound cut” made during the switchover from the concrete deck to its orthotropic steel replacement, one that required extreme precision – the hefty price tag being the cost of a mistake. And as the Tamar is a Marine Protected Area (MPA), home to some of Europe’s most threatened marine species and habitats, rainwater is funnelled into interceptor tanks for contaminants to

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

settle and be removed for disposal before clean water is discharged into the river.

Owned and operated jointly by Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council, the bridge is one half of Tamar Crossings with its counterpart, the Torpoint Ferry. The railway bridge falls under the management of Network Rail, while the Saltash Tunnel is overseen by Highways England; although separate entities, the different parties remain in close contact with each other, as you can guarantee that if there’s a problem with one, the impact will be felt by the others – and by the local population.

“We have a different demographic to most UK crossings, very local,” says Richard.

“While the Humber Bridge doesn’t carry much commuter traffic, our users are travelling to work or school, or to access health care. They have no choice."

“So just because it’s not as big as other crossings in terms of size or volume of traffic, or as iconic as the Forth Road Bridge, doesn’t mean the Tamar Road Bridge is any less important, or less challenging to look after. It’s hard to put an emphasis on how important it is.” l Words by Kirstie Newton, photographs by Charles Francis For more information search for @bridgingthetamar on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.bridgingthetamar.org.uk

THE EDITOR’S EXPERIENCE Imagine climbing a bridge, and your mind might flit back to those blokes eating their packed lunches on a girder, high above the streets of New York, with nary a hi-vis jacket in sight. Those days are long gone, and when I was offered the chance to explore the Tamar Road Bridge by scaling one of the towers and exploring the gantries directly beneath the busy A38, it was hard hats and harnesses all the way.

The event was in celebration of the crossing’s 60th anniversary, and when the email popped into my inbox, I knew it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. The bridge isn’t a tourist attraction in that way, and members of the public are rarely admitted beyond the main carriageway (the limited number of tours scheduled to coincide with the birthday weekend were fully booked).

the cables: “It’s quicker, and the views are better,” says engineering manager Richard Cole, who kindly held my hand in my wobbliest moments.

I got as far as the lower of the two walkways at the top of the tower on the Plymouth side, 240ft up – the views were superb, but my God, it was a long way down. Photographer Charles Francis climbed up the small ladder to the crow’s nest, and assured me (along with the staff) that it was safe as houses.

Well, of course it was – losing a journalist would be dreadful PR. But self-preservation had kicked in and no amount of rational thinking could convince me they weren’t lying. I tearfully imagined falling from a great height, or at the very least being stuck, rigid with fear, at the very

Call it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a journalist’s privilege or a perk of the job. What I wouldn’t necessarily call it is “enjoyable”. While heights never bothered me as a kid - I’d happily climb church towers and take in the sweeping views from the parapets without a care in the world - these days, I hate them, probably because I’m more aware of the perceived risks.

To get to the top, we climbed five vertical ladders inside the tower (apparently few bridges have lifts) and 143 steps. Pity the poor chaps with cumbersome (and expensive) cameras; I left my phone and notepad at the bottom, the better to cling on white-knuckled. Incredibly, the professionals prefer to climb up

top of a local landmark. Then I patted myself on the back for achieving what I had, later posting photographic evidence on social media to the universal admiration of friends and colleagues. “How brave – I could never do that,” they said with one voice.

The under-deck seemed like a doddle in comparison, until we stopped for a “chat” and I became aware of the sheer drop to the water below. A sympathetic member of staff escorted me back, and showed me some super-strong cabling to take my mind off my unnatural surroundings. I made it back to the visitor centre, knees knocking but proud to have been shown a part of the bridge few get to see. l

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Follow the seasons with this delightful children’s almanac.

in collaboration with the National Trust, which protects over 700 miles of wild coastline in the UK. Anna moved from Wiltshire to Land’s End in 2019 shortly after penning the

If you need inspiration on your journey through the seasons, look no further than Nature Month-by-Month: A Children’s Almanac. Now in its fourth edition, this annual guide for seven- to 11-year-olds includes nature spotter guides, indoor and outdoor craft and activity ideas, seasonal recipes, celebrations of religious festivals and other special events.

It’s a wonderful gift to treasure and explore over the coming year, with words by west Cornwall-based nature-lover and wild swimmer Anna Wilson, accompanied by beautiful illustrations from Falmouth graphic designer Elly Jahnz. It’s published n 42 |

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first edition, and is now well established there with her Cornishman husband, their children and a menagerie of ducks, chickens and a cat called Hercules.

She had only ever written fiction when her publishers asked her to take on this nonfiction project. “An almanac would often be used by a farmer to work out the best times to plant, and there is quite a set formula,” she explains. “Wildlife is my passion, so I started looking at the things you might find, what plants are out, the stars you might be likely to see, the moon phases.

“I wanted it to be easy to follow, and

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

accessible to anyone living in the UK even if they have no physical access to wildlife because of where they live or how they live. I’ve been mindful of the fact that not everyone can get to the sea. Activities include things you might find on a walk, or creating a den indoors on a rainy day, so there’s no cost involved.”

Recipes have been devised to be simple enough for children to tackle alone, or under parental supervision without being onerous. “I’m a mum, and I didn’t want parents to go ‘ugh!’ when their kids asked them to do it,” Anna laughs.

Elly was recruited to supply illustrations for the almanac when the publishers spotted her colourful style on Instagram. Having grown up in Kent surrounded by greenery, she began her artistic career by studying insects at a young age.

After

graduating

in

Illustration

from

Falmouth University, Elly joined the team at Seasalt Cornwall before designing homewares and gifts on a freelance basis.

She now has clients all over the world, in areas from publishing to packaging and shop signage, and most recently illustrated a map for the Tour of Britain organisers.

“I’m always taking pictures of bits and bobs in nature as reference for what plants are out when - I’ve built up a big catalogue over four years,” she says. “The bug spotter guide was fun to draw – I recently moved house and now have a garden, and now I know what things are.”

Illustrations are freshened up every year, and a third of the content is changed. New for this edition is the opening illustration for December, recalling the snowy fields of

WHY DO WE MAKE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS? This tradition started with the Romans.

January was named after Janus, the god of gates and doorways. He was always drawn with two faces: one looking back at the year that had passed, the other looking forwards into the new year. He became a symbol for the Romans of forgetting what had happened in the past and moving on into the future, and January therefore became known as a month in which to forgive people and be kind. Perhaps this January, you could look out for someone at school who needs a friend, help out around the house and/or garden, or organise a sponsored event for charity.

Elly’s childhood. Each month has its own

reflecting Cornish landscapes”. You might,

colour palette - cooler in winter, warmer

however, spot Padstow’s ‘Obby ‘Oss in the

in summer. The April opening spread was

section about May Day.

inspired by coastal scenes in Cornwall, although “I also research landscapes

Feedback has been positive. “I think it

around the country, so I’m not always

definitely helped people over lockdown,

when people could only go out for a short amount of time,” says Elly. “Being outdoors really took off.”

This year, Anna also published The Wide, Wide Sea - a picture book for children aged 3+ about protecting nature from plastic pollution - in collaboration with award-winning Norwegian illustrator Jenny Løvlie, again with the backing of the National Trust.

And the fifth imprint of the almanac is already underway. “I’ve found out so many things I didn’t know, and remembered so much I knew as a child in the 1970s,” says Anna. l N a t u r e Month-byMonth: A C h i l d r e n ’s Almanac is published by Nosy Crow £9.99

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A beautiful archipelago 28 miles off the coast of mainland Cornwall with a subtropical climate, the Isles of Scilly have long been a popular summer destination but, as Elizabeth Dale discovers, there is a great deal to be said for visiting the islands out of season.

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

rom stargazing and seal and

are peppered with prehistoric remains

stargazing. After more than three years

bird watching to its own island

and dozens of ancient standing stones,

of hard work and planning, the island’s

vineyard and artisan distillery,

hut circles and cairns hide amongst the

group of enthusiastic amateurs raised

St Martin’s is the ideal destination for

rust-coloured bracken. A network of paths

£90,000 and COSMOS, the Community

anyone looking for somewhere different

skirts the island’s edges with views of idyllic

Observatory St Martin’s on Scilly, opened

to escape to this winter. This is the Scillies’

beaches, rocky headlands and seals lolling

in 2019 - a truly extraordinary achievement

northernmost island, a curving bow of

in the water. These ever-curious creatures

for such a small community.

land rimmed with white sandy beaches

are particularly active during the autumn

and crystal-clear waters. At only three

and winter months while they are raising

miles long and less than a mile wide, it’s

their pups; this time of year also sees an

far smaller than the main island of St

influx of birdlife, so keep your binoculars

Mary’s, but don’t be fooled - there’s still a

at the ready!

There are two domes open to the public,

The out-of-season, months on St Martin’s

viewing and a solar telescope for safely

can feel incredibly peaceful but the

viewing the sun during the day.

surprising amount to keep you occupied, both day and night!

Today visitors can enjoy some of the best views of starscapes in the UK from the most southerly observatory in the country. with a 14in Meade telescope for deep sky

Though it may seem isolated now, St

island is home to around 130 people: a

Martin’s was once regarded as the ‘capital’

tiny but resilient community of innovative

of the archipelago. During Roman times,

folk who seem to have inherited a

annual Scilly Dark Skies Week, welcoming

when many of the islands were still joined as

particular kind of fortitude from their

keen astronomers from all walks of life to

one large landmass, it is thought there was

Scillonian ancestors. The islanders are

listen to talks by experts and take part

a deep-water inlet on the eastern side of St

as self-sufficient as possible, collaborate

in daily workshops and guided walks.

Martin’s which acted as the main port, and

whenever they can and work hard

Astronomer and astrophysicist Professor

ships from across the empire would have

together to achieve their goals.

Ian Morison, who has been visiting St

stopped here. Indeed, an excavation in the 1960s on the small off-island of Nornour uncovered Roman coins, glassware, pottery, mother-of-pearl

goddess

figurines

and

dozens of brooches, suggesting there may even have been a Roman temple on the site.

This autumn, COSMOS held its first

Martin’s since the 1950s, was one of this One such goal was dreamt up in 2015

year’s speakers and is a keen supporter

over a few pints in the island’s lone pub,

of the observatory. “There are very few

the Seven Stones Inn, and that idea was to

places in the UK where you can see the

build an observatory. St Martin’s has some

night sky any better,” he said. “It’s a

of the best dark skies in Britain - very low

wonderful place. There is virtually no light

levels of light pollution combined with the

pollution and you can see the Milky Way

These days, St Martin’s is a nature-lover’s

highest number of clear, cloudless nights

paradise. The heather-carpeted downs

in the whole of the UK makes it perfect for

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beautifully overhead. Just to come and see the skies here is very special.”

The observatory is just one of the ways that St Martin’s has been evolving in recent years. There have been significant changes within the farming community too. While there were once around 20 flower farms on the island, only four remain to supply Churchtown Farm, who send their wonderful scented blooms by post to homes throughout the UK. Andrew Walder’s family have been farming on the islands for generations and they too have diversified, first into producing sea salt and now the seafarers’ favourite tipple: rum. It’s possible to arrange a visit to SC Dogs Distillery and sample their delicious range of spirits, one of which is infused with honey from the Scilly bees on Tresco. Fittingly, each blend is inspired by the story of one of Andy’s ancestors: Capt’n Stevens, a fisherman famous for singing sea-shanties; smuggler John Nance; and William Gibson, Master of the St Martin’s Pilot.

Not far from the distillery (well, nowhere is far from anywhere on the island) is St Martin’s Vineyard. Visitors are welcome to take a walking tour of fields of vines that would look more at home in the n 46 |

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Mediterranean, followed by a tasting session of the wonderful selection of wines that have been produced here – from grape to glass – since 1996. You might even take away a bottle for drinking while you watch the sunset later.

For such a tiny place, the sheer range of businesses operating on St Martin’s is astonishing. As well as the distillery, vineyard and flower farms, there is also the island store and Post Office, the Island Bakery, a silversmith and two art galleries.

You can find tasty treats at Polreath Tearoom and Little Arthur Café, and there’s even a clothing range called Scilly Billy as well as the island’s very own shoemaker.

While the business hours may vary during the winter, it’s a small price to pay for those empty white sand beaches!

Accommodation choices are diverse too, from camping and cosy cottages like Upidas (named after Ida Reine, who ran a tearoom from her front garden here for many years) to the luxurious Karma Resort Hotel, which boasts 30 Michelinlisted rooms and fine dining at the waterside Cloudesley Shovell restaurant - who could resist breakfast with views across the Tean Sound to the myriad islands beyond?

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

The family-run Seven Stones Inn is another popular bolt-hole, offering equally wonderful views and a warm welcome. The hearty menu ranges from warming soups to freshly caught lobster, all washed down with a Cornish ale.

The days may be shorter and the chances of rain higher, but the Isles of Scilly still have more sunshine hours on average in the winter than anywhere else in the UK and thanks to the Gulf Stream, it’s usually a few degrees warmer too. So whether it is seashells, seals or stars that draws you here, you won’t be disappointed. For those seeking an away-from-it-all wild adventure, St Martin’s truly is an ideal escape. l You can travel by Penzance Helicopters to Tresco and St. Mary’s, from Penzance Heliport; day trips start from £92.50, single flights from £129.50. www.penzancehelicopters.co.uk Upidas cottage is one of three cottages owned and managed by Carron Farm.

Prices start from £570 and £760. www.carronfarm.co.uk For further information www.visitislesofscilly.com

see

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Marie Hand, 51, lives in Portreath. She has worked for Kensa Heat Pumps in Chacewater for 15 years, and was one of 10 Everyday Climate Heroes to be shot by top photographer Rankin ahead of the COP26 conference in Glasgow.

assembly, testing; I’m hands-on, and have is putting money into making heat pumps a passion for what we do. more affordable. I do this to partly help people out of fuel poverty and hopefully What was it like to be photographed by a give them a better life. man who shoots celebrities?

It was an honour to be shot by Rankin. How does your work tie into your He’s unbelievably talented, but made me life in Cornwall? feel very relaxed. They did my clothes, hair When I was young, the climate wasn’t and make-up. It was the experience of a really spoken about. Now, it’s all I’m lifetime. I'd never been to London before, speaking about to my grandchildren. I’d and was amazed at how busy it was on a like my 20-month-old granddaughter to Monday evening. I took my daughter, and have better air and not so much pollution. we visited Chinatown – I loved it.

I certainly don’t want her to grow up and

“I wanted to highlight the extraordinary What happened to your change being made by ordinary people portrait afterwards? within their local communities and to the It was displayed at 1,000 sites across environment,” said Rankin. “This project the UK during the COP26 conference takes the spotlight away from the world last month. Kensa’s MD and one of the leaders and places it on the people that directors went to London, and saw my make up our nation. We all have a part to face on a billboard at a railway station. play in tackling the climate crisis, and now It’s pretty surreal. I would love to see it in person and take a selfie. is that time.”

Hi Marie! What an amazing opportunity you’ve had. Tell us how it came about.

I started working for Kensa in 2006, on the shop floor. I’m now factory supervisor, with an amazing team of 22; I oversee production from being built to getting out the door. About a month ago, Laura from marketing told me the company wanted to nominate me as a climate hero. I was taken aback – it was such a privilege. I guess they chose me because I’d worked for the company for so long, in all aspects of the product - electrics,

You must be busy at work right now Yes! We’ve gone from producing 120 units a month to 110 a week, and lines have doubled from two to four. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says no new fossil fuel boilers should be sold from 2025 if the world is to achieve net-zero emissions by the middle of this century. In addition, the government has incentivised switching from your existing gas boiler to a heat pump. One set of grants runs out in February, then from April 2022, another one starts. It’s wonderful that the government

find it’s no better. If we all do our own little bit, we can help. I recycle, I don’t eat a lot of meat and I buy environmentally friendly products. I also get involved in beach cleans in Falmouth and Perranporth. I want to make people understand that we can change this situation. It’s never too late.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I’m a healthy person. I cycle a lot – about 100 miles a week in summer, which is no mean feat in hilly Cornwall! I also walk daily and go to the gym a few times a week. My absolute favourite place is Kynance Cove.

I’m a National Trust member, and I take my granddaughter to different properties on Saturdays. I love Lanhydrock, and Trelissick – which has just had its own heat pump installed by Kensa! It will supply heating and hot water to the house, café and secondhand bookshop, replacing the current oil boilers and supporting the National Trust’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2030. l

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CREATIVE & CULTURAL LIVING

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE IN OUR 2022 ART GUIDES PLEASE CONTACT JENI SMITH

TEL: 01209 494003 • EMAIL: JENI.MYCORNWALL@GMAIL.COM n 50 |

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

@ John Hersey

52 56 58 60 62 64

ART NEWS GALLERY OF THE MONTH MAKER FOCUS ARTIST FOCUS MEET THE MAKER VERY IMPORTANT PIECE

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THANKS FOR THE APPLES Thanks For The Apples at Falmouth Art Gallery is an extraordinary opportunity to experience new work by nationally and internationally acclaimed contemporary artists, inspired by hidden treasures from Cornish museum collections.

Sculptures, paintings, textiles and films will be shown alongside the originals that inspired them.

The exhibition is the culmination of a major project devised and curated by artists Naomi Frears and Ben Sanderson, who in November 2019 hosted an artists’ residential at Prussia Cove with the intention of sparking creativity. Four contemporary artists each invited another artist of their choosing, resulting in a diverse group of eight exceptional practitioners who spent a week exploring collections at Bodmin Keep, Wheal Martyn, Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Perranzabuloe Museum, PK Porthcurno, Royal Cornwall Museum and the Museum of Cornish Life in Helston. Each artist selected a museum object to respond to and spent a year creating new work to display alongside it in the exhibition.

Pictured is Sir John Arnesby Brown’s A Summer Day (1913), from Falmouth Art Gallery. On show until January 22, 2022. l

LINDA CRAIG AT THE COWHOUSE GALLERY Painter and printmaker Linda Craig works from her home studio overlooking the harbour in Penzance. A long-time member of the Cowhouse collective in Perranuthnoe, she is also a member of the Association of British Naive Artists, a style which comes naturally to her. The harbour provides much in the way of subjects for Linda, but she also draws upon the mysterious moorland of West Penwith, where windswept trees point to ancient standing stones. Regarding processes, she enjoys the immediacy of the collograph printmaking technique, which allows her to work in a more expressive way. Her paintings call for a more considered approach, using a limited palette of three primary colours to produce many vibrant hues. Linda's collographs, paintings and greetings cards are priced from £3 to £300, and can be found on permanent display at the Cowhouse Gallery. Open 11am to 4pm daily. l www.cowhousegallery.co.uk

KENIDJACK: A CORNISH VALLEY The Jackson Foundation - a large, multiple award-winning art-space in St Just – tells the story of Kenidjack Valley, the ‘almost-most’ westerly valley in Cornwall through two interlinked exhibitions. In Kenidjack: A Cornish Valley, acclaimed artist Kurt Jackson captures the beauty of a place spilling over with natural treasures and dramatic topography. A stunning collection of paintings and sculpture takes inspiration from the journey of a small stream from its source on the moors, down through the valley and into the sea; celebrating the sights, sounds, history, heritage and wildlife encountered along the way.

Concurrently Valley Lives reflects on the fact that Kenidjack Valley has been inhabited for 6,000 years - a place of mining, metalwork and agriculture, with shops, a Sunday school, places of recreation and manufacture. Some are gone but a thriving community lives on. This collection of images and artefacts aims to tell the human story of this valley. l The Jackson Foundation is open Tuesday to Saturday. n 52 |

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Tel 01736 787638, www.jacksonfoundationgallery.com

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

TRELISSICK GALLERY

Members’ Autumn/ Winter Exhibition Runs until January 2022

Our members’ Christmas Tree Decoration Competition opens on 1st December. All visitors can vote for their favourite. The winner will be announced on 23rd December.

Open daily between 10am-4.30pm Closed Christmas Day & Boxing Day

www.cornwallcrafts.co.uk

Improve your skills and meet like-minded people with pottery classes and workshops in Redruth, Cornwall.

These sessions are a great way to further explore the world of pottery.

everything and those who just want a few fun hours making a mug, plate or bowl.

I have three types of weekly workshops; on the wheel, for those who want nothing more than to learn to throw and are focused solely on that; general, for those who want to try

My studio has a relaxed and happy atmosphere, 10am12noon and 1pm-3pm Tuesday to Friday. 10am-12noon and 6.30pm-8.30pm Mondays, and 10am-12noon weekends

G10 Percy Williams Building, Krowji, West Park, Redruth, Cornwall TR15 3AJ Text: 07855 102 598 Email: susywardg10@yahoo.com www.susywardceramics.com

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GARY LONG IN PORTHLEVEN Gary Long is a figurative painter whose images concern the coast, sea, sky and weather, and the impressions they leave. Born in Birmingham in 1945, Gary attended Birmingham College of Art after which he built a successful international career as an illustrator. He spent time in Vancouver, Canada, where he met his wife, Pat; and is an artist member of the Society of Illustrators in New York. Having moved to Cornwall to be closer to the environment that most inspires him, Long is a member of both the Penwith Society gallery and the St Ives Society. He now lives in Marazion and knows the local coastline well; you can now see his work at the Customs House Gallery in Porthleven, tel 01326 569365, www.cornwall-art.co.uk l

CERAMICS FOR CHRISTMAS The shelves of ceramicist Susy Ward hold a mouthwatering display of potential Christmas gifts, from small and jewel-like pieces to bigger bowls waiting to be filled. Vouchers are also a good choice at any time of year, and cover all aspects of studio pottery during her regular weekly sessions. Specific workshops for 2022 include making a hand-built teapot, extruding a vessel and making and applying an ancient glaze technique. Visitors are always welcome by appointment. l

BUSINESS AS USUAL Cornwall Crafts Association is delighted to announce that following what they hope will be a fantastic Christmas, normal business will resume. The 2022 Exhibition Programme at the gallery, which sits within the freeto-enter courtyard of the National Trust property Trelissick, will launch on January 29 with Craftsmanship 2022, a “best of the best” display of members’ work. “This is a bit of a tradition for Cornwall Crafts, and is always a great Exhibition to open with,” says gallery manager Elinor Lamond. “We are also excited to say that this show, and all our future shows, will extend throughout the whole gallery, upstairs and down.” l www.cornwallcrafts.co.uk

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Find Susy Ward Ceramics at Krowji, G10 Percy Williams, Redruth TR15 3AJ. Tel 01209 254897, www.susywardceramics.com

The Customs House Gallery Porthleven

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AN EVER CHANGING DISPLAY OF ORIGINAL WORK BY SOME OF CORNWALL’S BEST ARTISTS

W: WWW.CORNWALL-ART.CO.UK T: 01326 569365 E: HELLO@THECUSTOMSHOUSEGALLERY.CO.UK

CREATIVE & CULTURAL LIVING TOP IMAGE: ROGER CURTIS - LATE LIGHT, MOUNTS BAY BOTTOM IMAGE: SIMON JEWELL - HEADING TO THE SHIP

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADVERTISE IN OUR 2022 ART GUIDES PLEASE CONTACT JENI SMITH

TEL: 01209 494003 EMAIL: JENI.MYCORNWALL@GMAIL.COM

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GALLERY OF THE MONTH

In the 18th century, Portscatho was a bustling fishing community, its harbour popular for its protection from the prevailing winds.

Pilchards were cleaned, salted and packed into wooden barrels, and the majority were sold into the Mediterranean market. These days, there are very few local fishermen left, and like many communities on the Roseland peninsula, this pretty village has turned to recreational boating and tourism.

Where Portscatho scores highly is in its status as an art colony. While St Ives, Newlyn and Falmouth have all hosted groups of prodigiously talented artists, Portscatho offers a bijou, 21stcentury equivalent, with even the historic fisherman’s shelter a seasonal art gallery.

At its heart is the New Gallery, which has been in Portscatho for 37 years and in The Square for 21, during which time it has built up a loyal following. I arrive to find gallery owner Chris Insoll wrapping a painting for a regular customer. “People come not so much to look around, but to add to their collections,” he says. Part-time opening hours only serve to heighten the sense of anticipation: “Three customers on a Thursday morning is not unusual. We close for lunch, and it’s not uncommon to find a queue waiting at 2pm.”

Chris founded the Portscatho Art Society in April 1984. His own work appears in collections including the Royal Cornwall Museum and Falmouth Art Gallery, and it’s hard to pin him down to a single style of painting – artwork on show at the New Gallery varies from fine art to abstract, still life to portraits, oils and acrylics to pencil drawings.

The society now has 12 members, and over the years the gallery has featured work by an impressive roster of eminent artists including Grace Gardner and Rose Hilton.

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available to any visiting artist. The studio has been described as a “treasure trove” and “an Aladdin’s cave” on numerous occasions; these may be cliches, but the reality doesn’t disappoint.

Every available wall surface is hung with work by member artists and others, many (especially those by Chris) depicting the sash window with its delectable view over the rooftops and out to sea. A chaise longue is a favourite spot for portrait sitters.

There’s a comprehensive library of art literature, and dotted here and there are items of artistic and emotional significance: a palette and a paintbox used by Stanhope Forbes (1857 – 1947) and still used by Chris to this day (“I painted a whole series using that box while exhibiting in London”), and an easel that once belonged to British painter Sir Matthew Smith (1879 – 1959).

Were it not for the sea view, you might imagine yourself in a bohemian garret in Montmartre. “In a more commercial gallery, this room would be stripped out, the floors scrubbed and white walls hung as more gallery space, everything for sale,” says Chris. “But our studio has a practical use.” When not busy, the artist on duty can retreat upstairs to continue work in progress, with half an eye on the baby monitor that serves as CCTV. A table is set for lunch, which becomes a common theme. Chris brings out crab with crusty bread and salad; he likes to take care of his friends. Most meetings (like mine) are posted on Facebook: “People follow us and like to see us having lunch and enjoying life.”

Eric Ward is a regular visitor; formerly harbourmaster of St Ives, he enjoyed one of his earliest shows at the New Gallery and has remained loyal for over 20 years. He is now a painter of some renown, especially

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

for his en plein air painting, and it gives him great pleasure to be actively involved in the gallery. Many customers time their visits deliberately to coincide with his: “Eric holds court on Thursdays,” laughs Chris.

Other members include Chris’ wife, Andrea Insoll, who produces paintings based on a combination of flora, still life and geometric patterns, as well as collages made from her beach combings; Andrew Tozer, who chooses to paint life’s simple pleasures - boats at rest in a harbour, a figure in the quiet of the studio, precious family moments; former restaurateur Ann Long, who earned accolades from Michelin and Egon Ronay before retiring and concentrating on her painting; Nina Packer, whose passion lies in mark-making and colour, whether using a charcoal stick, crimson oil paint or an etching press; and two Devonbased artists, en plein air specialist Danny Holmes-Adams and Chris’ own mentor Trevor Felcey, who tutored him at the Chelsea School of Art. A website was launched during the pandemic, Chris having resisted thus far on the grounds that “a small screen doesn’t do the artwork justice”. Having been coaxed into the 21st century, he went through his customer card index, identifying those who might appreciate the new tech and sending them personal letters hand-written in fountain pen. "It's good value and brings us repeat business,” he says of this oldschool approach. And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. l The New Gallery, Portscatho, TR2 5HW. Open Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5pm (or by appointment). www.thenewgalleryportscatho.co.uk

Nina Packer

Andrea Insoll

Eric Ward

Andrew Tozer

Trevor Felcey

Chris Insoll

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

MAKER'S FOCUS

Time for Tea? This Christmas, Whitewater Contemporary is brightening up Cornwall’s exhibition calendar with a show inspired by the nation’s favourite beverage.

When you settle down with a cuppa, do you ever consider the extraordinary history of tea, teacups and your beloved teapot?

Perhaps you should, because it is truly fascinating. To inspire you, Whitewater Contemporary in Polzeath presents Time For Tea, an extraordinary exhibition of paintings and ceramics that will appeal to char-lovers and fans of contemporary British craft.

The show leads with a collection of 25 teapots by potter Hugh West, who celebrated his 50th year in ceramics this autumn. In that time, Hugh has made thousands of individual teapots, supplying designer outlets such as Harrods, Heals, Liberty of London and John Lewis.

“Each teapot should have its very own tea,” says Hugh, “so that in time, the teapot takes on the unique characteristics of its particular variety." Accordingly, each of his teapots is unique in design, celebrating the flavours and scents of individual tea varieties from around the world including jasmine, oolong, Yunnan, rose, hand-rolled green and white tea, and a special green tea grown by Hugh’s long-time friend, respected Korean potter Seungho Yang.

Hugh’s porcelain teapots are handthrown on the wheel, and each handle is custom-made in clay or rattan with raffia fixings. In addition, each teapot is accompanied by a tea bowl or ‘yunomi’, a traditional Japanese teacup that fits snugly in both hands without a handle.

This oriental reference is important in Western ceramics, since both tea and its accoutrements originated in the East, where tea drinking carries with it an added layer of ritual and cultural significance.

Tea drinking is said to have originated in China more than 3,000 years ago. Legend

has it that in 2737 BC, Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was served boiled water while sitting beneath a Camellia sinensis tree, and its leaves blew into his cup. The resulting infusion is what we now call tea.

The hot beverage increased in popularity in China during the Tang Dynasty of 618 AD to 908 AD and is now consumed daily around the world.

We Brits are famously obsessed with tea, and this stems back to the marriage of Charles II to the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza in 1661. Catherine loved tea above all things, quickly establishing it as a fashionable drink at court and among the wealthy classes. In perhaps the most lucrative business move in history, the British East India Company took note and placed its very first order for China tea in 1664, monopolising its import from then onwards for more than a century.

Formal teapots had first been created in China during the Sung dynasty in 1500 AD, and in 1694 the British East India Company began importing porcelain teapots from China, commissioning artists to create them to the company's own design.

Allegedly, since porcelain can withstand sea water damage, teapots were used on East India Company ships for ballast in the cargo area, making the ships more stable during their voyage and keeping the tea stored above safe and dry.

In the mid-18th century, British industrialist William Cookworthy discovered kaolin, aka China Clay, in St Austell, pioneering the English porcelain industry and producing English teapots influenced by Chinese designs; the East India Company subsequently stopped importing porcelain from China in 1791.

While the history of the teapot has developed over 500 years, its classic design

has hardly changed: it simply includes a pot, a spout, a lid and a handle. But variations on its design, from an Art Deco Clarice Cliff teapot to the world’s most valuable teapot - the £3 million ‘Egoist’, paved with diamonds and rubies - have been many and wondrous. “The process of making a handmade teapot, though, is lengthy and requires skill,” says Hugh.

It goes without saying that a teapot’s key function can never come second to its form or finish, however beautiful. “It must pour well,” Hugh confirms. We’ve surely all encountered the ‘dribblesome teapot’, which ruins the calming ritual of afternoon tea; equally galling perhaps, is the realisation that a guest in our home is unknowingly using our own, special teacup. It is this feeling of ritual and personalisation that makes the teapot significant and relevant to us all.

Also on show alongside Hugh’s works are specially commissioned paintings of teapots by artists including Port Isaac’s Caroline Cleave, printmakers Sarah Seddon and Sally Spens, painter Suki Wapshott (selected for the Royal Society of Marine Artists’ Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries London 2020), and highly collectable artist Simeon Stafford, whose quirky, wittily British works are included in the private collection of HM Queen Elizabeth II. As an exhibition concept it sounds perfectly delicious. Time for tea, anyone? l Words by Mercedes Smith See Time For Tea? from December 1 to January 6, 2022 at Whitewater Contemporary, The Parade, Polzeath PL27 6SR. www.whitewatercontemporary.co.uk

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ART FOCUS

Nonagenarian artist Ken Turner continues to challenge climate change at the Fish Factory Arts, Penryn He might be approaching a century, but Ken Turner’s energy and passion show no signs of diminishing. The 95-year-old painter and performance artist hosts his latest exhibition at the Fish Factory Arts in Penryn, picking up the baton from the UN’s COP26 Conference with the aim of empowering the community to challenge climate change in creative ways through interactive workshops and activities.

The exhibition explores the extremes of climate change; paintings concern fire and flood, insect life, forests, drought, extinction of animals, famine, destruction of plants and “a very angry Gaia”. Says Ken: “This is but a small contribution to the protests happening around the world.

Paintings and performance can tell a story, and I hope this makes a difference.”

Raising awareness about climate change has never been so important during his 70-year career as it is now. “COP26 is not doing enough for the poorer people of this world,” he declares. “I am appalled at the way big corporations and rich countries ignore the disasters happening now.”

In mainstream media, younger generations are frequently portrayed as the central activists in the face of climate change, which is one reason why Ken, a nonagenarian and long-term advocate for the climate, has chosen to present his exhibition at the Fish Factory Arts, a n 60 |

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creative community space for people of all ages. He also seeks to challenge inequality through his work, regularly performing and exhibiting in public venues.

Born in India in 1926, Ken arrived in the UK as a child and seeks to challenge western modes of thinking with his practice. Following several solo exhibitions in London, the painter and former pictureframer founded Action Space in the 1960s, a performance and community art group that became integral to developing his practice. “What inspired me was how the movements of the body in performance can relate to the physical act of painting, which for me is very physical as well as emotional,” he explains.

Ken has a longstanding connection to the Cornish art scene, as a member of Newlyn Society of Artists, with past exhibitions at Newlyn Art Gallery as well as a collaborative history with Tate St Ives, not to mention his many public art projects across the streets of Cornwall. To launch the exhibition in November, he hosted a performance piece with dancer Stephanie Richards called Painting And The Crisis Of Climate Change.

Look out for two free family workshops on Sunday, December 5. Participants will be invited to contribute to large-scale floor paintings; rolls of paper, water-based paints, brushes, aprons and cleaning

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

stations will be provided (tickets must be booked in advance).

Fish Factory founder and director Rose Hatcher says: “We are very excited to present this exhibition of recent work by Ken Turner. These large-scale paintings express and embody some of the most important themes of our times. The Fish Factory hopes to contribute to the movement against ecological disaster by providing a place for conversation, creativity and action.”

In November, Fish Factory Arts CIC received £35,000 in the third round of grants from the government's Culture Recovery Fund. "Without this help we would almost certainly have had to close down, or at least would be a shadow of our fishy selves," adds Rose. "This funding has supported staff wages and overheads, and has given us the opportunity to organise free events, workshops and exhibitions which centre the community and are open and accessible to all. As a community business, it has allowed us to remain free to support all kinds of creative ideas and experiments in whatever way we can. l Ken Turner’s exhibition continues until December 13 at the Fish Factory Arts, Penryn. Find more information at www.fishfactoryarts.space or via social media @fishfactoryarts.

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MEET THE MAKER

JESSYE BOULTON

Carnwear: consciously crafted knitwear Tell us a little bit about yourself I grew up a few miles from Penzance, and was home-educated, which allowed me to explore creatively. My mum taught me to hand-knit when I was four, on a pair of chunky knitting needles my dad had made. I was inspired by how loops of yarn could create fabric. As a teen, I became obsessed with creating different Fair Isle patterns, making the design my own.

I spent hours knitting up socks when I should have been revising for exams!

How did you take that passion forward?

I studied A levels at Penwith College and completed a year-long foundation course in art and design. Then I realised you could actually study knitwear at degree level - my dream come true! I did so at Winchester School of Art, specialising in fashion knitwear and knitted textile design.

What motivates you when working on a piece?

The possibilities within knitwear really are endless, as you’re not only creating a fabric but also the final product. This is really exciting as you have full control over the process from start to finish, from the colours and yarns you’re using to the fabric texture, garment shape and pattern choices. I love to play with yarn combinations, creating depth and subtle differences in colour and tactility, and designing pieces in response to that: my popular ‘lattice’ scarf uses a mohair/silk blend mixed with soft cashwool to create a luxurious, sumptuous handle.

What equipment do you use?

I have two hand-operated knitting machines, with no electrical power - they are operated by pulling a ‘carriage’ across a bed of needles to create a row of stitches. I work predominantly on a Dubied knitting machine that was common in UK factories before digitally programmed machines gained popularity.

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and Scotland, before being reconditioned in 2018. It feels very special to work with a piece of equipment that holds such a rich part of our manufacturing history!

What do you love about working with wool?

I use a range of natural fibres, including cotton, linen, cashmere and mohair, but wool is definitely the fibre I use the most.

It has many amazing qualities: it’s odourresistant and breathable, and as a natural fibre it will biodegrade quickly at the end of its life, decomposing in both land and sea environments. I love the diversity of wools from different breeds of sheep – I use a lot from breeds that have very fine hairs, such as Merinos, which create a luxurious super-soft yarn which feels good next to the skin. However, some of my products feature British wools in their natural colours.

What’s a typical working day like for you?

I work from a small studio space at the back of my parents’ garage, in rural west Cornwall. Here, I have my two trusty machines alongside plenty of yarn and other essentials: a small desk, a linking machine, an iron for steaming, sketchbooks, accessories for packing orders, etc. As a designer/maker working alone, I not only create my products, but oversee all other aspects of the business: marketing, branding, sales, finance, business planning and development. I would say only 40% of my time is actually spent knitting!

How is west Cornwall reflected in your work?

I’m very much drawn to the colours and texture of the landscape: lichencovered rockfaces or heather-strewn moorland always provide me with colour combination ideas to try out in the studio!

When is your busiest time?

My business is pretty seasonal due to the nature of my products. The lead-up

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

to Christmas is always very busy, with everyone looking for cosy knits to gift! I like doing markets at this time of the year (pandemic permitting), meeting customers in person as well as other artisan makers working in different fields to me. I also sell direct via my website - online sales really took off in lockdown; and I supply shops and galleries across the UK. The ethos of slow fashion is important to you – why?

Slow fashion is built around a sustainable mindset which values people, the planet and our natural resources. My work is very much in line with this, due to the considered, heritage processes I use to produce my products, the natural fibres I work with, and the importance of longevity that I hope to inspire through my timeless, trans-seasonal designs.

What in your work has made you most proud to date?

I’m still very proud of the menswear collection I created as part of my final year at university, back in 2018. I embraced a scope of techniques, from crochet to hand-knitting to super-fine digital knitting, using knotting, stranding and overworking to create an organic, fluid collection of menswear pieces. My inspiration was drawn from the relationship between our bodies within the natural landscape, with colours and textures reflective of the juxtaposing rugged, dramatic land and seascapes of west Cornwall. I often reflect back at the work I did at this time, in order to consider new directions for my current designs.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

I also work two days a week doing admin for Aspects Holidays. Juggling my time between these two very different jobs, switching off from one and tuning in to the other, is challenging but I enjoy the balance between being creative and practical. l www.carnwear.uk

@ John Hersey

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A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE

CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST CHRISTMAS CARD

BY CAROLINE CLEAVE

For the second year running, Cornwall Wildlife Trust has produced its own range of Christmas cards with designs donated by local illustrators who are passionate about Cornwall’s wildlife.

Caroline Cleave lives and works in the heart of the beautiful fishing village of Port Isaac; she has donated artwork on both occasions, and having focused on sea life in 2020, she chose to feature bugs, beetles and butterflies this year. “I jumped at the opportunity to do it again,” she said.

“Wildlife is really close to my heart, as I live in a valley with natural things all around me and I see how fragile and vulnerable they are. As such, I wanted to depict insects of all kinds – not just the pretty ones, but shield bugs and woodlice too, because they are all of equal importance in the chain. I wanted to put them in an appealing design - as a child, I loved picking out detail in images, and I like to think of children spotting all the different bugs in this piece.”

Caroline joins three other local artists in contributing to the multi-pack selection: Falmouth-based illustrator Holly Astle, artist and print designer Katherine Toms and south Cornwall-born artist Lisa Curtis. Made from recycled paper and packaged in a compostable bag, the cards come in packs of 24 and cost £8; printing has been sponsored by Tarquin’s Cornish Gin, meaning all proceeds can be used to protect Cornwall’s wild creatures and places.

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

CREATIVE & CULTURAL LIVING COWHOUSE GALLERY

INSPIRE MAKERS

Winter hours open daily 11-4. Lynfield Craft Centre, Perranuthnoe TR20 9NE T: 01736 710538 • www.cowhousegallery.co.uk

Located towards the top of Falmouth High Street, Inspire Makers is a creative space showcasing the talent of over 50 Cornish artists and craftspeople. There is a wide range of contemporary work from both wellknown and emerging makers, across jewellery, ceramics, textiles, painting & prints, stationery, and homewares. There is also a pop-up gallery which hosts a year round programme of short exhibitions by Cornish artists, and a dedicated workshop space which offers classes to inspire people to become creative themselves. Check our website for details on what’s coming up.

Opening Times: Tues to Sat 10am-5pm Inspire Makers, 5 High Street, Falmouth, TR11 2AB • T: 01326 531176 E: create@inspiremakers.com • W: www.inspiremakers.com A @inspire_makers • G inspiremakers

MARTIN JOHN FOWLER

JACKSON FOUNDATION

The gallery is run by a group of local artists and craftspeople and offers a wide range of original arts and crafts at very affordable prices. A stroll away is Perranuthnoe Cove with breathtaking coastal walks looking towards St Michael’s Mount in one direction and to Prussia Cove the other.

Left: Windblown Flowers by Jane Bodle, Watercolour on Yupo Paper Right: Rock Studies by Paul Young Photography

Martin John Fowler is a professional working artist based in South Yorkshire with strong connections to Cornwall. Displaying in several local galleries, Martin’s work looks to capture Cornwall’s rugged and wild coastal areas, often en plein air when possible, and as a result has had his work exhibition both nationally and internationally in solo and mixed exhibitions. www.martinjohnfowler.com

SHARON MCSWINEY

We have moved to a new gallery space exhibiting handcrafted metalwork, jewellery & paintings. Inspired by the sea unique metal seaweed wall pieces & silver limpet jewellery capture the Cornish coast.

Sharon McSwiney, Gallery on the Square, Island Square, St Ives TR26 1NX Tel: 01736 448293 • www.sharonmcswiney.co.uk

KURT JACKSON - KENIDJACK: A CORNISH VALLEY Kenidjack Valley in West Cornwall is one of those special places spilling over with natural treasures, heritage and dramatic topography.

Kurt Jackson has spent over three years painting it to explore, reengage and immerse himself through the seasons from top to tail of this extraordinary watercourse, the UK’s ‘almost-most’ westerly valley.

VALLEY LIVES Kenidjack Valley has been inhabited for 6,000 years. This has been a place of mining, metalwork and agriculture.

Along the valley there were shops, a Sunday school, places of recreation and manufacture. Some of these have now gone but a thriving community lives on.

This collection of images and artefacts aims to tell the story of this valley.

Open Tuesday - Saturday.

North Row, St Just, TR19 7LB T: 01736 787638 www.jacksonfoundationgallery.com

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FOOD BITES GREAT CORNISH FOOD STORE DISH: RODDA'S WITH EMILY SCOTT DRYANUARY INSPIRATION PLACES TO EAT: VEGANUARY EXPERIENCE: LAPPA VALLEY

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bites

New site for Primrose Herd

Primrose Herd, which has been delivering the finest Cornish pork to retail customers and the hospitality trade for over two decades, has expanded to a new site on the outskirts of Truro. Award-winning farmer Sally Lugg started the family business in 1999 with just two pigs on one farm in Redruth; the new HQ at Cornwall Cold Store in Newham includes a large

processing and butchery facility, office space and pop-up shop.

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, demand continues

to grow so it feels like the right time to expand,” she says.

“We’re offering a Click & Collect service for online orders, and will be opening a pop-up shop in the run-up to Christmas.” l www.primroseherd.co.uk

Great Success for Farm Shop A new farm shop and café near St Austell has

enjoyed brisk trade in the first six months of trading.

Owners Alison and Paddy Talen opened Trevithick & Trays Farm Shop & Café at London Apprentice in April, selling a range of Cornish meats, eggs, conserves, sauces, artisan breads, seasonal fruit and vegetables, as well ciders, beers, wines and spirits from local producers such as St Austell Brewery, Knightor Winery and Colwith Farm Distillery. The café is convenient for the Pentewan Trail and has a dog-friendly outdoor dining area. Look out for late-night Christmas shopping evenings on Fridays December 10 and 17. l Visit the Facebook page or call 01726 458324. n 68 |

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Royal Navy Cookbook

Prestige for Cornish Restaurants Congratulations to the Cornish restaurants featured in this year’s prestigious AA guide. They include The Great British Menu winner Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, Padstow; Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, Port Isaac; The Royal Duchy Hotel, Falmouth (pictured); and Fallowfields, in the Housel Bay Hotel on the Lizard peninsula. Now in its 28th edition, The Restaurant Guide 2022 features over 1,700 restaurants in the UK and Ireland, broken down by county and including a detailed description of each destination, information on latest chef changes, opening times and sample menu prices, and AA mapping of each region. RRP £16.99. l

From the staple ‘hard tack’ biscuits of Admiral Nelson’s days to the sumptuous feasts prepared by today’s chefs, food has always played a central role in the Royal Navy. A new cookbook shines a light on the incredible skill and talent found within this demanding industry: Galley - The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity Cookbook features contributions from 20 professional chefs with a naval connection, including several with links to HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, south-east Cornwall. Each has shared a starter, main and dessert alongside their journey through active service and beyond.

The book is also packed with insights into Navy life and traditions, such as the strictly observed toasts of Burns Night (January 25).

All proceeds from sales will go towards the charity’s work supporting serving personnel, veterans and their families. RRP £25. l

Porthleven Food Festival returns The 2022 Porthleven Food Festival will take place from April 22 to 24, 2022. Following a two year break due to the Coronavirus outbreak, the popular free festival will once again welcome top chefs, food providers and musicians from across the South West to the picturesque harbourside. Trader bookings will open soon and tickets will go on sale in the new year. All the latest information will be posted on Facebook, Instagram and at porthlevenfoodfestival.com l

@ John Hersey

Ugly Butterfly New Menu A new menu has landed at Adam Handling’s Ugly Butterfly on the Carbis Bay Estate near St Ives. Look out for Cornish crab, apple and jasmine; BBQ lobster, carrot, pak choi; and white chocolate, cucumber and dill. The signature dish is lobster cured for 24 hours in beef fat, cooked simply on a barbecue and served garnish-free, letting the incredible quality speak for itself. Local suppliers include Homage to the Bovine in Stithians, regenerative farm Trenow Fields in Perranuthnoe, Trink Dairy in St Ives and Matthew Stevens for seafood. Bar manager Josh Linfitt, has developed an innovative cocktail menu using kitchen byproducts: for example, the Faltown Martini uses oyster shells to infuse vodka and harness the flavour of the ocean, served straight out of the freezer at -15˚C. l www.uglybutterfly.co.uk t @myCornwall_ | G myCornwalltv | w www.thatsmycornwall.com 69 n

KEEPING IT CORNISH Fantastic quality at no great cost to your pocket or the environment – the Great Cornish Food Store is pulling out all the stops for Christmas

Photographs

by Kate Whitaker

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

If you've been listening to the COP26 conference from Glasgow, you might be wondering how you can approach Christmas from an environmentally friendly direction. The Great Cornish Food Store is keen to help, offering the finest, freshest produce at reasonable prices, as well as expert service and handy tips from its team of butchers, fishmongers, chefs and personal shoppers.

"Buying local can make an impact, as it reduces the need for distribution as well as being good for Cornwall’s economy you’ll be supporting all our independent suppliers, for many of whom the pandemic has been harsh,” says business owner Ruth Huxley.

Whether you’re seeking a succulent joint as the focal point of a feast or something

ready-made that you can slam in the oven, both are available here, with a trail from plough to plate. Launceston-based farmer and master butcher Philip Warren and his son, Ian, supply beef to around 20 Michelin-starred restaurants, from the crème de la crème of the Cornwall food scene to top London names. Pork and lamb come from JV Richards of Perranwell, just five miles away, bacon and gammons from the Cornish Farmhouse Bacon Company of Bude. Turkey and geese come from Treway Farm, near Grampound, a family farm rearing free range birds to the ‘Golden Turkey’ standard.

and never frozen, there will be no fish counter between December 20 and January 4, when the markets close down.

Alternatively, in-store chefs led by Nick Tinney have cooked up a range of celebration food, side dishes and nibbles to rival any high-street supermarket, with the added bonus that they use top-quality local produce. Set price packages are available for any occasion, from intimate Christmas parties to full-on office get-togethers.

“People are getting together for the first time in a long while, and want to make the most of the occasion," says Ruth. “We’d like

Fish and seafood are sourced daily from Newlyn, Looe and St Ives; crab meat is handpicked fresh, and whole cooked crab and lobsters can be ordered when available. As the store only stocks fresh

to think they can do that without spending a lot of time slaving away in the kitchen, by buying beautiful pieces of meat or readyCONTINUED OVER THE PAGE

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made food from us. We do it all, it comes to you in a box and all you have to do is put it on a plate. We’ve taken the sweat out of it but not the quality of the end product.”

a close relationship with them and have

and Ruth is keen to broaden the store’s

worked with them for years.”

appeal to all generations, especially

There are no significant supply issues expected, but as with every Christmas, early pre-ordering (deadline: December 10) is recommended for peace of mind, especially if you have specific needs.

2,000 lines. “We have regular conversations

She is also keen to signpost corporate

with them and try every product ourselves

gifts – treat your staff to something nice in

before stocking anything,” says Ruth. Most

a classy black gift box. “A bit of food and

of the food on sale in the deli is made

drink never goes amiss.”

This year, online shopping has been paused for Christmas, enabling staff to focus on the shop at its busiest time.

This is a good thing, according to Ruth.

“Shopping isn’t dead. Go to a real place.

Give yourself a buzz. Talk to a real person.

Know what you’re getting: see it, smell it, taste it. Get some advice from someone who knows it inside out. It’s the next best thing to talking to the producers – we have n 72 |

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That goes for more than 200 producers, who between them have supplied an impressive

daily in the kitchen, from pâtés, salads and dips to meals and accompaniments, and Cornish scones of course.

young professionals who are traditionally more likely to shop elsewhere.

And there’s more than food here – you can also find a wide range of Cornish homewares, books and cards. “You can do

The beautiful photography on the website has

all your Christmas shopping here,” says

been shot to reflect how food might look in

Ruth. “I know – I do.” l

your home kitchen – think rustic and informal rather than primped and pimped, and more

The Great Cornish Food Store,

achievable. “It’s the reality,” says Ruth.

Tregurra Park, Newquay Road,

Customers are typically people who are

Tel 01872 306060

interested in Cornwall and Cornish food,

greatcornishfood.co.uk

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Truro TR1 1RH.

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Photograph

by Beth Druce

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Dishhe of t h t n o M

A COLLABORATION BETWEEN

RODDA’S CORNISH CLOTTED CREAM AND

CHEF EMILY SCOTT

This Christmas, Rodda’s is adding a spoonful of wonderful to the festive celebrations, by collaborating with Cornwall-based chef-restaurateur Emily Scott to produce three exclusive recipes using its Cornish clotted cream, that look beyond the traditional mince pies and Christmas puddings.

Emily has devised three incredibly indulgent dishes to bring some luxury to the table this Christmas: chestnut and sage soup finished with clotted cream; fillet of beef with pumpkin and red onions, and Rodda’s clotted horseradish cream; and, always a crowd-pleaser, a festive chocolate roulade with clotted cream crème Chantilly and gold leaf.

Few have had a better year than Emily, with her impressive list of accomplishments including opening a brand-new restaurant at Watergate Bay, cooking for world leaders at the G7 Summit and publishing her first cookbook, Sea & Shore (Hardie Grant, £26).

But she loves nothing more than bringing friends and family together

through food, creating memorable moments intertwined with fond feelings of nostalgia. Emily cooks with seasonal ingredients, and keeps things simple so you can recreate her genius easily at home.

“Cornwall to me is a place of sea shanties, finding ‘treasure’ on the beaches, building sandcastles, combing for shells, and the pure Cornish gold that is Rodda’s: thick and silky clotted cream with the most unmistakable crust. I have fond childhood memories of morning walks to the bakery with my father for the best teatime treat: the deliciousness of splits, and always jam first. I have loved creating these festive recipes, and I hope you will use them year after year."

Rodda’s managing director Nicholas Rodda adds: “In a year that’s all about bringing people together again, we wanted to make Christmas Day extraspecial. We have worked with Emily to this end, to create a truly memorable festive feast.”

Further recipes can be found at online at www.roddas.co.uk/amazing-recipes/

RICH CHOCOLATE ROULADE WITH RODDA’S CLOTTED CREAM CRÈME CHANTILLY A delicious pudding that is quick and simple, sweet and rich, yet light - everything I love. Served on a large serving plate and decorated with festive foliage, it brings joy to children and adults alike.

INGREDIENTS Serves 8 500g 54% dark chocolate 2 tbsp water 300g caster sugar 10 medium eggs, separated

For the Clotted Cream Crème Chantilly 500g Rodda’s Cornish Clotted Cream 100ml double cream 1 vanilla pod, split 25g sifted icing sugar icing sugar to decorate gold leaf to decorate

METHOD • Preheat the oven to 180’C. Line a Swiss roll tray 35 x 25 cm with baking parchment. Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt over a bain marie.

• Add the water to the melted chocolate.

• Remove from the heat and set aside.

• Meanwhile whisk the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and fluffy, to a ribbon stage.

• Add the cooled chocolate to the mixture.

• In a large clean bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff.

• Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

• Pour into the prepared tray and bake in the oven for 12 minutes until set.

• Allow to cool. Place a damp tea towel over the sponge, this will create steam as it cools which helps make the sponge easier to roll.

• Meanwhile, for the crème Chantilly, whip the Rodda’s clotted cream, double cream, sifted icing sugar and vanilla seeds together until thick enough to spread, being careful not to take it too far so it curdles.

• Remove the damp tea towel and turn out the sponge onto new parchment.

• Spread the Chantilly crème mixture, leaving a gap at both ends and dust with extra icing sugar.

• Roll up the sponge confidently, do not worry if it cracks or breaks, this just adds to the character similar to a Yule log.

• Place on a wooden board, dust with more icing sugar, which is a great way to hide any imperfections, although I am rather fond of them.

• Brush with gold leaf for that extra Christmas feel.

• Eat with happiness and extra Rodda’s clotted cream if feeling indulgent. t @myCornwall_ | G myCornwalltv | w www.thatsmycornwall.com 75 n

A SOFT TOUCH Want to lay off the booze for Dryanuary, but can’t face a month of sugary soft drinks?

Here are some refined alternatives, all made in Cornwall.

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Jack’s Kombucha Slow-fermented kombucha has been revered as a revitalising, healthsupporting elixir for over 2,000 years. Tim Orr of Jack’s describes it as "refreshing and moreish with none of the sugar crash or after taste that comes with so many soft drinks”. Produced between The Helford and River Fal, Jack’s is a delicious, feel-good fusion that deserves posh glasses. Lightly sparkling and brimming with active, gut friendly cultures, this enlivening concoction is vegan and gluten-free too. With layers of complex, fermented flavour and a tart, clean finish, it’s a satisfying hangover-free alternative to beer, wine or fizz. Unopened, it keeps in the fridge for months. jackskombucha.co.uk

High Point Drinks Launched in October by Eddie Lofthouse, founder of premium craft brewery Harbour, each High Point bottle is a month in the making, crafted without artificial flavours or colours - just Cornish spring water, tea leaves and natural ingredients. Ruby blends hibiscus, lavender, wormwood, pink peppercorn, orange and pink grapefruit zest to produce a wild herbal aroma, while Amber draws upon ginger, clove, vanilla, cacao nibs and gentian root, all cold smoked and aged for one week, producing notes of freshly stoked embers and toffee. £19.99, 70cl. highpointdrinks.co.uk

Pentire Drinks Pentire Drinks of Port Isaac make botanical non-alcoholic spirits for active, healthy living. Plants native to local headlands are distilled to produce two delectable tipples: Adrift, easy-drinking with a coastal taste, herbaceous and fresh; and Seaward, invigorating with zesty and verdant notes.

Add ice and tonic, or explore the list of cocktail recipes online. £26.80, 70cl. pentiredrinks.com

R-Chi Tea Archie Boscawen grew up on the UK’s only tea estate, at Tregothnan near Truro.

He and the camellia bushes recently celebrated their 21st birthday, and Archie marked the occasion by creating R-Chi Iced Tea, a refreshing soft drink that not only tastes good, but also maximises the natural, antioxidant-packed health benefits of the leaves. No. 1: Earl Grey with blackcurrant; No. 2: Manuka with ginger, turmeric and lemon. www.r-chitea.com

Wild Life Botanicals #BubblesWithBenefits is the slogan of this sparkling wine, ultra-low in alcohol yet ultra-high in goodness. Available in ‘Nude’ and ‘Blush’, it has just 0.5% ABV and 60% fewer calories than champagne or prosecco. One 125ml glass delivers a minimum of 15% of the daily reference intake of eight active vitamins and minerals. A 75cl bottle in a stylish gift box featuring abstracts from an original piece of artwork (Ecosystem by Sarah Trewhella) costs £15. www.wildlifebotanicals.co.uk

Doom Bar Zero The first scale 0.0% amber ale in the UK market, Doom Bar Zero is based on Sharp’s flagship bottle. It shares the same moreish and balanced character as the ‘mother’ brand, and stays true to the amber ale style with a sweet roasted malt flavour and a subtle green hop aroma. With succulent dried fruit, lightly roasted malt and a subtle bitterness, it is as deliciously moreish as its alcoholic counterpart, yet drives a new flavour profile all of its own due to its alcohol-free nature. The team spent two years fine-tuning the formula, and it paid off, winning a silver gong at the coveted World Beer Awards 2020. www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk

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Veganuary Whether you’re a committed vegan, going on a new year health kick or just fancy some veggies, there are some fabulous eat-in and take-out vegan options available in Cornwall. Here are just a few.

Be Kind the Vegan Coffee Caravan

South Quay Hayle Harbour, Hayle, TR27 4EP. Tel: 07492 502873 The delightful Marek and Miska run this all-vegan caravan selling cakes, hot drinks and savoury treats. Try the popular vegan kebab wrap - plant-based spiced kebab meat with vegan mayo, sriracha sauce, homemade tzatziki and vegetables – or the salted tahini caramel millionaire bars. Be sure to take your snack for a stroll around this UNESCO world heritage site, once home to a noisy foundry and busy port. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10.15am to 3pm. Facebook @bekind.vegan.caravan

Vega Tintagel

Bossiney Road, Tintagel, PL34 0AH Tel: 01840 770460. FB: Vega Tintagel Aiming to explode the myth that vegan food is bland and boring, Vega serves 100% vegan food and drink, using organic, Fairtrade ingredients wherever possible. Choose from a tapas menu to try a selection of different dishes, and a core menu featuring curries and pasta; 50% of all profits go to animal welfare charities. Vega is closed for eating in from winter to Easter, but Take-Out Fridays continue from 5 to 7pm, and look out for a brief reopening in February halfterm. vegatintagel.wordpress.com

Wilder Allotment Kitchen

Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Chapel Hill, Porthtowan, TR4 8HL. Tel: 07534 621057 Vegan cafe focused on delicious wholesome food. International food a speciality; look out for Mexican nights, Reggae Roasts and Indian Thali. Open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights; café Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 2pm (closed January 23 to 26). www.wilderallotmentkitchen.co.uk

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

The Bean Inn Vegetarian Restaurant

St Ives Road, Carbis Bay, TR26 2RT. Tel: 01736 791706.

The Bean Inn has earned a reputation as one of Cornwall’s most reliable vegetarian establishments. All dishes are either are vegan or can be adapted. Globally inspired mains include potato cakes stuffed with pea curry, served with tarka dhal and a chilli and coriander flatbread; follow this with chocolate and orange mud pie for dessert, washed down with Wild Thing organic wine. Enjoy your favourite dish at home with a restaurant meal kit, prepared and ready to cook in the oven or on the stove. (The Bean Inn team will take a well-earned break in January). www.thebeaninn.co.uk

The Hungry Hamster

This self-dubbed Cornish “plantisserie” can provide anything from elegant afternoon teas and picnic hampers, to event and private catering. Owner Fern Pugh’s culinary style is inspired by the ritual of eating abroad, making the simplest of meals an experience; she draws upon her childhood travels and an international career working in top restaurants and hotels. Fern is based in Looe and takes orders for local deliveries; you can also find her at Truro Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays until December 16, then from January 12.

Facebook @The Hungry-Hamster, hungry-hamster.com

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Sprout Health Foods

The Old Printhouse, Crescent Lane, Newquay, TR7 1FZ. Tel: 01637 875845.

Popular health food shop with vegan cafe. Look out for the Daily Sprout Pot - a winter warmer around the £5 mark, usually a dhal, curry or stew accompanied by basmati rice, always gluten-free and using wholefood ingredients. Follow it up with a treat from the wide range of raw cakes, again free of gluten and refined sugar. Sprout at the Yard can be found at 44 St Pirans Road, Perranporth (closed January). www.sprouthealth.co.uk

Buddhas Kitchen & Wellness Lounge

7 Madford Lane, Launceston, PL15 9EB Tel: 01566 772435 A vegan cafe with signature dishes including the mouthwatering BBQ jackfruit kebab, delectable desserts including the Smores Square, and caffeine-free energy-boosting drinks such as the beetroot and ginger latte. Look out for regular live music, and an evening menu for late-night shopping on Wednesday, December 10. Facebook: @ buddhasmindfuleating

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

Archie Browns, Truro and Penzance

You can’t list vegan eateries without mentioning Archie Brown’s.

Sadly, the pandemic has seen both cafes close, but the Penzance store still offers takeaway food and smoothies, and both are your first port-of-call for health foods, environmentally friendly products and ethical purchases. For more information, visit www.archiebrownscornwall.co.uk

The Fish Factory Art Space

Commercial Road, Penryn, TR10 8AG. Tel: 01326 618364 A bright and comfortable space serving an array of vegan snacks, drinks and light meals from crumpets and cakes to sausage rolls, pizza slices and soups. Why not check out an exhibition while you’re there? See p60 for inspiration. www.fishfactoryarts.space

The Cornish Vegan, Truro

15 Kenwyn Street, Truro TR1 3BU. 01872 271540 Nourishing, heart-warming and delicious food in Truro’s bohemian Kenwyn Street. Most of the range is handmade on site using locally and sustainably sourced products, including fabulous cakes (including mince pies!). Also selling vegan pasties by The Cornish Oven. Open Wednesday to Sunday. www.thecornishvegan.com

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LAPPA VALLEY Lappa Valley has opened a new purpose-built indoor soft play centre and café as part of a significant investment that will transform the much-loved attraction into a year-round, all-weather destination.

For almost half a century, families have enjoyed fun-filled days with train rides, outdoor play areas and attractions set on and around the picturesque boating lake at St Newlyn East, between Truro and Newquay.

The site was founded in 1974, and visitors still begin their visit with a trip on a narrow-gauge steam train, from Benny Halt to the site of the former lead and silver mine at East Wheal Rose, complete with its imposing 1830s engine house and chimney.

Keith & Sara Southwell acquired Lappa Valley in 2014 and The Engine Shed, which is central to their plans to improve the attraction, opened to visitors for n 82 |

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October half-term. At the heart of the new energy-efficient building is a multilevel soft play area with two play zones, one for under-fives and the other for children aged five to 12. A 100-cover indoor café features an expanded food and drink offering, with a large decked area overlooking the boating lake.

“It has always been our ambition to become the number one tourist attraction for under 10s in Cornwall, but without a wet-weather facility this could not be achieved,” says Keith. “The Engine Shed turns Lappa Valley into an all-weather destination, and we’re excited to be open all year round.”

The new development includes two

| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022

dedicated party rooms with direct access to the soft play areas, so young partygoers can get straight into the action. There are also unisex toilets with touch-free taps and flushes and a Changing Places toilet to cater for visitors with disabilities.

“One of our core values is to ensure everybody can enjoy a day out with us so we’re particularly pleased to be able to upgrade our facilities with everyone in mind,” Keith adds. “The Engine Shed lays the foundation stones of our vision of the next 50 years of Lappa Valley.” l Advance booking is highly recommended as tickets are limited in number. Visit www.lappavalley.co.uk

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| Volume 2 Issue 69 | December 2021 - January 2022