Cornwall

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Discussion

Otispunkmeyer

Original Poster:

12,580 posts

155 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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I was a lucky bugger when younger and only really seemed to have been taken on holidays abroad. Mostly to the US. Of course, going all over the US is great but it means I've never really seen much of the UK. Bad really considering the size of the place.

I've just spent a long weekend camping in Polzeath and while camping in a bin-bag shaped tent isn't really my thing, that part of the UK certainly is. Just love it down there. The beaches are gorgeous and I could literally spend every day, suiting up, grabbing a board of some kind and heading to the waves. Even when the weather is crap, its still a good place to be. Its the only place I've been where I get that feeling of contentedness and its only 5 hours drive away!

Also hit up Bude and Woolacomb, both also have great beaches although the towns are looking a bit ropey in that pebble-dashed 70's way.

I can't wait to go again! Not many places I can say that about (Germany is another).


surveyor

17,811 posts

184 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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30 Years ago it was lovely. I'm not so impressed anymore, mainly as it's all dummed down for the tourists.

A few years ago we went to a pub that we had been to previously and always had lovely food. menu was chicken and chips etc. I asked what gives... What gave was the nice food was outsold by the crap food during the holidays.

That and a few other bits and pieces mean I've not been back to Cornwall apart from for work since. I am tempted though - my Grandparents retired near St Mawes and we spent many a summer down there - would like to show my daughter my Gran's bench on coastguard point and so on...

GTIAlex

1,935 posts

166 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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Love cornwall, can't wait to get down there in a few weeks clogging up the roads with my vw camper.

pinchmeimdreamin

9,922 posts

218 months

Wednesday 8th July 2015
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Get the right weather and there is no reason to need to go Abroad.. We love Cornwall


pete a

3,799 posts

184 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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pinchmeimdreamin said:
Get the right weather and there is no reason to need to go Abroad.. We love Cornwall

Is that at Whitesands bay?

pinchmeimdreamin

9,922 posts

218 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
quotequote all
pete a said:
pinchmeimdreamin said:
Get the right weather and there is no reason to need to go Abroad.. We love Cornwall

Is that at Whitesands bay?
Yes a gorgeous lodge we found right on the cliff.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

284 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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Just take the wife to the telegraph museum, she will love it.


I just avoid St Ives, the rest is superb.

menguin

3,764 posts

221 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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pinchmeimdreamin said:
Yes a gorgeous lodge we found right on the cliff.
Amazing. My grandfather built a lodge on that cliff of which I have very fond memories. Still there - but sadly passed out of family ownership. One day I'll buy it back. Did you see the old ship's boiler on the beach? You have to walk quite far from the little cafe with the sea on your right.

Otispunkmeyer

Original Poster:

12,580 posts

155 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
quotequote all
Paddy_N_Murphy said:
pinchmeimdreamin said:
Get the right weather and there is no reason to need to go Abroad..
This ^^

But that also applies for so many places in the UK.
It's the weather that borks it.

Like now for example (ok up North Yorkshire) its July 8th. Grey and pissing it down. It is actually depressing.


I have wonderful childhood memories of Cornwall. I would love to relive them with my daughter.
Its a long way to go, which is fine.


Unless the weather is grim.
Get in the sea man! Then the weather doesn't matter. So long as its not also pounding you into the sand with ridiculous waves.

Otispunkmeyer

Original Poster:

12,580 posts

155 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
quotequote all
pinchmeimdreamin said:
Get the right weather and there is no reason to need to go Abroad.. We love Cornwall

That looks absolutely fantastic

Bluebarge

4,519 posts

178 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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Pembrokeshire has very similar beaches/scenery/surfing opportunities, but tends to be less crowded. Try around St.Davids(Whitesands bay for surfing) or (pretty but not good for surfing) Newport Pembs/the Parrog. Might be closer to you as well.

e21Mark

16,205 posts

173 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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I live here in Cornwall and consider myself to be extremely fortunate. (I also sell some of the best traditional ice cream but I don't want to be accused of shameless self promotion) There are lots of gorgeous beaches, places to see and you don't need to pay a penny. The people are friendly and drop into Philps' in Hayle and you can get some of the best pasties there are.

Once you've had a pastie, head from Hayle to St Ives and take the B3306 for a hoon. Mind you, in peak season just after sunrise is best and I often take my M3.

http://www.greatestdrivingroads.com/great_roads/B3...

There are lots of local fairs and shows coming up too.

https://vimeo.com/127497598

Dog Star

16,129 posts

168 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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This thread has made me think - I've not been to Devon or Cornwall since 1982 as a kid now - we used to go every year. Sometimes amazing weather (we were there in summer '76) and sometimes awful.

What really did it was going with another family in '82 caravanning. It was some of the worst weather I've ever known - it poured down (proper stair-rods type rain) and blew a gale for two whole weeks non-stop. After the first week our friends gave up and went home. Terrible holiday.

We never went back. Spain and sun instead.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

284 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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I have been holidaying in Cornwall for more years than I care to remember and two years stick out as damp squibs. Otherwise we have usually been lucky., and we are down there all times of the year. Went to Spain once, didn't like it wink

surveyor

17,811 posts

184 months

Thursday 9th July 2015
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Dog Star said:
This thread has made me think - I've not been to Devon or Cornwall since 1982 as a kid now - we used to go every year. Sometimes amazing weather (we were there in summer '76) and sometimes awful.

What really did it was going with another family in '82 caravanning. It was some of the worst weather I've ever known - it poured down (proper stair-rods type rain) and blew a gale for two whole weeks non-stop. After the first week our friends gave up and went home. Terrible holiday.

We never went back. Spain and sun instead.
I think I remember that year, and the following 3 where it did the same on us.....

SimonTheSailor

12,576 posts

228 months

Friday 10th July 2015
quotequote all
Went back a couple of years ago to a place we use to have all our family holidays, hadn't seen it for 35 years.

A friend told me not to as he went back to Brixham and it was nothing like he remembered it as it had become so much more commercialised.

Fortunately due to the geography of the place and the only road in is also the only road out it hadn't changed a bit. One pub, one grocery store, one butchers, one post office, etc,.

A beautiful cornish fishing village with a small harbour on one side with a pier to go fishing from and a great beach on the other. It was always very safe for kids and I will forever have fond memories of it

Go Portscatho Cornwall !!








e21Mark

16,205 posts

173 months

Friday 10th July 2015
quotequote all
SimonTheSailor said:
Went back a couple of years ago to a place we use to have all our family holidays, hadn't seen it for 35 years.

A friend told me not to as he went back to Brixham and it was nothing like he remembered it as it had become so much more commercialised.

Fortunately due to the geography of the place and the only road in is also the only road out it hadn't changed a bit. One pub, one grocery store, one butchers, one post office, etc,.

A beautiful cornish fishing village with a small harbour on one side with a pier to go fishing from and a great beach on the other. It was always very safe for kids and I will forever have fond memories of it

Go Portscatho Cornwall !!



I used to spend many Summers in Portscatho, from the age of about 18 to 27/28, after a couple of friends in Kent said how their Mum had a granny flat I could rent, to learn to surf in Cornwall. I actually rang my Dad from the phonebox at the top of the village, Gerrans. (No mobiles then) and when my Dad asked where I was, I said 'Oh you won't know it, it's a tiny place called Portscatho''. He then said ''Really? Your Grandmother was born and lived there!''. She had passed when I was 3 and my Grandfather died in the war, so I never knew him. A couple of years ago and 20+ years later, I remembered what my Dad had said, so bought a book on Portscatho from Amazon. On literally the first page I looked at was my Grandparents wedding photo and the Grandfather I had never seen! I went over, the next time we were down in Cornwall, did some more digging and found that in all those Summers I had literally been surrounded by family I never knew I had. I love the place.The sad thing is that over 60% of the village is now holiday lets and come Autumn, the place is in darkness and deserted.

surveyor

17,811 posts

184 months

Friday 10th July 2015
quotequote all
e21Mark said:
SimonTheSailor said:
Went back a couple of years ago to a place we use to have all our family holidays, hadn't seen it for 35 years.

A friend told me not to as he went back to Brixham and it was nothing like he remembered it as it had become so much more commercialised.

Fortunately due to the geography of the place and the only road in is also the only road out it hadn't changed a bit. One pub, one grocery store, one butchers, one post office, etc,.

A beautiful cornish fishing village with a small harbour on one side with a pier to go fishing from and a great beach on the other. It was always very safe for kids and I will forever have fond memories of it

Go Portscatho Cornwall !!



I used to spend many Summers in Portscatho, from the age of about 18 to 27/28, after a couple of friends in Kent said how their Mum had a granny flat I could rent, to learn to surf in Cornwall. I actually rang my Dad from the phonebox at the top of the village, Gerrans. (No mobiles then) and when my Dad asked where I was, I said 'Oh you won't know it, it's a tiny place called Portscatho''. He then said ''Really? Your Grandmother was born and lived there!''. She had passed when I was 3 and my Grandfather died in the war, so I never knew him. A couple of years ago and 20+ years later, I remembered what my Dad had said, so bought a book on Portscatho from Amazon. On literally the first page I looked at was my Grandparents wedding photo and the Grandfather I had never seen! I went over, the next time we were down in Cornwall, did some more digging and found that in all those Summers I had literally been surrounded by family I never knew I had. I love the place.The sad thing is that over 60% of the village is now holiday lets and come Autumn, the place is in darkness and deserted.
Portscatho is where my grandparents lived. Many many happy summers there. Another Portscatho twist of fate - they retired down there from Yorkshire where they lived for 40 years. Before that they were in Nigeria for 12 years. In the village lived my Gran's cousin who they had lost contact with many years ago....

garreth64

663 posts

221 months

Friday 10th July 2015
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I'm going here this time next week and hoping the weather will be good...


garreth64

663 posts

221 months

Friday 10th July 2015
quotequote all
I'm going here this time next week and hoping the weather will be good...