Poppies and Polly Joke

We took a stroll the other day on the north coast. We don't know this coast as well as the gentle south, with its heavily wooden estuaries and calm inlets. The north of Cornwall is by contrast all about high cliffs, wide sandy beaches and big waves. We followed a quiet footpath and soon found ourselves with this incredible view over the hedge. 

Poppies as far as the eye could see!

It's rare to see fields of poppies these days, and I could hardly believe my eyes. 

Up close they were bright and vibrant, showing off amongst other wild flowers. 

If that wasn't enough, we then came to the most beautiful cove called Polly Joke. It's not well known so there weren't many people around. 

We climbed down to the beach, and set up under these beautiful cliffs studded with lichen.

We spent a few hours here, but the tide was on the turn and you could see that soon the narrow bay would be under water so we headed back. 

The youngest dude caught a ride on the boogie board!

A great day well spent, with a sprinkle of serendipity about it. 

Here's a lovely video I found of this spot with skylarks singing - 

Traditional celebrations

One of the things that I love about living in Cornwall (as a former townie), is that people here aren't afraid to embrace the traditional. I've been delighted to hear my daughter singing old songs in Cornish that she learnt at school, and ones about miners going away to America. 

The other day I was invited to go along to a summer party near the Helford river. 

It was a beautiful day, and there were glimpses of the other side of the river. 

Finding the event was a bit tricky, it was somewhere down a lane.....

Soon we came upon some signs, this one reads 'It was a beautiful afternoon with fleeting clouds and a clear blue sky'

Nearly there!

That led to a field with straw bales and bunting, it looked so lovely and yet so simple.

The children from the local school had dressed up and were taking part in Cornish dancing, which was great fun to watch.

There were old fashioned games to raise money for the school, including a coconut shy.

The prettiest lemonade stand.

And of course a traditional cream tea (scone with jam and clotted cream on top), so we lowered ourselves in.

 Well, nothing for it but to sit back and enjoy!

Super skies

The Red Arrows came to town....

....and boy were they good!

Considering these photos were taken on a simple Nokia phone, it just goes to show how amazing they were on the day.

 We watched from the shore in Falmouth, but I bet the view from the boats was amazing.

Wait for it....

Not finished yet...

Isn't that great?

Summer froth

The hedgerows and lanes are so frothy at the moment, with tons of cow parsley and lots of beautiful pink and purple flowers. Everything is growing as though it's on steroids, and this ancient signpost is in danger of being swamped completely!

Last hurrah

I thought I'd share a picture of these beauties, there is a whole field of sunflowers nearby that just shouts 'summer' and looked fantastic in the early evening sunlight. You can definitely feel a nip in the air, especially in the mornings but just when I start thinking about packing away my summer clothes the afternoon brings bright sunshine and warmth.

September is traditionally the month when Cornwall relaxes, the visitors head home and as soon as school starts you can almost guarantee the weather will be dry and sunny! This is when I really appreciate just how lucky we are to live here, as we're able to head for the beach after school and enjoy having lots of space without tripping over someone else's bucket and spade.

This summer has been a real knock-out, the first proper one since we moved here over four years ago. I know it's what will keep me going in the winter when the mizzle descends. Until then I just want to enjoy its last hurrah for as long as possible!

Exhilarating

There's no other way to describe it - the 'whoo hoo' feeling you get from being immersed in the sea. Waves crashing about you, salty mouth, stingy eyes and sunlight sparkling everywhere. We're heading to the north coast, every chance we get to swim and boogie board. The waves here are much bigger than the gentler south coast of Cornwall, hence the need for Lifeguards on the beaches. 

Chapel Porth, near St Agnes is a favourite destination. You drop down into a steep winding valley, with sides marked by industrial spoil. Old engine houses stand out from the cliffs and at the bottom is the start of a beautiful wide sandy beach. 

Rockpools and pirate caves abound, and when we visited recently there were dozens of small purple jellyfish washed up, luckily non-stingers. 

Chapel Porth is also home to the World Belly Boarding Championships. I think anyone can enter and there are even categories for Best Swim Cap and Best Costume, so I could be in with a chance!

Lazy days

Wow! Aren't we lucky with this beautiful sunny weather. I just keep pinching myself when I wake up to yet another day of cloudless skies and light breeze.

I think Cornwall has more than its fair share of rain or 'mizzle', so I'm very grateful for a chance to enjoy the best this special place has to offer.

If you're visiting the far west of Cornwall, then I recommend a visit to the beaches near Sennen and this little gem, Porthgwarra.

A rock arch cut into the cliff leads the way. Apparently it was dug by tin miners from the nearby village  to give farmers access to the beach with their horse and carts. They would come down to collect seaweed to use as fertiliser on their crops.

Today, it's the perfect place to relax and let your thoughts drift away.

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside....

Now, I don't want to make you jealous or anything *cough* but the weather is forecast to be gloriously sunny and warm for the next week down here in Cornwall. As this is quite a rarity I am going to try to eek out every last ray of sunshine and get my shoes well and truly sandy. 

We'll be dipping our toes in the water....

Exploring what the sea has washed up.....

And collecting all manner of interesting finds (alive and dead!)

Hope you get to enjoy the sun wherever you are too.

Hidden Gem

Sometimes you discover a place that is so fab, that you immediately want to rush out and tell everyone about it. Then you stop, and wonder whether that will spoil its very special 'hidden gem' quality.

Well, I'll let you in on the secret......

There is a beautiful garden tucked away in the south west corner of Cornwall that if you are lucky enough to stumble upon will make you feel as though it's your very own.

Potager Garden and Glasshouse Cafe is a firm favourite with our family and we often hold birthday parties here come rain or shine. The garden was rescued from an overgrown nursery and lovingly brought back to vim and vigour, it features soft drifts of flowers, natural pathways, games of boule and badminton.

The Glasshouse Cafe is run by a lovely couple called Arwen and Tanya who use the freshest produce straight from the garden itself. We treated ourselves to a delicious tagine, decorated with colourful flowers. 

We left with full tummies and smiles, the perfect antidote to stress.

Summer fair

Today the sun shone and we all headed off to a traditional country fair in Mawgan. The fair is part of Feast Week, where everyday for a week this small Cornish community pulls out all the stops and puts on a variety of different events and entertainments. 

There was a bouncy castle, face painting, hook a duck, coconut shy, hoopla and the slightly bizarre 'bowl for a chicken' which was hotly contested by some local professionals. We had a go on most things, strolled around the car boot sale, bought a raffle ticket (and won a book on the local 'Pirates' rugby team), ate pasties and devoured cream teas. I even got to ride a beautiful Shire horse.

We got our beloved Morris Minor car into the vintage section, it's there on the left next to the rather stylish Lee Francis.

Finally, the day was made complete with a tub of famous Roskilly's ice cream - delicious!