For many years now, we’ve been visiting my aunt in Cornwall in the spring and autumn. My father’s younger sister, she was the last of that generation and delighted in recalling and receiving information about the family. Having moved to Falmouth with my uncle late in life to be near one of her sons and grandchildren, she became Cornish by adoption, especially as her two grand-daughters produced their own children and became a part of life down there. One of the great-grandsons, now aged about eight, has turned out to be a fine chunky lad with a mop of curly blond hair; his ambition is to play rugby for Cornwall. “Lunnun? ‘oo wants to go therr?†they all say.
Having arranged to visit the old lady over Easter and confirming it with a phone call to her a few weeks ago, we had the news at the beginning of the month that she had had a sudden infection and sepsis, and had been taken to hospital. And then, a few days later, the news she had died. At her age of 97 none of this was surprising, but still it was a shock, a shock that seemed to grow bigger as time wore on. In her last years she had lived on her own, though house-bound, with help from carers, and remained mentally sharp until the end. She was Skyping her great-grandchildren from hospital the night before she died.
So we went down there for Easter anyway, having booked the hotel, determined to make the most out of what was probably the last time. It’s not that we disliked the biannual trips – far from it – it’s just that there are so many other calls on our time, and if we go on holiday in the UK in the future we’ll want to see some new places. And I’ve been there many, many times. Often with my parents as a child, once or twice subsequently as an adult, before my aunt moved there, and then lots of times since.
And what a weekend we had. It seemed very odd not to visit my aunt, but we had a little more time for ourselves. We had planned to show my stepson and his partner (new to this part of Cornwall) some of our favourite places. On Saturday the weather was warm in the sun and out of the wind – and there was lots of sunshine. Is there any lovelier setting for a church than St Just-in-Roseland? With steep hills on three sides the little church is surrounded by tall palms and rhododendrons and lilies in flower, just feet from the edge of the creek. Then on to St Mawes for a cracking lunch, a wander about and the boat back to Falmouth at the end of the afternoon.
On Sunday St Michael’s Mount was over-run by tourists, but somehow we didn’t really notice them. We timed our arrival so that Stepson and Other could wade across the causeway as the tide ebbed, while we oldies took the boat. After another tasty lunch we tackled the castle. With the small rooms, it always strikes me how intimate it is. As we took in the views it confirmed to me that this was one of the best days out ever.
But it’s the end of an era. Somewhere, a book has closed.
We have a swift return in a few days’ time for the funeral – by plane, there and back in a day. I can’t face all that driving again so soon, and the journey back yesterday was diabolical.
And that will be it.
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Even if you never cross the Tamar again, you will still have your happy memories of Cornwall FP. I envy Emmets in a way, whenever 'escape to the country' features Cornwall, I always say to the ole woman we must go there one day :) was it GBS who said "Tis better to travel than arrive".
One can adopt Cornwall, or be adopted by it, but never be Cornish in the true sense of course.
We have lived here 20 years now, amazing when I come to think about it, whether I/we die here 'remains' to be seen as I'm always checking out Rightmove, plus properties in Spain and Cyprus. I've done the sun thing though, one can tire of blue sky and blinding sunshine day after day after day.
Good to hear your aunt reached the grand old age of 97 and I'm sorry for your loss but, there is a time for living and a time for dying so lets hope and pray that we have plenty of time left yet :)
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Sorry to hear that FP, but don't rule out Cornwall for the future.
As Dog says you have so many happy memories but it seems they are just one part of Cornwall, so try getting an OS map and explore the North coast, the lands End Peninsula and the SE Cornish coast.
All are different in their own way but just as enchanting as the Roseland Peninsular.
Pat
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I went to Cornwall, i don't remember where, seemed like forever to get there, it was really busy and expensive. A pleasant enough holiday but not anywhere I'd rush back to.
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I always think that Somerset and Devon are far more attractive than Cornwall especially inland. People seem to rush through them to get to trendy Cornwall. It's as bit like the Borders in Scotland, another area worth lingering in.
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As part of my recuperation programme several years ago I backpacked the SWCP. I hadn't visited that part of the world since I was a child, travelling down overnight from Bradford with my best friends family in their Hillman Avenger. From Weston not so Super Mare all the way round to Poole. Not all at once though.
I loved walking by the sea, and dome days if there was a sea fret and no viz, I would catch a bus back the following day and walk it again.
I'd return in a heartbeat, although the touristy bits were a shock to the system. Too many fabulous parts to have a favourite... although Croyde was one of the low spots, rammed with loud gobby young tourists.
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Had one of the best weeks of my life in Cornwall as a 19 year old with a girl that later became my first wife.
Fond memories, which you clearly have as well FP. Thoughts are with you and yours!
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LL, I think we see what you see!
I so wish I could walk like you do, but we do what I can manage and spend most of our holidays in Cornwall completely aware from the tourist areas with the aid of OS maps and early morning sun rises.
It really is beautiful to be alone with the see and nature at daybreak.
But we also do that in the Fen in the summer when we go out on Bertha (GS1400) at daybreak and enjoy the empty roads, have some fun and find an early breakfast somewhere.
Pat
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I've been running down to Cornwall for the last couple of weeks, delivering fertiliser to farms.Very nice part of the world, main roads are half-decent too, but i wouldn't fancy it in the height of holiday season; the Gower is bad enough!
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I've seen some great sunrises and sunsets over the years - sunsets over the ocean from our terrace in Los Cristianos and sun rises over the sea from our property in Gorran Haven. They still something for me, even now.
This would be one of my favourites though - looking down from above the clouds [on top of the world ma]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J82l4k-qr_4#t=409.323431
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We lost a neighbour on Teide, Doggo. He is commemorated on the memorial in the local necropolis here, next to that of his fiancee.
Together in death, eh RIP Bobby Jones.
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>>We lost a neighbour on Teide, Doggo. He is commemorated on the memorial in the local necropolis here, next to that of his fiancee.
Erm, sorry ... did he actually die on Teide Teddy?
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>> Erm, sorry ... did he actually die on Teide Teddy?
>>
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan-Air_Flight_1008
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=>://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan-Air_Flight_1008
Jesus! .. say n'more guvnor :(
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>>was it GBS who said "Tis better to travel than arrive".
It was Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote in El Dorado, "To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour."
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Shaw probably nicked it orf RLS :o
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Many thanks for the supportive posts.
I should make it clear I have nothing against Cornwall; quite the contrary – I love the place. It has a somewhat other-worldly feel to it, a great sense of atmosphere. And there are the contrasts: the ruggedness of the northern coast, particularly as you approach Land’s End on the road from St Ives, where artists years ago discovered the quality of the light; the softness of the southern wooded valleys, with their subtropical gardens – wonderful gardens, like nowhere else in the UK. The beaches, overpopulated most of the time, of course; the quaint towns and villages; the austerity of the moors – Bodmin in particular, with its brooding quality that Daphne du Maurier knew so well; the harbours; the little creeks, and so the list goes on.
As boy and man I’ve visited Tintagel on the north coast; stayed at Crantock, near Newquay; and stayed near Padstow (more recently nicknamed “Padsteinâ€, after a certain celebrity chef); visited most of the coastal towns and villages from there all the way round the toe and heel of the peninsula to Fowey; many times – too many to remember – I’ve stayed in Cadgwith (still a little working fishing village after all these years) on the Lizard. I’ve stayed in Falmouth over a dozen times. I know most of inland Cornwall from Truro westward and I love it all.
In my previous post my point was that my aunt’s death, closing one of life’s chapters as it does, is a point at which to move on. Other parts of the UK – some unknown to me, some not visited for many years – now beckon. I have little reason to return to Cornwall except to tread again paths I know well, pleasant though that would be, and I’m fortunate that my latest visit was so memorable.
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I've only been to Cornwall once, that was when I was six, on a coach trip. In those days (early Sixties) all there was at Lands End was an old stone Cottage, with the words "The first and last house in England" scrawled across it's roof in white paint, and the multi-fingered sign-post.
When I see it on telly now, I can't believe how Commercialised it has become, Sad really! ;-(.
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>>the austerity of the moors - Bodmin in particular, with its brooding quality that Daphne du Maurier knew so well
Have you ever visited : www.achurchnearyou.com/temple-st-catherine/ I'm 'into' the Templars BTW.
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I was an Emmet - Dog
