JOHN SIMM / MEERA SYAL / SLOW LIVING / COLD-WATER SURFING POLO AT 10 / DANCE AT THE BAY / BEACH EVENTS CALENDAR FIFTEEN CORNWALL CELEBRATES / GUIDE TO SEAWEED / LOBSTER FRIDAY CATRINA DAVIES / WABI-SABI / COLOUR ME IN / ON READING
Wetsuits Since 1967.
GUL.COM
There are so many fabulous things to explore in Cornwall from Tate St Ives to the Eden Project and all the many things in between – things that might not be on the map, but which are waiting to be discovered and to surprise you. The landscape, which requires little forethought or planning, might be the best thing of all. Just get out there, in your car or on foot, and you’ll have a brilliant time. For every great restaurant, art gallery and expanse of beach, there are country pubs, hidden gardens and little coves. Cornish culture grows richer and more diverse by the year. Watergate Bay is proud to be a part of it. In some ways we’ve led the way – take Fifteen Cornwall and Polo on the Beach, both of which turn 10 this year. Between them, they have helped shape contemporary food, sport and spectacle in Cornwall. In other ways, we’ve just reflected what’s around us: a blossoming cultural scene, an evergorgeous view, busy people who require more than ever that life, at least while they’re here, is undemanding.
IF YOU HAVE TIME, GO OUT AND FIND SOME OF THE WIDER CORNWALL THAT INSPIRES US. OR JUST TURN UP, PARK YOUR CAR AND DON’T GET BACK INTO IT DURING YOUR STAY. YOU’LL FIND A LOT OF CORNWALL IS ON YOUR DOORSTEP. There’s no to do list at Watergate Bay – but there is a lot to do. There is kite flying, surfing and swimming; eating well, resting, walking – and thinking. The simple, healthy things that define Cornwall are the things that define us. They are the things that will make your stay here relaxed, fun and restoring. •
Commissioning editor Judi Blakeburn Editor Caroline Davidson Assistant editor Heidi Fitzpatrick Copywriting Sarah Ashworth Design Nick Wylie Cover The view from here Nicole Heidaripour Illustration Briony Cloke Nicole Heidaripour Maria Leyden Special thanks to Henry Ashworth Lee Carter Catrina Davies Helen Dunmore Finisterre Zoë Jackson Gul Kate O'Brien Penguin Random House John Simm Meera Syal Poetry Takeaway Alex Wade Antony Waller
Photography Simon Annand Bob Berry Gary Bray Mikael Buck Simon Burt Sarah Clarke Josh Coombes Greg Dennis Sam Fack Caroline Forbes David Griffen Guy Harrop Luke Hayes Matt Holyoak Rob Jewell David Loftus Karl Mackie Ben Mostyn Mike Newman Kirstin Prisk Romane Regad Tony Rodgers Ben Rowe Steve Tanner
FLOTSAM & JETSAM Bits and bobs from around the Bay
LIFE ON THE BEACH Actor John Simm plays hard to get – and then falls in love
FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST Meera Syal remembers the simple stuff and energetic fun
TIME TO SLOW DOWN A change of pace, and a kite, could get you gliding through life
FIND YOUR BALANCE Poet William Blake had the right idea
SURF CHECK The Cornish surf scene is pumping
Watergate Bay Hotel Limited, On The Beach, Watergate Bay, Cornwall TR8 4AA 01637 860543 | life@watergatebay.co.uk | watergatebay.co.uk Registered In England No. 3709185. List of directors available.
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OUT IN THE COLD Cold-water surfing takes commitment – but the rewards are well worth it
KIND OF SWELL Introducing four waves you may know already
THE RISING SON Josh Coombes contemplates life beyond the Bay
POLO TO THE PEOPLE Ten years of Polo on the Beach
GOOD CRUSTACEANS It’s the pick of the crop on Lobster Friday thanks to one local fisherman
THE FIFTH TASTE A guide to Cornish seaweed
ON READING Helen Dunmore on how reading connects and defines us
BOOK SHELF Discover your next great read
FEAR IS A PART OF YOU Catrina Davies on songs, stories and not getting sidetracked
COLOUR ME IN Because colouring in isn’t just for children
HANDS THAT CRAFT Henry Swanzy makes furniture the wabi-sabi way
THE FLIP-FLOP Flash fiction
DANCING ON THE EDGE Contemporary dance celebrating landscape and community in Cornwall
THE DIARY What's on at the Bay in 2016
INSPIRED BY THE SEA The Beach Hut gets the juices flowing for one aspiring food writer
WISHES COME TRUE Fifteen Cornwall celebrates its 10th birthday
All content, including words and images, is subject to copyright. Any copying or reproduction in whole or in part is not permissible without prior permission. © Watergate Bay Hotel Ltd.
Whether you’re here for the day, or staying for three on our Taste of the Bay break, you’ll discover some of Cornwall’s best restaurants. After a long walk on the beach, you’ve just one decision: Zacry’s, Fifteen Cornwall, The Beach Hut or The Living Space? watergatebay.co.uk/taste-of-the-bay
In lobster season, fisherman Lee Carter drops his pots at the start of the week; hauls them up towards the end of it, and then takes his catch to The Living Space on Lobster Friday. Keep your eye on the specials board from July to September. watergatebay.co.uk/lobster-friday
From fish pie with a twist to seafood curries inspired by executive chef Neil Haydock’s travels, Fish Supper Fridays at The Beach Hut are a celebration of the rich Cornish coastline. There’ll be more beach bonfires, dancing on the deck and live music at our events this spring and autumn. Watch this space. the-beach-hut.co.uk
Recipes for classic Martinis, seasonal specials and some of our all-time favourite cocktails such as The Living Space Iced Coffee – you’ll find them all on the blog. Gin and grapefruit could be your new go-to. watergatebay.co.uk/blog
Several of our rooms have been refreshed with a new take on beachside living. Just don’t let that stop you from venturing outside.
TAYLOR KNOX COMES TO TOWN To say the hundreds of groms (young surfers) who saw world surf tour legend Taylor Knox at a Reef #justpassingthrough day at Watergate Bay last year were excited is an understatement. As for Taylor, he was impressed.
“IT’S INSPIRING TO SEE HOW STRONG THE FUTURE OF SURFING IS HERE,”
BEACH FIT You’re all members of the best gymnasium around – the beach. Join the troop at RAF Military Beach Fitness or pull on your sweatband for Cornwall’s only sandball tournament. Kids can come, too, for impromptu hula-hooping sessions with the team from Kids’ Zone.
ALL WITH THE SEA AS YOUR BACKDROP.
#MYWATERGATEBAY You are officially invited to feature in the hotel’s next film. Keep on sharing your holiday clips via social media using #MyWatergateBay
YOU MIGHT EVEN GET A STARRING ROLE. Meantime, grab the popcorn and watch some of our favourite clips so far. watergatebay.co.uk/ my-watergate-bay
Imagine our delight when we stumbled across the Poetry Takeaway – a mobile poetry emporium staffed by a rotating cast of the UK’s best poetry chefs whose job it is to whip up personalised poems from the back of a burger van. Obviously. Our order was handled by poetry chef Jack Rooke – a stand-up poet, comedian and presenter. Here’s Jack’s poem about Watergate Bay. We couldn’t have summed it up better.
WATERGATE BAY POEM
On a two-mile stretch of golden sand that changes each day and is never bland, there’s a hotel that many would call a home, with children playing outside paddling in the sea foam. It’s a haven to make you smile and grin, whether you’re a veteran booking or a new guest virgin. It’s a community, a 250-person family, from chefs to those who teach how to surf in the sea. It’s a new nostalgic twist, a chance to escape and get a little sun kissed. But if it’s raining, you can still savour the day, just explore all the magic at Watergate Bay.
Eating, sleeping, jumping waves, running wild on the beach… And that’s just the owners.
Art8 is Newquay’s growing arts and culture festival bursting with events, exhibitions and workshops. From film, craft, literature and the spoken word to dance, photography, theatre and music – it’s all happening in venues throughout town. A great showcase for local artists and businesses, the festival has plenty for the whole family to see and do. facebook.com/Art8Newquay
Like the hotel, this magazine has come on quite a journey over the years. Gone is the clipart, bubble font and sepia – instead, in your hands, is the new-look WGB Magazine. Intended to reflect everything we do and value, we hope you have as much fun reading it as we had making it.
We’re always shuffling records and adding new tracks to our Spotify playlists. Curated by our in-house musos, the most popular #WGBplaylists are the chilled-out yoga mix and the hotel’s 115-track main album. spotify.com/user/watergatebaymusic
The late Cornish poet Charles Causley crowned Kneehigh ‘Cornwall’s National Theatre’. We couldn’t agree more. This year, Kneehigh will once again bring its unique Asylum theatre space to The Lost Gardens of Heligan. It’s not summer in Cornwall without a ticket. kneehigh.co.uk
On one still September morning, 12 horses from The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery visited the Bay. When they’re not on duty at royal events or performing at Horse Guards, it seems The Troop – as they’re known – enjoy a wade in the sea.
A wonderful way to travel to Watergate Bay is on the GWR Night Riviera Sleeper – the historic train getting a facelift for 2016. Pop your surfboard away and head to the lounge car for locally sourced food and drink. Or fall asleep in London Paddington and wake up in Cornwall fresh for a day on the beach. gwr.com
LIFE ON MARS ACTOR JOHN SIMM PLAYS HARD TO GET – AND THEN FALLS IN LOVE Words: John Simm | Photography: Matt Holyoak
I don’t really like hotels. I have to travel a lot for work – often far from home – so staying in a hotel isn’t high on my list of priorities during any downtime. Until, that is, we stayed at Watergate Bay.
My wife, Kate, had often talked of childhood holidays spent on the north Cornwall coast, when a surf at Watergate Bay was a must. The hotel in those days was quite old and unloved. Many years down the line and it has had what can only be described as the mother of all makeovers. Kate gleefully booked us in. And arranged surf lessons. In April.
You tend always to sleep well by the sea. The fresh air wears out us city dwellers, so sleeping in the most comfortable bed of all time, by the sea, made it almost impossible to get up for breakfast.
I am going to be honest: the drive down from London didn’t exactly fill me with joy. But avoiding the motorways as we set off, and seeing the countryside roll out in front of us, escaping the city increasingly became a very good idea.
I’ll admit it. My eye was on reading on the terrace while having my glass continually re-filled with a good Rioja. But no, we went surfing.
Watergate Bay Hotel appears as you round the headland. It sits majestically at the top of the bay, welcoming you in. The staff, on our arrival and indeed throughout our stay, were relaxed, charming and attentive to our every need. You’re well looked after here. After unpacking our bags we headed to The Living Space to enjoy the spectacular views while enjoying a drink on the terrace. The sunsets at Watergate Bay are nothing short of incredible.
THEN THERE WAS DINNER. Without going into too much detail, the food, in all the restaurants, was divine. I reserve special mention for the fish and chips served in The Living Space. I’m originally from the north of England, and quietly consider myself to be something of a fish ‘n’ chip connoisseur. Suffice to say, it doesn’t disappoint. I may consider going back for that alone. I have it on good authority from both kids that the waffles (made by them, in the waffle machine) are the finest known to man and are now a must at breakfast. The slight problem being that we don’t have a waffle machine.
And then the surfing (which, I will add, was not my idea).
Despite my initial reluctance (getting into a wetsuit, in April, in the cold, made The Living Space a much more enticing prospect), the Extreme Academy instructors do a brilliant job of at least making you feel that you can surf. We even all caught a wave. What a great way of spending time with your kids. Especially when they’re better at it than you. Exploring rock pools in the open air is best followed by swimming in the warm indoor pool or sitting in a hot tub before spending the evenings, post delicious dinner, playing cards or Scrabble over a bottle of wine. And man… those sunsets! Lazy days and cosy nights; the freshest sea air known to mankind; knowing that another day awaited us and we could do it all again – bliss. We had finally found the complete package: a home from home by the sea, with something for everyone. Along the way, our kids had experienced a little of the Cornish magic that Kate had so yearned they would do. This place suits us. We can relax here. I’ve a feeling we’ll be back. I don’t generally like hotels. But I love this one. •
WRITER AND COMEDIAN MEERA SYAL REMEMBERS THE SIMPLE STUFF AND ENERGETIC FUN Words: Meera Syal | Photography: Simon Annand
Our family has been visiting Cornwall for years on and off but, strangely, hadn’t made it to Watergate Bay until last year. Frankly, I’d got a bit tired of friends spitting out their coffee shouting in pained voices, “What? You’ve been going to Cornwall and you’ve never been to Watergate Bay?” Then they would regale me with stories of the gorgeous hotel perched on the amazing sandy beach nestling under dramatic craggy rocks, rock pools appearing like sunken jewels as the tide went out. “Oh and did we mention the fantastic swimming pool, the lifesaver of a games room, the evening table tennis and movies in the kids' club, the fabulous food, the impeccable service, the sparkling surf kissing the crescent-shaped bay?”
ENOUGH ALREADY. So a group of old Watergate-ians and newbies like me booked our summer break, in October, and defiantly I booked myself a surfing lesson, too. It’s one of those skills I’ve always wanted to acquire, along with charcoal sketching, seducing someone in Spanish and making the perfect meringue. I could picture the scene: me looking svelte in a wetsuit, riding the surf nonchalantly while somewhere in the background the theme from Hawaii Five-0 played as I rode my board to the water’s edge, stepping onto the sand with a Fonzie-like thumbs up to my deeply impressed children. (Those of you under 35, Google ‘Fonzie-Happy Days-US-sitcom’ and see what ‘cool’ meant before it became ‘sick’.)
So, the surfing didn’t quite pan out as described above. I got into the wetsuit, with the help of some sturdy hands and a plunger, and I got excellent tuition from the very patient instructors who assured me it was quite normal to spend most of the session trying to get on the surfboard. All of the kids managed to stand up by the end of the day; I managed 10 seconds before falling off again – but what a 10 seconds it was! And it didn’t matter, it was such fun, the kind of energetic fun that leaves you winded and happy and full of fresh sea air. And gives your kids memories and anecdotes for years to come. “Yeah, remember Mum lying on her surfboard asking for someone to help her get to her knees? Sooo embarrassing.” You forget, with all our busy lives, how the simple stuff really works. Walking along the cliffs, eating ice cream, mooching in rock pools, riding bikes along the fantastic Camel Trail, drinking hot chocolate from The Beach Hut, eating pasties out of paper bags in Padstow… We barely ventured out of the hotel but there’s so much to do nearby should you wish to. And apart from my surf fantasy, everything else was exactly as my friends had promised. I get it now. The night before we left, a glorious sunset drew us out onto the beach. We let the kids roam free, the way they just can’t do back home, roaming in a happy feral pack, all of them turned to gold as the sun dipped down. Such a magical memory. I’m looking forward to collecting many more at Watergate Bay. •
A CHANGE OF PACE, AND A KITE, COULD GET YOU GLIDING THROUGH LIFE Words: Caroline Davidson | Photography: Kirstin Prisk
As if in the nick of time, the slow movement is catching on. A quiet backlash against busyness, the slow movement is about making time to take time. It seeks to put a brake on the notion that faster is necessarily better and it celebrates the pleasure – and the virtue – in doing things well. The origins of ‘slow’ go back centuries. But slow is gathering pace. The rise of the slow movement is charted in the influential In Praise of Slow, a book by Carl Honoré, published in 2004. Today, there are whole magazines dedicated to slow, and groups promoting the likes of slow education, slow homes, slow management and slow sex. The slow food movement has been growing steadily since 1986. To find out more, you could do some slow research. At Watergate Bay, slow is just how it is. That doesn’t mean everything here is done slowly. It means there is time at the Bay for both reflection and taking your mind off things altogether. Rest can’t be avoided. Activities are restorative. Instead of ‘power’ or ‘hot’ yoga, at Watergate Bay’s Swim Club you’ll find ‘holiday’ yoga. A term coined by Swim Club instructor Amy, holiday yoga is tailor-made to the needs of the people who come and go. Holiday yoga puts the emphasis on strength and focus, while its core pose is lying down and breathing.
Here, yoga is less about getting sweaty and more about calming the mind. Amy believes in the importance of being still and says if you take just one thing away from her class, it’s that you find five minutes to yourself as often as you can. And rather than being sent away to practise downward dog, the set homework is: spend time outside.
WHICH IS EASY AT WATERGATE BAY. The gentle winds that blow off the Atlantic into the wide, open bay make it ideal for that most wholesome of pursuits: flying a kite. In a clear spot on the beach, launch the kite on a gust, steadily allowing it to float higher. Observing the changing direction of the wind; watching your kite dance on the breeze, your face exposed to the elements – there are few pleasures more absorbing and essential. A stroll is good for the soul but to take it a step further, try Nordic walking. Not quite a sport, but more than a walk, Nordic walking started in Finland as a way for cross country skiers to keep fit during summer. There are six steps to the technique, but essentially Nordic walking involves walking with a pole held behind you in each hand. Concentrating on the technique while out in the fresh air helps you focus on nothing but the views and what you’re doing. It’s no coincidence that the mental health charity, Mind, is an advocate of Nordic walking. While kite-flying and walking might have an obvious synergy with slow, at Watergate Bay even high energy sports such as kitesurfing and land power boarding are approached in a mindcalming way. At Extreme Academy, the pace of everything is slowed right down through the teaching and learning process. Mastering a strong, powerful, fast thing – such as the sea or a buggy – requires a careful technique and coordinated control. Still, if you want to turn your hand to something more gentle, try hand planing. The ancient art of riding waves without a surfboard, hand planing involves sitting out beyond a breaking wave with just a hand-held board around 30cm long. The trick is just to kick and to catch a wave with the hand plane held out in front of you. A simple, graceful way to sail into shore, hand planing is about as far from surfing the net as you can get. It connects your body with the wave – and your mind with nature – in an invigorating, joyous way. At Swim Clinic – a two-day course at Watergate Bay with swim coach, Salim Ahmed – hand planing is part of a surf awareness session. But for the most part Swim Clinic is about, well, swimming. For beginners to triathletes and everyone in between, the clinic is designed to improve individuals’ swimming technique. And Salim’s approach – even for those who want to swim faster – is to slow it all down. The aim is that you discover ‘the glide’, harnessing it to a point where you can appreciate the moment and transfer the glide into energy. Which is a rather good metaphor for slow living. •
Illustration: Briony Cloke
William Blake
THE CORNISH SURF SCENE IS PUMPING Words: Alex Wade | Photography: Nick Wylie
A temperature check shows that surfing in Cornwall is in fine form...
Tom Curren, legendary three-time world surfing champion, is there. So is Brad Gerlach, one of the best big wave surfers on the planet. Then there’s Greg Long, the Californian wave-rider who is the most decorated surfer in the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards. Oh, and for good measure Ramon Navarro, one of South America’s greatest-ever surfers, has flown in from Chile. This quartet of world class surfers were among many who attended the fourth Global Wave Conference, hosted by pioneering environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) in Cornwall in October, 2015. Their presence, the evolution of SAS, the very existence of the Global Wave Conference – all show just how far surfing in Cornwall has come. Let’s rewind to May, 1990. A public meeting in St Agnes village hall, at which local surfers lamented the polluted seas on their doorstep, led to the creation of SAS. The group set about making sure that South West Water got its act together, and their campaign snowballed. Soon people up and down the country were calling for clean seas – whether to swim, surf or canoe in, for use by humans and the protection of marine life. SAS marched on the House of Commons in 1991 and went on to win the argument: the UK now has some of the cleanest bathing waters in Europe. What was once a motley crew is now a hugely respected registered charity which, in 2015, celebrated its 25th anniversary. SAS’s metamorphosis mirrors that of Cornish surfing. In the 1960s, travelling Australian lifeguards introduced Malibu boards to Newquay, mesmerising a coastal community brought up on bellyboards and the simple joy of swimming; by the late 70s the town had become Britain’s surf city, with surf shops galore and many excellent surfers. Local lad Russell Winter flew the Cornish flag brilliantly, rising to be ranked ninth in the world at one stage, and before long women were in on the act, too. The likes of Robyn Davies and Hannah Harding, and many other superb female surfers, made sure that line-ups weren’t for men only. Throughout all this, the English National Surfing Championships have been held annually at Watergate Bay. Here, too, evolution is the name of the game: where once, when the event was first held in the 50s, flowing longboard moves were the norm, now surfers will be airborne as much on the wave face. And while many will still choose Cornish wetsuits made by Gul, what they’re wearing, when not in the sea, is different: St Agnes sustainable surfwear company Finisterre make clothes which are tailor-made to keep wave-riders warm between sessions.
BELLYBOARDING IS BACK IN VOGUE – AND HAND PLANING HAS TAKEN OFF. STAND-UP PADDLESURFING HAS ARRIVED – AND WOODEN SURFBOARDS HAVE COME BACK. Change and continuity, evolution and conservatism; an abiding love of the sea, its pleasures and its beauty; a commitment to keeping it pristine: it’s all there, in the rich and vibrant Cornish surf scene. •
Alex Wade is the author of Surf Nation & Amazing Surfing Stories.
COLD-WATER SURFING TAKES COMMITMENT – BUT THE REWARDS ARE WELL WORTH IT Words: Sarah Ashworth | Photography: Gul
Look across the empty beach car park on a crisp February morning and all seems eerily still. Look again and you’ll see a hooded, booted, wetsuited figure emerge from the back of a van. Running tiptoe on the frosted slipway, comically, crazed, the figure moves towards the sand. In the distance, a handful of surfers dot the water.
The air temperature is six degrees Celsius, the water is nine, and the surf is firing. Simple maths suggests you’re better off joining them in the water than standing on the shore watching. So who’s really mad? And what, ultimately, drives cold-water surfers to take the plunge?
Wetsuit manufacturer Gul was there at the dawn of British surfing. Founder Dennis Cross is rumoured to have made the first wetsuit purpose-built for UK surfers in the back of his split-screen campervan overlooking Fistral Beach in the late 60s. Gul are still going strong today. They provide all Extreme Academy’s wetsuits – suits that have made things a whole lot more comfortable in and out of the water. Knowing you can duck-dive through that first wave and avoid an ‘ice-cream’ headache – thanks to today’s cutting edge wetsuit technology – plays a big role in paddling out: in the right kit, you don’t get cold. Moreover, winter waves have an allure that keeps surfers coming back for more. For Gul, it’s about better ocean swells, smaller crowds and the feeling you’re conquering the elements. On another level, you’re battling against your own mindset. When it’s all over, you can have a laugh and a drink with your friends and talk about what a good session it has or hasn’t been. At the hardcore end of the scale are pioneering wave-riders like West Penwith locals Matt Smith and filmmaker Mickey Smith, who are dedicating their lives to scouting out heavy slabs of water on Ireland’s west coast. Closer to home, Extreme Academy-sponsored rider Harry Timson and Gul team rider Mark ‘Egor’ Harris – both Watergate locals – say nothing beats surfing their home break when the conditions are right. For Mark, it’s about dedication, motivation and the feeling you get from cold-water surfing all rolled into one. “You always feel rejuvenated after a good surf,” he says. “In cold water, that’s even more the case.”
Down the road, in St Agnes, on the site of an old tin mine, is the workshop that’s home to cold-water surf brand, Finisterre. Like Mark, Finisterre founder Tom Kay draws a connection between dedicated surfers and the environment that inspires them. His company is named after the area in the BBC’s shipping forecast that was renamed as Fitzroy in 2002. Tom remembers listening to the forecast as a youngster while gales raged outside. “Come the winter, surfers on these shores get excited,” says Tom. Like the team at Gul, winter for Tom means bigger storms and better waves. It’s then that local knowledge kicks in, with surfers scouting out the best waves. “There’s a real commitment needed by surfers here,” Tom says. “Each season comes with highs and lows. There are cold, pre-dawn starts, fickle winds and big, shifting tides. But it’s about the reward of discovering perfect, uncrowded waves, the adventure, the camaraderie and the solitude. It’s the depth of the experience that I love.” Sometimes, it seems that cold-water surfing might not even be about catching waves at all, but simply about getting out there. The surfers who drag themselves out of the warmth and comfort of their homes into the frigid water share passion and drive. But whatever makes you one of those hooded figures scurrying across the car park, desperate to get into the sea, one thing is for sure. From dawn starts and freezing bodies to steaming wetsuits, hot showers and flasks of tea: the good, the bad and the mad are all part of the coldwater surfing experience. And that’s exactly why we like it. •
INTRODUCING FOUR WAVES YOU MAY KNOW ALREADY Words: Sarah Ashworth | Illustration: Briony Cloke
THE MILLPOND
The one where there isn’t one. Nada. Zilch. A surfer’s nightmare. A stand-up paddlesurfer’s dream. A rare but beautiful specimen where the ocean turns into an oil slick and the horizon beckons yet stretches out into infinity.
THE LEG-WETTER
The one you only have yourself to blame for. One moment you’re Instagramming / playing fetch / wondering if a higher power exists, the next, water is rolling up your leg. You feign indifference as it continues, with speed, much higher than anticipated, leaving you soaked and looking like you’ve had a different kind of accident altogether. Also known as 'The Flip-flop Stealer’.
THE TOTAL WIPEOUT
The low tide one that looks inviting but promptly knocks you off your feet and deposits you into the sand bottom first, leaving you to pick out the entire contents of the beach from your bellybutton for days afterwards. We’ve all been there.
THE DID YOU SEE MY WAVE?
The giant one (it was shoulder high) that you surfed for miles (metres) for what felt like minutes (seconds) right up onto the sand before you stepped (stumbled) off to claim it – at every opportunity for the rest of the holiday – as “the best wave of my life”. Well, it felt like that anyway.
JOSH COOMBES CONTEMPLATES LIFE BEYOND THE BAY Words: Caroline Davidson | Photography: Kirstin Prisk
For Josh Coombes, a professional kitesurfer and Extreme Academy instructor, Watergate Bay is a home from home.
Now 22, Josh started surfing when he was six, taking up kitesurfing when he was 14. In 2015 he was crowned joint Legend of the Bay after winning an event that tests competitors’ prowess at both kitesurfing and stand-up paddlesurfing. All this took place at Watergate Bay – a place, Cheers-like, where everybody knows his name. Josh’s dad Carl, formerly a waveski world champion, became sports manager at Extreme Academy in 2005. Before that, Carl was an RAF engineer, a job that saw him posted for long stints around the UK. While many of Carl’s colleagues moved their families with each posting, the Coombes stayed put in a village near Watergate Bay. It was to here that Carl would return each weekend, teaching people to ride waveskis at Extreme Academy. “He’d leave me on the beach and I’d surf all day long,” says Josh. With whole days spent at the Bay, year in year out, Josh formed friendships early on with people much older than him. “There are hundreds I’ve met here and looked up to,” says Josh, before citing Will Bennett, the kitesurfing instructor who got Josh into kiting; Rob and Tina Burnham who run The Shop on the Beach, and Pete Atherton, an Extreme Academy instructor 11 years Josh’s senior. Josh is the poster boy of Watergate Bay. There’s actually a framed photo of him in the hotel’s ladies’ loo. Yet there is nothing of the stereotypical, sandy-haired, prankster-surfer about him. Josh’s mould – sporty, intelligent, polite, nice hair cut – is that of a serviceman. No surprise, then, that having lived and breathed surf all his life Josh now has his sights set on a career in the RAF. Until he turned 20 Josh barely looked beyond the Bay. In between surfing and kitesurfing, Josh worked at Watergate – first, aged 14, in the surf shop, then as the ‘hire boy’ at Extreme Academy. At 18, Josh began coaching at the surf school, becoming a senior kitesurf instructor in 2014.
COACHING SEEMS TO GIVE JOSH THE THRILL THAT, FOR HIM, IS MISSING IN COMPETING.
As a young surfer Josh was a regular on the surfing circuit, taking part in competitions including the English Nationals and the Rip Curl Grom Search. But it suits Josh that the British Kitesports Association doesn’t have a huge competitive structure. “I kitesurf because I love going out there for three hours at a time. With competing you do a 20-minute heat. You ride; you catch a wave and the heat is over.” A highlight of Josh’s kitesurfing career is a week spent in Egypt in 2012, coaching the squad that accompanied Sir Richard Branson on his successful attempt to set world records for kitesurfing across the English Channel. Back home, Josh has taught thousands of people to surf and kitesurf. He says anyone can try either sport, but that his ideal student is someone who listens and takes their time. “You can’t rush it,” he says. Those four words had particular significance for Josh when in 2015, after a gruelling interview process, he discovered his application to join the RAF was unsuccessful. He’s aiming high, having applied to join the force as an air traffic controller at sergeant level. By all accounts, Josh impressed in many areas. But he’s young. It’s barely surprising the powers that be wanted to test his mettle one step further – to see if he would rise from the knock. “Never give up,” says Josh. “I’ve had some setbacks and thought ‘I can’t do this’. But then I’ve done it again and it’s gone really well. People just don’t get things straight away. Surfing and kitesurfing has taught me that.” Josh is reapplying for the same position in 2016. It’s hard to imagine he won’t eventually succeed. But success will come at a price. It would mean leaving Watergate Bay – the people he’s grown up with, and the cold and windy kitesurfing conditions he says nothing beats. “It’s the hardest part,” says Josh. “But this will always be home.” •
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POLO ON THE BEACH Photography: Mikael Buck, Ben Rowe, Kirstin Prisk
Bringing polo to the people has always been at the heart of Polo on the Beach. On its 10th birthday, we celebrate how a simple idea grew into one of the largest free community events in Cornwall.
Save the date: Polo on the Beach 2016 | 9–11 September
watergatebay.co.uk/polo | â‚Ź@poloonthebeach | #potb16
A TOE IN THE WATER
WORD GOT OUT
THIRD TIME LUCKY
Some 200 people attended the UK’s very first beach polo match on 20 June 2007. The sun was out but the tide rolled in – so we moved the goalposts, literally.
People expected: 500. People who turned up: more than 2,000.
Things started getting serious. England players were calling us to play on 14 September 2009 and our teams included former England international stars.
We may have got wet feet but we never got cold feet. Instead, we embraced it in cocktail dresses and wellies. Our first Polo on the Beach had the makings of something great.
With two teams of professional players, 9 September 2008 was the year we went pro.
The calibre was rising fast. We were organised (we had a vet, a farrier and walkie-talkies). But not prepared (the horse ambulance got stuck and traffic snaked up the hill). Luckily the Champagne flowed, we played on a falling tide (we’d learnt something) and everyone had a blast.
Winners: South West Polo
Winners: Aston Martin / Knight Frank Winners: Kier Western
Save the date: Polo on the Beach 2016 | 9–11 September
COME RAIN OR SHINE
THE TIDE TURNED
OLYMPIC FEVER
The one that nearly didn’t happen. A marquee and several tents went up in gale-force winds on 16 September 2010.
Moody weather threatened the day on 6 September 2011, but only a drop fell on what was becoming a blessed event.
Our very own managing director Will Ashworth jumped in the saddle for a pro-am warm-up against British Olympic equestrian Mary King, straight from her team silver at London 2012.
But in typical Cornish fashion, those that stuck around and braved it were rewarded with a great match against the backdrop of an incredible sunset.
First Great Western became team sponsors. Our POTB sunglasses became a tradition. And Andrew Blake Thomas made a best player hat-trick (while others nearly missed play-off because they were surfing). We had refined our style.
Radio Cornwall broadcast the whole event – affectionately nicknamed POTB – for those who missed out.
But the days of one-match-only Polo on the Beach were about to change…
Winners: Midas Winners: Midas
watergatebay.co.uk/polo | €@poloonthebeach | #potb16
The seeds of two-match polo were sown. Joining them on 11 September 2012 was artist Tony Plant who drew Champagne bubbles in the sand. The real thing went down in the Champagne beach bar. Winners: Joules
WE WENT WEEKEND More than 8,000 people rocked up over 18–19 May 2013 for the highest-handicapped beach polo match ever played in the UK. Europe’s best arena polo player Chris Hyde rode on Sunday, while POTB legend Andy Burgess rode a former racehorse to beat pro kitesurfer Dreya Bennett in a quarter-mile race across the beach. We played pétanque; we wanged wellies; and Cossack stunt team The Devil’s Horsemen put on a show, for real family fun. Winners: Joules
A POLO EXTRAVAGANZA Six teams took to the arena for three matches over 5–6 July 2014, including the first ever women’s beach polo match. The Airstream Champagne bar was a hit, as was the sun. There were thrills (and spills) at Segway polo as the pro polo players took on the Cornwall Segway team, and won. You even flashed – a flash mob that is – with the help of Dance Republic 2 on the beach. Winners: First Great Western
Save the date: Polo on the Beach 2016 | 9–11 September
THE FESTIVAL ARRIVES We knew we were in for something big when a 64-metre wide horse-drawn horse appeared on the sand in the run up to 26–28 June 2015. Three days, three matches, some 10,000 people. Some of you arrived on the Polo Express from Paddington. From our first Friday match – Cornwall took on The Rest of the World and won, of course – to Saturday’s Watergate Bay Trophy Match and the Sunday Friendly, the weekend was truly epic. But it was more than just polo, with fairground games, beat boxing and a charity dog show. Hundreds revelled at our Saturday night beach party as the sun went down. Winners: Joules
WE TURN 10! This is your invitation to our big 10th birthday celebrations on 9–11 September 2016. There’ll be more ponies, more pros, more polo and more party – and there are some big surprises in the pipeline, too. Stay tuned...
watergatebay.co.uk/polo | €@poloonthebeach | #potb16
CONTEMPORARY DANCE CELEBRATING LANDSCAPE AND COMMUNITY IN CORNWALL Words: Caroline Davidson Photography: Steve Tanner
Food, sport, art and culture are as important to Cornwall today as its landscape and industrial heritage.
The cast of 700 – including professionals and schoolchildren – led an audience of 2,500 from one end of the beach to the other. With a series of scenes depicting the likes of a pirate fleet and Botticelli’s Venus, it ended with Machine Dance, for four dancers and four JCB diggers. A spectacular treat, The Edge showed there is more to the beach than buckets and spades. It brought dance to a large audience and it fulfilled its promise of giving Cornish schoolchildren a reason to come to the beach. This year, with a new work called Shoreline – part of the SALT landscape/dance Festival – Watergate Bay will see dance blended with coast and community once again. Billed as an ‘amphibious dancework’, like The Edge it will see dancers perform on rocks and sand.
BUT SHORELINE WILL TAKE THINGS A STEP FURTHER: INTO THE SEA. SALT director Antony Waller – who was part of the team behind Road to the Beach – says he and Shoreline’s choreographer Simon Birch decided it was time they got their feet wet. In moving in and out of the water, Shoreline will cover new ground for dance performance. Inspired by the coastal environment, Shoreline is intended to deepen the cultural experience of being in Cornwall. As Antony puts it, “It’s not about being a spectator. As with a surfboard, the work will get people fully and viscerally engaged with the site.” As well as dancers, it will bring choral singers to the Bay. Together, they will move along the beach, reflecting everything that is extraordinary about it. Involving no generators or built structure, Antony says the performance will be “gentle, quiet, reflective and emotional”. In scale, Shoreline is more intimate than The Edge, with dancers numbering just five. But its reach is just as ambitious. In parallel to the making of it, people in Cornwall are invited to share their thoughts on boundaries and coastal locations. A team comprising dancers, a composer, a visual artist, a writer and a marine biologist will visit schools to develop ideas through a learning and sharing process. Composer Jon Hughes is collaborating with Cornish choirs to develop the choral works.
Yet while there are restaurants and galleries in abundance, there are few theatres or sporting venues. The beach, of course, is the natural home of much sport in Cornwall. But 10 years ago, when Polo on the Beach first came to Watergate Bay, it took a leap of faith to turn the beach into an actual arena.
BUT THERE WAS A PRECEDENT. IN 2004, THE TWO-MILE SANDY STRETCH WAS TURNED INTO A THEATRE – PROVING, AS IF PROOF WERE NEEDED, THAT THE BEST VENUES ARE PUBLIC SPACES IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS. For Road to the Beach, a contemporary dance event involving Cornish communities, Watergate Bay was not only a stage – it was centre stage. Beginning with workshops in schools exploring themes of the sea through movement and dance, the process culminated in The Edge, a one-day performance at the Bay.
The project taps into a long-held sense of Cornish identity. It uses the shore in a way that’s reminiscent of Cornwall’s traditional ‘playing places’ – sites around the county historically used for open-air performance. An inclusive event, people can turn up on the day, making whatever donation they would like, or are able, to. Being about people and their response to the shore, it’s only fitting that Shoreline is as accessible as possible. “A lot of people don’t go to see dance at a theatre because they feel it isn’t for them,” says Antony. “So we’re putting dance where people are – and inviting them to like it.” The choreography and professional dancers; the sea, the wide vista and unpredictable weather – it’s all bound to make a memorable day. The tidal beach, meanwhile, has a very practical impact. Shoreline will take place in July, but at the time of writing the exact date is to be confirmed. It’s tide-dependent, of course – all part of life at the shore. •
WHAT'S ON AT THE BAY IN 2016
The beach at Watergate Bay is a unique – and busy – events space, playing host to sporting championships, performance art and free community events. Our packed roster of happenings held in and out of the water means you never know what you might stumble across.
LEGEND OF THE BAY 23–24 April
ENGLISH NATIONAL SURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS 30 April – 2 May
Keep up to date with all of our events online
FIFTEEN CORNWALL'S SPRING FAYRE
SHORELINE
UKSRL SURFBOATS SUMMER SERIES
RAF ST MAWGAN BEACH FITNESS
SANDBALL
GWR POLO ON THE BEACH
BSUPA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
THUNDERCAT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
15–16 May
July
6 August
30 September – 2 October
watergatebay.co.uk/events
w/c 11 July
Summer
9–11 September
Autumn
IN CHARGE Photography: Guy Harrop Guy took this photograph of Watergate Bay Hotel’s executive chef Neil Haydock during the Trencherman’s Guide Awards dinner. The image, which shows Neil instructing the pass in Zacry’s, was highly commended in the Philip Harben Award For Food In Action category at the Pink Lady ® Food Photographer Of The Year 2015.
THE BEACH HUT GETS THE JUICES FLOWING FOR ONE ASPIRING FOOD WRITER Words: Zoë Jackson | Photography: Simon Burt, David Griffen, Karl Mackie
“The Beach Hut is my ideal hangout,” says Zoë Jackson, a finalist in the 2015 Waitrose Good Food Guide restaurant critic competition. “It’s got great local fresh food, a cracking location right on the beach and a lovely laid-back vibe.” Zoë, personal trainer, busy mum and aspiring food writer, entered the Waitrose competition with a review of The Beach Hut written, she says, “in a precious half hour when my little boy was asleep”. Describing herself as passionate about food and happiest by the sea, perhaps it’s little wonder her review of The Beach Hut caught the judges’ eye. Written after a lazy lunch at our seaside restaurant with her sister, it’s vivid, informative and genuine. As one of the competition’s 10 finalists, Zoë attended a day at the Waitrose cookery school in London where she learnt, among other things, how to make Korean kimchi cocktails. While the cocktails are not on the menu at The Beach Hut you will find there all the ingredients Zoë – sounding like a pro – says make a great restaurant: a “lively, relaxed atmosphere, excellent service and a fresh, locally sourced creative menu”. Read on for Zoë’s review of The Beach Hut.
the-beach-hut.co.uk | 01637 860877
If someone said to you, let’s eat at The Beach Hut at Watergate Bay, you’d be forgiven for expecting a dilapidated surf shack serving filthy fry ups and dirty burgers to fill the washboard stomachs of hungry surfers.
of lemon. Or, you could go for fat tiger chilli prawns or potted smoked Cornish mackerel with spicy horseradish.
You may be pleasantly surprised then to find a much more eloquent establishment: one where you’re greeted warmly at the door to be seated – it’s worth embracing the fresh sea air on the covered wooden veranda if you can – and met with a truly sumptuous menu.
A closer look at the menu and the dirty burgers are there! Steeped in melting Swiss cheese, feisty jalapeños and BBQ sauce, the burgers are served with heaps of crunchy slaw and fries so the hungry surfer won’t miss out after all.
The seasonal, locally sourced ingredients may not go amiss next door at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall, except it’s much kinder on the wallet.
There’s also a decent veggie option in the form of chunky roots, pumpkin purée, tahini and cumin pistachios, or thick tubes of rigatoni pasta, king oyster mushrooms, spinach, lemon and pine nuts.
THE VIBRANT, LAID-BACK ATMOSPHERE IS BUZZING, ALIVE WITH CHATTER, AND WHEN THE TIDE’S IN, IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE FLOATING ON THE WAVES. Local fish with an Asian twist dominates the menu. I was torn between the Sri Lankan mussels in tangy tomato and creamy coconut milk, and the Goan fish curry served with fluffy lemon rice. My sister and I opted for the Cornish crab bisque and were not disappointed. Served in a huge cast-iron pot with chunks of granary bloomer soaked in Gruyère, the flavours were incredible – just the right consistency for a decent belly-filling soup served with delicious rouille. The delicate crab flavour wasn’t too overpowering, complemented with tangy hints
My mouth is watering at just the thought of it.
Though tempted by the classic English desserts with a fun twist – rhubarb and custard crumble and toffee apple cake – we couldn’t resist a couple of scoops of Cornish ice cream from a farm round the corner. Overall, it was the perfect warming pickme-up after a dip in the freezing Atlantic. And you must try the Extreme Hot Chocolate topped with a soft smattering of sweet mini marshmallows and chunky chocolate discs. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and on Sundays for breakfast and brunch, this beach hut is so much more than it says on the tin. • The Beach Hut has been named a Local Gem in the 2016 Waitrose Good Food Guide.
FIFTEEN CORNWALL CELEBRATES ITS 10TH BIRTHDAY Interview: Caroline Davidson | Photography: Simon Burt
At the heart of Fifteen Cornwall is the Fifteen Cornwall Apprentice Programme, which each year gives a new cohort of disadvantaged young people the chance to train as chefs. Ten years after its launch, co-founder Henry Ashworth looks back at the beginnings of a restaurant that brought so much more than just good food to Watergate Bay and beyond.
CORNWALL MEETS ITALY (AND ITALY MEETS CORNWALL) For the apprentices who had never left Cornwall to go on a trip to Italy as part of the programme was an extraordinary experience. But we gave as much to Jamie and his team as they gave to us. From the off, we wanted to blend Jamie’s Italian influences with the best of what Cornwall had to offer. Jamie and his London apprentices came and saw how amazing Cornish food producers are. They felt the connection between farm and fork in a way that London could never deliver.
ON THE CRACKING VIEW ON WHY WGB WANTED FIFTEEN CORNWALL We wanted to be at the centre of a food revolution in Cornwall and we wanted to strengthen the relationship between tourism and the next generation of young people in the county. Cornwall is amazing, yet there are young people here without access to the opportunities on their doorstep. We thought if we could combine a little of Jamie Oliver’s stardust with a little of the magic of Watergate Bay, we could create something very special for them: an exciting future.
ON CONVINCING JAMIE There is a buzz about Watergate all year round. But Jamie and his team needed to see and feel our ‘ski resort on a beach’ to understand that Fifteen Cornwall could thrive in the winter months. They sat here for an entire day and were overwhelmed by the place. They saw how food, sports and location go hand in hand. By the end of it, they wanted to be a part of us as much as we wanted to be a part of them.
ON BEING AT THE VANGUARD We were just a family business on a beach but with Fifteen came a step-change in profile and responsibility. Because we were putting something back into the community rather than just running a great restaurant or hotel, suddenly many talented, conscientious and occasionally starstruck people wanted to work here. Imagine, the brilliant Neil Haydock, head chef at Sandy Lane – the smartest resort in Barbados – moving to Cornwall because he saw the chance to achieve something special. Many others have followed him.
The view is inspiring. Many of the apprentices fall in love with the beach – using it to blow away the cobwebs after a tough day in the kitchen, or to learn to surf. It should be the right of every youngster growing up in Cornwall to experience the beach – something too many miss out on to this day. And it should bother us all that half of the children in the poorest communities in Cornwall have never been to the beach – yet it's never more than 10 miles away.
RAISING THE GAME Fifteen Cornwall was one of the final pieces in the jigsaw for Watergate Bay. It challenged us to be better than we thought possible – and we challenged Jamie and his team in return. I don’t think anyone in Jamie’s team thought Fifteen would be influenced by Fifteen Cornwall – but it continues to be, all the time. Cornwall is now a leading light in cuisine and food production, and Fifteen Cornwall is at the heart of that movement.
GOOD FOR CORNWALL My brothers and I grew up in Cornwall and we love the place, in all elements. But we know not all of Cornwall is benefitting from the renaissance in tourism. When you’ve seen the other side – the communities blighted by declining traditional industries – you have an obligation to do your bit and support the retraining of the next generation. There may be one or two young people who have been through the apprenticeship programme that go on to become top chefs around Cornwall. That’s brilliant. What’s good for Watergate is good for Cornwall and vice versa.
Meanwhile, Cornwall Council, local communities and the probation service wanted to ensure Fifteen Cornwall took full advantage of its opportunity to shine on the national stage. Today everyone is talking about apprenticeships. But 10 years ago Fifteen was at the vanguard, working with vulnerable people in Cornwall to give them vocational training, qualifications and a chance in life.
ON THE LEGACY (SO FAR)
A SPRINKLE OF STARDUST
And here, 10 years later, 101 young people have graduated from the programme. Around 90 per cent are in employment and around 80 per cent are employed as chefs. Every graduate came to us without the qualifications, training and great opportunities that they have today. •
When we first wooed him, Jamie Oliver had just two restaurants: Fifteen in Shoreditch and Fifteen in Amsterdam. We were going to be the third place in the world where Jamie wanted to work. To have his name associated with our amazing beach and to challenge the food scene in Cornwall together was really exciting.
fifteencornwall.co.uk | €01637 861000
It was at the launch event that I realised we’d pulled it off. We had a full cohort of young people, a world-class team and Jamie here doing a live feed on national television. I thought we can’t let these young people down – it’s not just about business, it’s about creating lasting change.
IT’S THE PICK OF THE CROP ON LOBSTER FRIDAY THANKS TO ONE LOCAL FISHERMAN Words: Caroline Davidson | Photography: Lee Carter
During the summer months at Watergate Bay, Friday is lobster day. In Zacry’s and The Living Space guests and savvy locals gorge on a split, half-kilo lobster doused in basil, garlic or chilli butter, served with fries and French beans or salad. Arriving on a plain wooden board the lobster is as good-looking as it is delicious. “It’s the simplest way to serve it,” says executive chef Neil Haydock. “And it’s the most photographed dish on the menu.” It’s among the freshest, too. Having been potted in Cornish waters, the lobster is often only five hours out of the sea. Moreover, thanks to trusty supplier Lee Carter, it’s the pick of the crop. A seasoned fisherman, Lee knows a good lobster when he sees one. “I pick out the best,” says Lee. “The good ones are the heaviest and most lively.” Lee, 37, is the man at the helm of Carters Cornish Shellfish, a family business based in Hayle harbour. Camborne born and bred, Lee is a man raised on Cornwall’s traditional industries. When Lee turned 11 his dad John – a miner – was forced by the closure of the mines to become a fisherman. Lee had been out on boats since he was five, but it was now that he really began to learn his trade, accompanying his dad on fishing trips. At 16, Lee got a job on a 60ft crab boat based in Newlyn, all the while selling his own lobster catch to chef friends.
Since 2005, when Lee formally established Carters Cornish Shellfish, it’s been all hands on deck for him, his parents and wife Tiffany. As it is, from March Lee and his dad catch the tide every day – weather depending – from 2am to 9am, sailing out of Hayle towards St Ives Head before looping back via Cape Cornwall and Pendeen Lighthouse. On board Swift – Carters’ aptly named 33ft, fast boat – are 3/4 mile-long ropes strung with lobster and crab pots. When they reach waters 90–120ft deep father and son shoot the lobster pots over the side of the boat. It’s in these relatively shallow, warm waters that lobsters dwell (crabs are found in deeper seas). Thanks to a blend of local knowledge and a digital map of the seabed, Lee knows exactly what depths are coming up. Carters haul, bait and shoot 500 pots per day. Baited with the likes of gurnard, ray, scad and dogfish – bait is the company’s biggest expense – the pots are then left on the seabed for two days. After picking them up, the lobster is kept in seawater, on a raft in the harbour, until Lee personally delivers Watergate Bay Hotel’s order each Friday morning. Other lobster is driven to restaurants in London, Abergavenny, Norfolk and Suffolk. Although many of Lee’s non-Cornish clients have the option of a more local lobster supply, Lee says that even with delivery costs included his lobster is “cheaper and of better quality”. Neil agrees heartily. “Cornish and Scottish lobster are best,” says the chef, adding: “And Carters lobster is very sweet.”
For a long time it was cheaper to serve Canadian lobster in the UK than a native variety, while the majority of Cornish lobster and crab was shipped to Spain. But all that’s changed. While the price of Canadian lobster has increased, crab processing facilities in Cornwall have improved and multiplied, allowing local shellfish operators to supply all their produce more cheaply. Carters updated their facilities for preparing picked crab in 2014 – ‘picked’ meaning the crab meat is removed from the shell – with the help of a grant received by the Fisheries Local Action Group. Now, Carters boil, prepare and pack their own crab, selling it in branded tubs. They pack the crab loosely ensuring it remains soft and fluffy. That sounds simple, but it’s a point of difference for Carters. “We had to diversify,” says Lee, the embodiment of a new breed of Cornish fishermen. As for lobster, there’s very little preparation to be done. The chefs at Watergate Bay desensitise each lobster by freezing it for up to 45 minutes until it goes into hibernation. The lobster is then killed quickly and humanely before being cooked on a charcoal oven, butter loaded beneath its shell. “It’s indulgent and luxurious,” says Neil. “All the more so because it’s not served every day.” Even Lee himself has been known to drop by early evening to devour the fare he delivered that morning. Roll on the next Lobster Friday. •
watergatebay.co.uk/food | 01637 860543
“IT’S NOT A JOB, BUT A LIFESTYLE,’ SAYS LEE, HAVING DESCRIBED A TYPICAL WORKING WEEK THAT SEEMS TO HAVE NO BEGINNING AND NO END. “IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY. I’D FISH ALL DAY LONG.”
KELP
ALARIA
DULSE
( Laminaria digitata )
( Alaria esculenta )
( Palmaria palmata )
NORI
SEA SPAGHETTI
CARRAGEEN
( Porphyra linearis )
( Himanthalia elongata )
( Mastocarpus stellatus )
A GUIDE TO CORNISH SEAWEED Words: Kate O'Brien | Illustration: Nicole Heidaripour
Wild seaweed has been harvested along the coastline of the British Isles for centuries, but only now are its health and culinary benefits truly being appreciated. Long extolled as a superfood in Japan and China, seaweed’s wider popularity owes a lot to the British phycologist Kathleen Mary DrewBaker. By cracking the elusive lifecycle of a type of seaweed called nori, Drew-Baker became known as ‘Mother of the Sea’ in Japan, paving the way for seaweed farming on an industrial scale, one delicate nori sheet at a time. It is thanks to her that we have the sushi roll. In 2012, a pioneer on Cornwall's Lizard peninsula obtained the first licence to harvest seaweed from English waters. Before long, the Cornish Seaweed Company was supplying Michelin star chefs with the locally sourced ‘légumes de la mer’ that so subtly manifest the fifth taste, umami – the moreish, savoury taste that only in the past few years has been recognised after salt, sweet, sour and bitter. Today, along the Cornish coast seaweed is handpicked from natural reserves, where an abundance of alternating layers of over 650 species hold fast to rocks or float adrift on spring tides. Mysterious and beautiful, seaweed defies classification. It belongs to a diverse group of algae whose fronds, branching taxonomic kingdoms, are more readily identified by their culinary uses, or simply by colour: brown, red or green. Beginning with brown and the submerged kelp forests of the sub-tidal zone, reds emerge from the mid and low shores where rocky habitats support nori, Irish moss and dulse. Seaweed exposed on upper shores transform sunlight to tangles of nutritious greens.
Cornwall’s brightest and most delectable edibles are well known to locals, with a few listed here, starting deep below the waterline. Kelp is known as kombu or sea ribbon for its thin and intertwining fronds. Once used to make potash for the glass industry, today kelp is more readily found as the essence of dashi stock. Alaria, meaning ‘wings’ in Latin, is also called Atlantic wakame or dabberlocks. In spring, alaria grows up to four metres long on the low shore. A powerful source of vitamins B and C, it imparts a soft, chicken flavour when cooked with rice. Dulse has flat floating digits a deep red that are harvested sustainably from spring to autumn. Traditionally used as a substitute for chewing tobacco, its rich peppery flavour has recently been developed as an alternative to bacon. Nori, or laver as it is known in Wales, glistens like oil slicks on the rough surfaces of rocks. It has a mild nutty taste. Nori ‘fluffed’ from more exposed rock has sweeter notes. Sea spaghetti begins life as a ‘button’ and grows in dark green strands. Rich in calcium and magnesium it is usually served with pasta and lends a distinctly beefy flavour when added to soup. Carrageen is characterised by its spongy look on the mid to low shore, and for its anti-viral and adhesive properties. Used in the production of ice cream, toothpaste and lipstick it was once a staple Irish dessert – a cruel, lactic white pudding called Irish Moss that has thankfully fallen out of favour. •
Every two weeks a spring tide pulls Cornish foragers to the foreshore, synchronising their movements with the rhythms of the biggest tides. February to March and September to late October are the best times to harvest: the magnetic pull of the moon uncovering rocks draped in garlands of glistening seaweed, including hundreds of obscure species yet to be discovered.
Kate O’Brien writes about plants for publications including the Guardian, Observer and Financial Times.
HELEN DUNMORE ON HOW READING CONNECTS AND DEFINES US Photography: Caroline Forbes
Time to read is time increasingly treasured. At Watergate Bay, an hour of reading – of looking inward – complements an afternoon spent outside, mind and body surrendered to the elements. Yet in her new essay, 'On Reading', extracted here, author Helen Dunmore shows how the apparently quiet act of reading is itself a time of great activity – a moment (or two, if we’re lucky) when we travel, learn, love and lose; when we create something original: our own interpretation of a book.
Enter our competition to win a special hardback edition of Helen Dunmore’s new novel, Exposure – a Cold War thriller about buried secrets, forbidden passion and personal betrayal – which includes the full version of her essay ‘On Reading’ at watergatebay.co.uk/on-reading
Helen Dunmore is the author of 14 novels, including Sunday Times Bestselling, The Lie, which was nominated for the Folio Prize, shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize. A frequent visitor to Cornwall, Helen’s first novel, Zennor in Darkness, explores the events which led to D.H Lawrence’s expulsion from the county.
We read not only with our eyes, but with our hearts. Every sense is in play. We shudder with fear, weep, laugh aloud, blaze with anger, are seduced, aroused, enchanted. We read with our senses of taste and smell, with skin and brain and intuition. We read intellectually, erotically, emotionally. We read in order to understand our lives, to become what we are not, and through this to question what we are. For a few hours we enter the minds and bodies of lovers, criminals, artists. We are insiders, present as latitude is discovered or Anne Boleyn murdered. We enter the minds of explorers and scientists, even though we may not be able to do the maths. Ages fly before us, and we step on to other continents. Our identity shifts. We discover what it is like to be inside the skin of a murderer, or that of a detective. We understand other languages, even if we do not speak them, and become insiders in other cultures and on different continents. We come to know ways of living and loving that we may never experience; and ways of suffering, too. Big Brother really is watching us, as we sense our own weakness and aptitude for betrayal in the face of implacable totalitarianism. In the company of Primo Levi or Anne Frank we learn what it is like for sheltered, middle-class young people to be hunted down like prey. Reading strips away the comfort of being a spectator, because the reader is always engaged, always a participant. We take all this for granted, perhaps because it begins so early, with nursery rhymes about blackbirds baked in pies, and fairy-tales of princesses forced to sweep floors and endure the jealous rage of their elders. In fiction, trains have faces and are spiteful, lazy or loyal. Animals speak, genies grant wishes and tigers come to tea. Children accept it all, revelling in the quirks and loving the humour. On goes the river of reading, from Peter Rabbit to Narnia, widening and deepening until we find our own footholds in the flood of words and decide what we like. The process is everyday and yet so mysterious that it thwarts analysis. To me it always seems one of the most astonishing things that human beings do, on a par with dreaming, dying and giving birth. We can use a written code to open to one another the intricate whorls of our minds. There is no thought
Exposure by Helen Dunmore is published in January 2016
or emotion which cannot be contained in words. No rhythm, however subtle, will be missed by the reader’s ear, which stumbles on a clumsy sentence and yields to the pull of perfectly judged pace. Reading has the power to name and define experiences which would otherwise remain incommunicable. Without words we remain locked within the islands of ourselves, but by reading we create bridges which join us. Every news bulletin is crammed with our terrible gift for misunderstanding one another, and the violence which springs from it. Differences are magnified, and those who are seen as different are demonised. Books are banned, or burned. We can no longer tolerate the words contained within them, or allow them to come alive within our minds. In Nazi Germany it was forbidden to read Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, or the children’s adventure story Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner. Edna O’Brien’s The Country Girls was banned in Ireland because of its sexual content. D. H. Lawrence’s The Rainbow was banned in London in 1915 for similar reasons. William Tyndale’s English translation of the Bible was banned in 1525, and Tyndale himself was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536. Even when an author survives censorship, it leaves a deep mark on the individual and the society. Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses was burned in Bolton in 1988 and the consequences are still with us. Censorship can be erratic, even funny, as well as terrifying. Why was The Wizard of Oz banned from Chicago’s public libraries in 1928? Why were Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales banned from the US Mail? Whatever else these bannings and burnings may represent, they are certainly an extraordinary tribute to the power of reading. It is equally true that readers go to great lengths to get hold of the books which governments or religious establishments have decided that they must not read. Books are copied and passed from hand to hand, smuggled and concealed. People will take astonishing risks in order to read freely, and suffer penalties ranging from social shame to death. Books are subversive: they have to be. They insist on the importance of the individual’s response to the world, and subvert any idea that the world can only be ‘read’ in a single way, according to a single theory of government or religion. Books are as obstinately various as the human beings who read and write them. •
DISCOVER YOUR NEXT GREAT READ Photography: Penguin Random House
From a riveting biography to a long-awaited memoir, a compendium of novels and the ones to watch out for – our reading list for 2016 has it all.
THE TOP FIVE Charlotte Brontë: A Life By Claire Harman Charlotte Brontë's life contained all the drama and tragedy of the great Gothic novels it inspired. A bestselling female author in a world still dominated by men, in each of her books Charlotte created brand new heroines, inspired by herself and her life – all fiercely intelligent women burning with hidden passions. This beautifully produced landmark biography is essential reading for every fan of the Brontë family's writing, from Jane Eyre to Wuthering Heights.
The Face of Britain by Simon Schama Combining his two great passions – British history and art history – for the first time, Simon Schama's extraordinary storytelling reveals the truth behind the nation's most famous portrayals of power, love, fame, the self, and the people. Mesmerising in its breadth and panache, and beautifully illustrated with more than 150 images from the National Portrait Gallery, The Face of Britain will change the way we see our past – and ourselves.
THE ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink is the long-awaited memoir from Elvis Costello, one of rock and roll's most iconic stars. This memoir, written with the same inimitable touch as his lyrics, and including dozens of images from his personal archive, offers his unique view of his unlikely and sometimes comical rise to international success, with diversions through the previously undocumented emotional foundations of some of his best known songs and the hits of tomorrow. The book contains many stories and observations about his renowned co-writers and co-conspirators, though Costello also pauses along the way for considerations on the less appealing side of infamy. The Penguin Complete Novels of Nancy Mitford Here in one volume are all eight of Nancy Mitford's sparklingly astute, hilarious and completely unputdownable novels: Highland Fling, Christmas Pudding, Wigs on the Green, Pigeon Pie, The Pursuit of Love, Love in a Cold Climate, The Blessing and Don't Tell Alfred. Published over a period of 30 years, the novels provide a wonderful glimpse of the bright young things of the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s in the city and in the shires; firmly ensconced at home or making a go of it abroad. Every Thing We Touch by Paula Zuccotti Imagine how your day would look if you recorded everything that you touched. From smartphone to soap, from spice to spoon... what if they were all brought together in one place? Would they tell a bigger story? From a toddler in Tokyo to a cowboy in Arizona, a cleaner in London and a cloister nun in Madrid, Every Thing We Touch is their story told through the objects they own, consume, need, choose, treasure and can't let go. Each image is a mystery, a story, a work of art. Each is a moment in time: a life and a world reflected back at us.
penguin.co.uk
A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled by Ruby Wax Released: January 2016 Five hundred years ago no one died of stress: we invented this concept and now we let it rule us. We might have evolved to be able to miraculously balance on seveninch heels, but as far as our emotional development is concerned we're still swimming with the pond scum. If we don't advance our more human qualities then we're doomed evolution-wise to become cyborgs, with an imprint of an 'Apple' where our hearts used to be. Ruby Wax shows us a scientific solution to these modern problems: mindfulness. Outrageously witty, smart and accessible, Ruby Wax shows ordinary people how and why to change for good. The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle Released: January 2016 A gripping debut psychological thriller from an author who can reveal very little about himself. This is a man who has lied all his life. Roy is a conman living in a small English town, about to pull off his final con. He is going to meet and woo a beautiful woman and slip away with her life savings. But who is the man behind the con? What has he had to do to survive a life of lies? And who has had to pay the price? My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout Released: February 2016 An exquisite story of mothers and daughters from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Olive Kitteridge, My Name is Lucy Barton is keenly observant, deeply human, and truly unforgettable. With this latest novel, Elizabeth Strout – one of America's finest writers – shows how a simple hospital visit illuminates the most tender relationship of all: the one between mother and daughter. My Name is Leon by Kit de Waal Released: June 2016 Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called Jake. They have gone to live with Maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo and a belly like Father Christmas. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing pretend faces. They are threatening to take Jake away and give him to strangers. Because Jake is white and Leon is not. Evoking a Britain of the early 80s, My Name is Leon is a story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. Of the fierce bond between siblings. And how – just when we least expect it – we somehow manage to find our way home.
CATRINA DAVIES ON SONGS, STORIES AND NOT GETTING SIDETRACKED Interview: Caroline Davidson | Photography: Mike Newman
Catrina Davies is a writer and musician who lives and surfs in the far west of Cornwall. In 2014 her first book, The Ribbons are for Fearlessness, was published together with The Ribbons EP, a collection of songs that tell the same story. Currently working on her next book, here Catrina gives us an insight into her world. The Ribbons are for Fearlessness is about busking from Norway to Portugal with my cello. And love, death and surfing. Fearlessness is refusing to avoid the things you’re frightened of. It is believing that fear is a part of you and not a reason not to do something. For me, fearlessness is an attitude and a way of expanding my mind. I’m afraid of most things. Big black spiders, people, confrontation, heavy waves... I’m not frightened of being on my own. I’m a lot less frightened than I used to be because I’m getting more comfortable with the sensation of fear. If you don’t follow your dreams you get sidetracked. Society is set up to make us go down a certain path. If you’re not strong in your dreams you can end up following someone else’s dream by mistake. If I could promise one thing to my nieces and nephews it would be that my generation would look after the environment; that we would respect it so that they and their children can enjoy everything about the natural world that I have. Success is how much you’re in harmony with the life that you’re living. Cornwall has shaped who I am. In London you’re exposed to so much advertising, but you’re much less exposed in Cornwall. Here, you have a greater chance to form your own opinions. If you choose to live in Cornwall, it’s because you want to surf or because you value things other than money. You have to be resourceful about how you make a living.
I DJ as part of a group called Sir Vinyl. We used to be quite clubby, but now we’re heading towards dub – my first love. I like the gigs when we start off creating an atmosphere. We did Boardmasters last year. It was in the daytime and Watergate Bay looked beautiful in the background. Surfing keeps me sane. I need to surf. Before I surfed, I swam a lot in the sea. The sea is something bigger than me that I can’t control. My relationship with the sea is comforting and fundamental. I surf whenever I can – whenever the surf is good, and often when it isn't. I’m writing a new book about living in a shed. It’s a non-fiction novel about my experience of being at odds with the mainstream. It navigates the housing crisis and materialism but has a positive message about home as a place of self-expression. I've written songs to go with the book. I want to record them outside. If I lost my cello I’d grieve as if for a relative. My relationship with my cello goes through ups and downs. It’s a bit neglected at the moment because I’m writing songs on my guitar, but my cello and I went on that journey from Norway to Portugal together. I’m grateful to it. We've shared a lot. The greatest threat to my freedom is having to pay rent. That's why I live in a shed. My songs are for me while my books are more for other people. I write books and songs as a way of looking at something from different angles. It’s two ways of telling a story. Songs often write themselves while I have to work much harder to write a book. My greatest indulgence is Rioja and television. I love really good dramas – or really good bad dramas. I like to get up early and read something inspiring. I do some exercise, have breakfast, meditate and have coffee before starting work at nine. I try and work for the morning without looking at the Internet. In the afternoon I might write more, do my gardening job or work on my music. But all of that is thrown out the window if the surf’s good. Surfing trumps everything. •
catrinadavies.co.uk | The Ribbons are for Fearlessness, Summersdale
BECAUSE COLOURING IN ISN’T JUST FOR CHILDREN Image: Maria Leyden
The GWR colouring-in wall at last year’s Polo on the Beach was a huge success, proving that colouring in is as fun – and as absorbing – for grown ups as it is for kids. And with few things as straightforward as taking coloured pencil to paper, colouring in is an easy way to unwind. So here’s a drawing of Watergate Bay crying out to be finished in full colour. What colour, how much colour and where goes the colour is entirely up to you.
Share your creations on social media using hashtag #colourinWGB. Our favourite will win a two-night stay at Watergate Bay Hotel. Visit watergatebay.co.uk/colour-in-wgb for more details. •
HENRY SWANZY MAKES FURNITURE THE WABI-SABI WAY Words: Sarah Ashworth | Photography: Ben Mostyn
Describing his new collection to a friend, awardwinning Cornish furniture designer Henry Swanzy struggled to define what makes his work different. “Wabi-sabi,� said the friend. Henry looked at him blankly. But the more he read about the ancient Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, the more Henry felt drawn to, and inspired by, its values.
Wabi-sabi seeks beauty in imperfection. It is an appreciation of simplicity, purity, natural materials and the hands that craft them. Henry’s handmade pieces are all about simplicity. From his studio in Falmouth, Henry works predominantly with wood – oak is his preference – a raw material for which he has a profound respect and understanding. “We have a deep affinity with wood, it having been integral to our existence for tens of thousands of years,” says Henry. “Not only is it beautiful, but it has astonishing strength and versatility,” he adds, referring to qualities he looks to explore and maximise in his designs. Henry keeps things simple in his design process, too. “Coming from a craft background I think like a craftsman and I design like a craftsman, meaning the craft is integral to the design,” explains Henry. He would sooner nip to the workshop and knock up a small-scale model than tear his hair out trying to mock up a 3D rendering on the computer.
He digs deeper. “Machines are too brilliant. Too crisp. Too symmetrical,” says Henry. Take the flare and taper of the leg on his Pollyfox Bench. “Even subconsciously looking at it, it has character. It’s very subtle – perhaps the slightest of off-angles that shows it hasn’t come from a production line. Handmade pieces have a unique quality to them.”
cliffs and the raw elements that have shaped them; the strong granite stonework of the traditional buildings; the craftsmen who have utilised quarried materials to build them – the notion of wabi-sabi celebrates the cracks and crevices and other marks that time, weather and use have left on Cornwall.
Raw materials and their imperfections are central to Henry’s work. In striving for simplicity in his designs he searches for elegant solutions. And he hopes his pieces achieve beauty in their functionality.
Visitors are drawn to the county by an appreciation of all these elements. That’s why we thought Henry Swanzy’s work was a match for Watergate Bay and our asymmetrical, dramatic, yet delicate landscape. •
His friend was right. The objects Henry creates are the embodiment of wabi-sabi – unique in themselves yet not unlike the rugged beauty of Cornwall, its coastline and Watergate Bay. The county’s tall, crumbling
Henry Swanzy’s work is currently displayed in the hotel lobby.
henryswanzy.co.uk
FLASH FICTION Words: Sarah Ashworth | Illustration: Briony Cloke
Arriving at the hotel, Simon, 38, notices a single flip-flop among the buckets and spades in the entrance lobby. While unpacking in their room, Simon’s wife is struck by how translucent his legs are. But Simon, who is now “officially on holiday” and “couldn’t care less”, rolls up his trousers, slides into his flip-flops and bounces out the door, blissfully unaware of the odd-height, red sock marks on both of his legs. Later on the beach, Simon’s son Jack, 11, is ignoring his “embarrassing” dad, only breaking silence to tell his little sister Millie, five, that Australian’s call flip-flops ‘thongs’. Millie proceeds to shout “thongs” at strangers as loud as possible for the rest of the day, much to her mother’s despair. As the sun sets, Simon takes a moment to gaze out to sea. Suddenly, he is knocked over by a surge of water that seems to come out of nowhere (see ‘The Leg-wetter’, page 34). Stunned, and stumbling around in the shallows, he realises the retreating wave has claimed one of his flip-flops. He turns to see his family bent over in stitches. Simon laughs too. •
THE BEACH Watergate Bay at low tide – two miles of sand, sea, caves and rock pools.
SWIM CLUB It’s hard to know where the sunset starts and the 25-metre infinity pool ends. Choose to be active or just kick back and relax in Swim Club.
FAMILIES Whether it’s the outdoor play area in Kids’ Zone or a space you've found of your own, there’s a place here for everyone.
OCEAN ROOM Escape and unwind in the ocean room. Overlooking the sea, it's the closest you can get to the Bay without getting wet.
TREATMENT ROOMS Our treatment rooms are for treating yourself. We have three of them – one of which is a double, so you can treat someone else too.
ZACRY’S The place to experience executive chef Neil Haydock’s passion for contemporary American cuisine. Breakfast is also served here.
THE LIVING SPACE Eat, meet and greet – or just lounge on the sofas. Here, the seasonal menu of platters and sharing dishes takes a Mediterranean influence.
THE CAFÉ BAR Take a cocktail on the terrace or a coffee in the snug. Thecafé bar servesdrinks and snacks throughout the day.
THE BEACH HUT One of Cornwall’s best beachside hangouts, where burgers, steak, seafood and shellfish feature. And all in front of that view.
SURFING HOLIDAYS AT WATERGATE BAY START WITH TUITION AND HIRE FROM EXTREME ACADEMY – A PLACE THAT’S ABOUT THE BALANCE OF LIFE, BEING ACTIVE, GETTING AMONG THE ELEMENTS, CHILLING OUT, GETTING COSY AND, MOST OF ALL, HAVING A GOOD TIME. Join us for surfing, kitesurfing, traction kiting, SUP, waveski, hand planing and more.
GROUP LESSONS Introduction to surfing – half day Surf and hire – one day Improver surf lesson – two hours
£35 £47 £25
PRIVATE LESSONS One-to-one – half day Groups of two-to-four – half day
£95 £160
Introduction to bodyboarding – two hours
£25
Introduction to kitesurfing One-to-one – three hours Two-to-one – three hours
£110 £90
Traction kite lesson – half day Land board – half day Buggy – half day Land board/Buggy Nitro – one day
£35 £50 £50 £75
Introduction to stand-up paddlesurf – half day
£40
GROUP LESSONS Introduction to waveski – half day Waveski and hire – one day
£35 £47
PRIVATE LESSONS One-to-one – half day Groups of two-to-four – half day
£95 £160
Introduction to hand planing – two hours
Groups of four or more Including lunch at The Beach Hut
£25
£85pp £100pp
So you’ve tried surfing, had a lesson and you’re hooked. Come and rent all you need from our hire centre.
Life on the beach is gloriously different to life elsewhere; the rules are not the same and priorities shift. Shopping here is different, too. Walk into the Shop on the Beach, and you’ll know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’re not in John Lewis or M&S; there’s sand on the floor, there may well be a dog or two and someone’s probably popped in to borrow our pump to revive a flagging football... Look closer and you might also see a toddler giddy with excitement at her first ever bucket and spade or perhaps a teenager, just beginning his surfing journey, who has saved hard and is asking for advice on which board will suit him best. Maybe you’ll see a family being fitted for wetsuits before heading for the waves for some hard-earned time together, or a couple who come in for a quick look and find themselves staying for a chat about the weather or the tides or plans for tomorrow. And maybe while they’re here they’ll find the perfect Barts hat, or a Seasalt jumper that fits like a dream. We love that people relax, hang out, natter and get excited and inspired when they come to the Shop on the Beach, and if that means the floor gets a bit sandy, well, that’s just fine by us.
Find us on the sea lane
The WGB collection is a curation of clothing, jewellery, homeware and products synonymous with Watergate Bay. The collection, which includes a bath and body range made with natural raw ingredients, is the result of our collaboration with a handpicked selection of designers, makers and lifestyle brands. Items and gift vouchers are available from the hotel and online.
watergatebay.co.uk/shop
PRICES PER ROOM PER NIGHT
LOW SEASON
MID SEASON
SUMMER HOLIDAYS
THE SEASONS
SEA VIEW ROOMS STANDARD B&B STANDARD D,B&B BETTER B&B BETTER D,B&B BEST B&B BEST D,B&B SUITE B&B SUITE
D,B&B
£200 £250 £210 £260 £245 £295 £335 £385
£220 £270 £230 £280 £265 £315 £355 £405
£315 £365 £325 £375 £360 £410 £420 £470
FRONT FACING ROOMS STANDARD B&B STANDARD BETTER
D,B&B
B&B
BETTER D,B&B BEST B&B BEST D,B&B BETTER FAMILY SUITES B&B BETTER FAMILY SUITES D,B&B
£190 £240 £210 £260 £215 £265 £330 £405
£210 £260 £230 £280 £235 £285 £355 £430
£305 £355 £325 £375 £330 £380 £420 £495
HOUSE ROOMS STANDARD B&B STANDARD D,B&B BETTER B&B BETTER D,B&B BEST B&B BEST D,B&B STANDARD FAMILY SUITES B&B STANDARD FAMILY SUITES D,B&B BETTER FAMILY SUITES B&B BETTER FAMILY SUITES D,B&B BEST FAMILY SUITES B&B BEST FAMILY SUITES D,B&B
£160 £210 £165 £215 £190 £240 £255 £330 £295 £370 £315 £390
£180 £230 £185 £235 £210 £260 £280 £355 £320 £395 £340 £415
ROOM PRICES All prices are per room per night based on two people sharing, except for Family Suites which are per room per night based on up to six people sharing. An additional 25% of the room rate is charged for a third person in a double room. There is a 25% discount for single occupancy of a double room. CHILDREN Children under three years old (sleeping in a cot) stay free of charge. Children seven and under sharing their parents’ room are charged 20% of the room rate. Children eight and over sharing their parents’ room are charged 25% of the room rate.
£265 £315 £270 £320 £290 £340 £365 £440 £390 £465 £405 £480
LOW SEASON 29 February to 20 March 30 October to 22 December 2 January to 25 February 2017 MID SEASON 21 March to 1 July 4 September to 29 October 27 December to 29 December SUMMER HOLIDAYS 2 July to 3 September CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR BREAKS 23 December to 26 December 30 December to 1 January 2017
STANDARD: Fresh and contemporary beach living with a twist on the traditional. Standard rooms are available as Sea View, Front Facing and House, some are interconnecting. BETTER: Cosy beach charm and comfort. Some with unrivalled sea views, all designed with contemporary beach living in mind; wooden floors, textural features and pops of colour. These bedrooms are a little bigger than our standard rooms and some can be interconnecting. Better rooms are available as Sea View, Front Facing and House. BEST: The best kind of contemporary beachside living; chic, fresh and comfortable. Most have sea views but all reflect the charm of the Bay. These bedrooms are bigger than our other rooms and we’ve added our own unique and quirky Watergate Bay twist, with a nod to the hotel’s original Victorian architecture. Best rooms are available as Sea View, Front Facing and House, some are interconnecting. FAMILY SUITES: A king size room for you, while the kids get a space of their own. Most of these suites will sleep up to five people but some will suit a family of six with a cot. All have a contemporary and relaxed beach-house style with a separate bunk room for children. Family Suites are available as Front Facing and House. SUITES: Our very best rooms. Open plan Sea View Suites mix contemporary design and comfort; bold textured decor and the best feature, a freestanding roll-top bath in the bedroom’s bay window. All our rooms have an en-suite bathroom, TV, DVD player, iPod docking station or Bluetooth speaker, free WiFi, hair dryer, bathrobes, tea and coffee facilities and a telephone. Many rooms will take a cot and some will take an extra bed for a child.
B&B Bed and full breakfast in Zacry's. DINNER INCLUSIVE Bed, full breakfast and a three course dinner in Zacry's.
Interconnecting rooms are charged at full rate for two people sharing, additional children / adults sharing these rooms will be charged as detailed. DOGS Dogs are charged at £15 per night for the first dog and £5 per night for each additional dog. Dogs can stay in Ocean Wing and Coach House rooms with a maximum of two dogs per room. We do not provide dog food. VAT is included at the current rate but these prices are subject to change if VAT rises above 20%. E&OE. Terms and conditions can be found at watergatebay.co.uk
We’re giving the west back its Great Western Railway.
in any industry. We’ve removed beginning of a new era. From now on,
ourselves from the livery. With this
our region’s railway will be known as
comes the commitment to not act
GWR, Great Western Railway.
as a franchise. But rather, as a proud
This is not a mere ‘rebadging’ exercise. It is a statement of intent. It’s a reinstatement of the original name given to us by our illustrious founder, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It’s a promise to use every last ounce of our passion to build a 21st century railway that Brunel himself would be proud of.
custodian, whose responsibility it is to reinvigorate the west by returning the rail service to its former glory. of London Paddington, resplendent in GWR green. Over the coming months, it will be followed by the biggest Bringing a new age of faster GWR electric trains, equipped with foremost
And it’s an acknowledgement that
technology and passenger comforts.
the railway and its people are far
All staffed by dedicated Great
more important than any franchise or
Western Railway people, to connect
holding company.
Great Western Railway stations,
At FirstGroup, we recognise that
and bring prosperity to our great
this railway truly belongs to the
western region.
region it serves. So we’ve taken an
Learn how we’re Building a Greater West
unprecedented step for any brand
at GWR.com
THE RETURN OF GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY
joules.com
Beach. Sea. W a v e S . P l a y. for the best of times
clothing for women, men & children