Holiday Highlife 2019/2020 Edition 3

2019/20 EDITION

Holiday Highlife L U X U RY H O L I DAY L I F E

WIN A

luxury VIP HOLIDAY

Off the

Beaten Track

WORTH OVER £1800 see page 3

Capturing Cornwall Guided photography walks in Padstow

Cool Off In Cornwall Our collection of beautiful holiday homes with swimming pools

Our 2019 Charity Proud to support Cornwall Air Ambulance

A Gem for all Seasons Luxury houses with year-round appeal

Mariella Frostrup Reviews a Cornish Gem

CONTENTS 3

WIN a luxury holiday to Cornwall

GEMS CORNWALL

GEMS CHARITY 4

Our Charity of the Year

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Q&A with Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust

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Trekfest

Supporting the work of Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust We spend time with paramedic Thomas Hennessy-Jones

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Capturing Cornwall

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Inspiring Retreats

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Off the beaten track

The Gems team hike for charity

Introduction to The Cornish Gems Collections

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Room with a View

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Cool off in Cornwall

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Dogs Welcome

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Apartment Highlife

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Small is Beautiful

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A Gem for all Seasons

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Cornish Cribs

Tailor-made luxury breaks

Our secret suggestions for the roads less travelled

GEMS PEOPLE

GEMS COLLECTIONS 9

Guided photography walks with Kate Whiston

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Leading the way in luxury holidays

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Hannah’s Home

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The Conscious Traveller

Wake up to a Cornish view

Dive into our collection of Gems with pools

Delivering a first class holiday letting service

Our customer service manager Hannah creates the look

Go Green! with our range of enviro-friendly products

GEMS HOMES

Find out why Cornwall is the UK’s most dog friendly county

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Interiors Inspiration

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A Gems Journey - Seaclusion

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A Gems Journey - The Haven

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Gem in the Spotlight - Rosilian Hall

Hawkes Point - luxury apartments in Carbis Bay Luxury holiday spaces for up to four guests Spectacular homes with year-round appeal

Our exclusive collection of seriously special private houses

Inspiring spaces for your Cornwall holiday

Creating a rural idyll

A Cornish Gems refresh: Before and After

Mariella Frostrup shares her Cornish Gems experience

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WIN A

luxury VIP HOLIDAY WORTH OVER £1800 see page 3

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Holiday Highlife, published by Cornish Gems Ltd, Carne House, Truro, TR4 9LD Cornish Gems Holiday Highlife, Edition 3 Editor: Philippa Snell Copywriter: Jen Morgan Photography credits: Elliott White Photography Designer: Paul Sutton Front Cover property featured: The Haven © Cornish Gems Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.

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Sign up to our newsletter and keep in touch with our very latest news from the Cornish coast.

Email: enquiries@cornishgems.com Tel: 01872 241 241 Website: www.cornishgems.com

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CORNISH GEMS

Living the holiday highlife in Cornwall

The joy of missing out, or JOMO, is fast becoming a much sort after tonic. In a digitally-dominated world, we often long to switch off our mobile devices and become more hands-on, to have new experiences and to learn new skills whilst on holiday.

In this edition of Holiday Highlife, we celebrate a new wave of sight-doing rather than sight-seeing and champion those off the beaten track days, inspiring new experiences in the county and the joy of simply spending time in the natural playground of Cornwall, however you like to holiday.

Our luxury portfolio continues to showcase the finest private homes located from coast to coast. New for 2019 we have welcomed several collections including Hawkes Point apartments in Carbis Bay and some wonderful houses with swimming pools.

We do hope you enjoy our latest edition of Holiday Highlife

packed with holiday inspiration from our Cornish Gems team, roll up a copy and pop it in your bag.

Co-Managing Directors, Julianne Shelton and Nadia Macer-Wright

SHARE YOUR HOLIDAY HIGHLIFE

We love to hear about your time in Cornwall and your time spent in our luxury properties. Share your experiences, photographs and reviews with us on Facebook, Instagram and Google. @cornish.gems @cornishgemsholidays @Cornish_Gems Cornish Gems

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BLOG

Our Cornish travel blog is packed with all things Cornwall and we look forward to sharing our top tips and holiday ideas throughout the year. Find Gems Journal on our website cornishgems.com to read about things like our top 10 dogfriendly beaches, best ideas to create your dream holiday and so much more.

WIN a luxury VIP break at The Beach Barn, Newquay worth over ÂŁ1800 Enter our exclusive competition and one lucky winner will enjoy a luxury holiday on the north Cornish coast for up to 8 guests.

Stay for 3 nights and enjoy VIP treatment with a luxury hamper packed with Cornish fare and a bubbling hot tub.

Located just moments from the golden sands and rolling surf of Lusty Glaze and Porth beaches, The Beach Barn has been flawlessly created for luxury holidays amidst the natural beauty of north Cornwall. The house has been architect designed and presents a wonderful open plan layout just perfect for holiday life.

Choose from four en-suite luxury bedrooms, relax within the generous social spaces and enjoy the luxury of the location as you step from your holiday door to sandy shore in moments.

To enter this competition visit www.cornishgems.com/win/holidayhighlife Closing date: 30 April 2020

Good luck!

Terms and conditions apply, visit cornishgems.com for details

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Gems| Charity

Our Charity OF THE YEAR PROUD TO SUPPORT CORNWALL AIR AMBULANCE Throughout 2019, Gems will be raising funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance and its New Heli Appeal which aims to raise ÂŁ2.5 million by 2020 towards a faster and bigger helicopter to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

We are fortunate that we are based in such a beautiful county, surrounded by a stunning coastline including miles of sandy beaches.

Whether local or visitor, young or old: for the half a million people who call Cornwall home, as well as the millions who visit the county throughout the year, Cornwall Air Ambulance is a reassuring presence.

The charity, which is Cornwall’s only helicopter emergency medical service, flies more than 800 lifesaving missions each year and is a lifeline for residents and visitors alike.

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Gems| Charity

Saving more time, saving more lives

When you are seriously sick or injured, minutes matter and Cornwall Air Ambulance need all of our help to raise £2.5 million to bring a faster and bigger air ambulance helicopter to Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by 1 April 2020.

We encourage our Cornish Gems guests to support this life-saving charity alongside us, by donating £2, £5, £10 or £25 when making a reservation through our website.

We do hope that this is a cause that you will choose to support with us! You can read more about the work of Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust and donate to their appeal on their website www.cornwallairambulancetrust.org.

@cornwallairamb @cornwallairamb @cornwallairamb Holiday Highlife

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Gems| Charity

with Thomas From a car accident that sparked his interest in the medical service, to flying through the clouds- Critical Care Paramedic Thomas Hennessy Jones explains his journey to Cornwall Air Ambulance.

“I grew up in Ireland, the school I went to was on the route to the hospital so I used to see ambulances speeding past and I thought it looked pretty exciting. When I was 14 years old I was involved in a car accident with my mother and younger sister, we came round a bend quickly and crashed into a JCB digger that was in the middle of the road.

My mother was knocked unconscious, I pulled my sister out of the car and threw her into a ditch, as I was worried that another car might come around the bend and smash into us. The ambulance service arrived, along with police and fire- it was a full-scale rescue.

So my first real experience was lying in the back of an ambulance with the blue lights on. That was my first major interest.”

After getting a taste of major emergencies, Thomas realised he wanted to be on the frontline, directly involved with helping patients.

He joined the service as a student paramedic, and began his three-year training programme.

After gaining experience on the ground in London, and with the East of England Hazardous Response Team, Thomas combined his love of flying and paramedicine when he took up the opportunity of becoming a HEMS paramedic at Essex and Herts Air Ambulance in 2016. Fully trained as a Critical Care Paramedic, Thomas then joined Cornwall Air Ambulance last year.

Since working in Cornwall, he’s responded to calls ranging from road traffic accidents to cardiac arrests and everything in between. During one memorable mission he was winched 200ft from a coast path into the Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter with an injured patient.

It’s hard to describe a typical day- even though there’s set routines you can’t predict the emergency call coming in. The reality is you could be dealing with a very sick child, a cardiac arrest or strokes, to drownings and people that fall on cliff paths. It’s just so varied.

But we’re always ready to go, the helicopter will normally lift within three minutes of a call.

Within the year Thomas joined the Irish Red Cross as a cadet providing first aid cover at events, before moving to London to work as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher in the control room for London Ambulance Service.

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There are times when I look out the window when we’re flying along and I’ll smile to myself because I just think this is amazing. You are in a moment’s notice going to the most serious call, to the sickest person in the county and the one’s they’re asking to help is you. You’re going into someone’s home, you’re walking into their lives at the worst time, sometimes you can’t make a difference, but you’ve tried and that’s a huge responsibility. That’s a really privileged position.”

Gems| Charity

There are times when I look out the window when we’re flying along and I’ll smile to myself because I just think this is amazing.

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When Cornwall Air Ambulance, our Gems Charity for 2019, announced their New Heli Appeal fundraising ideas, our team jumped at the chance to dust off their walking boots and sign up to trek 25km or 50km across Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons in July 2019 to raise funds and awareness of the vital charity which flies more than 800 lifesaving missions each year and is a lifeline for residents and visitors alike.

The training has already begun as the team stride along the stunning Cornish coast paths each weekend.

Pen Y Fan presents some challenging terrain uphills and down dales so what better training ground than the high cliffs of Cornwall.

Philippa Snell, head of sales and marketing at Cornish Gems, said: “We value the amazing work of Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust keeping us and visitors safe so as well as asking guests to donate to the charity our team are thrilled to get involved in events and challenges throughout the year such as Trekfest�.

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Gems Heli Appeal Trek For Charity

Gems| Collections

T HE CORNI SH GE MS COL LE CTIONS We have made it even easier to find your dream holiday home in Cornwall.

Browse our unique property collections including On the Beach and Country Collection... your holiday to Cornwall starts here.

We know a thing or two about luxury holidays in Cornwall and are rather proud of our portfolio of over 180 hand-picked houses, cottages and apartments. From spectacular sea views with superb beach access to Gems that welcome dogs, read on to find out more about our collections.

COOL POOLS

ROOM WITH A VIEW

DOG FRIENDLY

SHORT BREAKS

APARTMENT HIGHLIFE

CORNISH CRIBS

To view all of our collections, visit cornishgems.com Holiday Highlife

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The Chalet - Carbis Bay

A ROOM WITH A VIEW

A luxurious private house, apartment or cottage with both desirable decor and immaculate amenities for your holiday is hard to beat, but when it also boasts a spectacular view, the space becomes truly unforgettable.

From St Ives’ iconic harbour to the maritime appeal of Fowey, here are just some of our favourite views from our Cornish Gems which will take your breath away‌

Countryside and seascapes - wake up to your Cornish view

Sandsifters Retreat - Carbis Bay

Sea Chimes - Newquay

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Ocean Cliffs - Porthtowan

Admiral House - Fowey

Barretts Zawn - Port Isaac

Gems| Collections

Cool off in Cornwall Our collection of beautiful holiday homes with swimming pools is not to be missed.

For many, the luxury of a sparkling blue pool all for you is the ultimate tick in the box when it comes to choosing the perfect holiday home.

Flashback to the heatwave of summer 2018 and it’s no surprise that our demand for cool pools and beachside locations was at an all time high.

When the sun shines in Cornwall there can be no better place than the surf and the sand but time spent away from the bustle of the coast, within your own private holiday aqua-oasis, certainly has its appeal.

We adore our Cornish Gems that offer pools: dive right in and find out more below. To view the full collection visit our website.

Belvedere House, Charlestown A glorious modern mansion with all the whistles and bells you could wish for. This versatile home offers year-round appeal with a large indoor swimming pool, gym and spacious living areas.

Headlands

Lantic Barn, Fowey A luxury stone barn conversion with all the coastal appeal you could want. Check-in with friends and family and create a very Cornish holiday exploring St Austell Bay, The Roseland Peninsula and The Eden Project, to name but a few. Kids will embrace the freedom of their own pool enjoying a dip before breakfast and laps before supper, your only challenge will be extracting them when it’s time for bed.

Herodshead Meva Seas, Mevagissey Offering not only a refreshing plunge pool right on the clifftops but a bubbling hot tub too, Meva Seas is fast becoming a favourite Gem. Think smart contemporary interiors, the very best furnishings and a fantastic panoramic sea view.

Meva Seas

Lantic Barn

Belvedere House

Headlands, Charlestown For the ultimate family holiday beside-the-sea, Headlands comes highly recommended. No need to cherry-pick your guest list, with 5 bedrooms there is room for the whole family. A wonderful terrace extends the social space with relaxed seating and dining options. Soak up the sun on Porthpean beach just moments away and return to the luxury of your private the pool on the lower terrace to cool off.

Herodshead, Looe Valley Herodshead is one of our team’s favourite Gems and is certainly a hit with our guests who adore the privacy, luxury and rural backdrop to this unique home. From milestone weekend celebrations to extended summer stays this really is a year-round destination. The pool is housed in a separate barn with vaulted ceiling and glass sliding doors to a terrace dotted with sun-loungers.

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H AV E Y O U DISCOVERED FOWEY? Marking the end of the River Fowey, this harbour town is an idyllic cosmopolitan holiday destination on the south coast.

Whether it is home from home or it’s your first visit, Fowey is set to impress. Influenced by its vibrant maritime community, the picture perfect streets combine traditional chandleries and yacht clubs with chic cafes, stylish restaurants and artisan shops. A number of coastal and woodland walks lead up and over the headland for jackpot views of the harbour or explore inland amidst the inlets and creeks. Visit the nearby Cornish hot-spots of Lostwithiel, The Eden Project, Polperro and the stunning Roseland Peninsula.

From nautical chic to riverside elegance, our stunning portfolio of Cornish Gems in Fowey has so much to offer including hot tubs, swimming pools and superb locations moments from the harbour. We invite you to experience fabulous Fowey for your next visit to Cornwall.

To view our Fowey portfolio, visit www.cornishgems.com 12

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Gems| Collections

Dogs Welcome Find out why Cornwall is the UK’s most dog friendly county

Mill Cottage - Mullion

Beachside, Holywell Bay

We are a nation of pet lovers and with over 8 million dog owners in the country, it is no surprise that the Cornish playground of sea and sand is number 1 when it comes to choosing a dog-friendly holiday: •Over 200 dog-friendly beaches •A portfolio of over 90 luxury Gems •A choice of paw-friendly cafes, bars and restaurants •Top attractions including The Eden Project & Gweek Seal Sanctuary •300 miles of South West Coast Paths to explore Dogs are very welcome at over 90 of our luxury homes. Dog friendly features include spacious enclosed gardens, slated boot rooms, luxury interiors and even homemade dog treats. Visit our website and read our Gems Journal for holiday inspiration and map out your days with your four-legged friend.

We’d love to meet your holiday hounds, share your photos with us

#gemsd ogs Little Polkerris, Fowey

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LIVE THE HOLIDAY HIGHLIFE AT

Hawkes Point A collection of luxury apartments minutes from Carbis Bay beach Book a swish coastal apartment and live your very best holiday highlife at Hawkes Point. We are delighted to present 15 luxury apartments and penthouses each offering a bespoke interior style from cool Scandinavian to romantic French antique.

Sleeping from 2 to 6 guests, these apartments are centred around your holiday needs offering the finest furnishings and linens, spectacular sea views and a wonderful location just a minute from the white sands of award winning Carbis Bay beach and a five minute drive (or train ride) from St Ives.

FLIGHT

HORIZON

SUN UP

CARBIS BAY BEACH

To view the full collection of apartments visit www.cornishgems.com 14

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YELLOW SUNS

Gems| Collections

Beautiful Small is

We adore our smaller Gems!

Inspiring interiors, thoughtful layouts and wonderful locations combine to create luxury holiday spaces for up to four guests to fall in love with.

Hunters Moon, Charlestown In a world of bigger, faster and louder, nothing beats the Cornish landscape, culture and relaxed pace to ease the stress and pressure of daily life. Pair Cornwall’s coastal appeal with a luxury home away from home (or better!) and you have the perfect recipe for a short break.

Heather Cove, St Agnes

Whether you are a couple seeking a romantic setting or an adventurous family ready to pack up and go when the weekend comes round, view our Boutique for Two collection and Gems made-for-four and escape to Cornwall for a rejuvenating short break.

Little Spring, Padstow

Chasing Waves, Newquay

Ferry Cottage, Marazion

Our Boutique for Two Gems offer short breaks throughout the year and many of our smaller Gems offer short breaks from September to June.

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A GEM

FOR ALL SEASONS Discover our portfolio of spectacular homes as perfect for winter weekends as for week-long summer stays. Wrap up and step out along the coastal paths, hunker down beside a roaring fire and treat your family to a healthy dose of Cornish vitamin sea.

Elynglas, near Holywell Bay, north Cornwall truly is an inspiration: from the impressive interior design and spacious walled garden to the bubbling hot tub and proximity to the coast, this wonderful home really is somewhere very special to spend time with friends and family. Six beautiful bedrooms offer luxury accommodation for up to 12 guests and generous living spaces ensure room for the whole family. We invite you all to experience the magic of Elynglas, a Gem for all seasons.

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Gems| Collections

Elynglas, Cubert

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The Haven, Carbis Bay

Cornish Cribs

An exclusive collection of seriously-special private houses, sleeping from eight to 20 guests, located throughout Cornwall.

Think jaw-dropping interiors, stunning settings and all the luxury extras you could wish for, including clifftop hot tubs and private swimming pools.

But these private houses are not just for the ‘high holidays’: with yearround appeal, book a Cornish Crib for celebrations, weekends away with relatives, time-out with girlfriends, a prefestive break or even a business event and enjoy your very best holiday highlife.

The Willows, Fowey

STAYING IN v GOING OUT Feel right at home in Cornwall with us and dip into our directory of Cornish connections ahead of your stay. Ask our team for our top recommendations for private chefs, beauty therapists, yoga and wellbeing experts and even wine aficionados to complement your luxury holiday and help you to celebrate, relax or experience something new. When you’ve checked-in to the house of your dreams, the scene is set for your tailormade holiday.

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THE JOY OF SWITCHING OFF With a passion for fashion, adventure and all things Cornwall, we warmly welcomed Cornish-based blogger Shell and the Littlies, to make herself at home in the beautiful Cornish Gem, Treetops in Porthtowan with her partner, their two children and Shell’s parents. We caught up with Shell to hear about the joy of switching off at Treetops.

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“As we drove up the lane lined with woodlands to Treetops the excitement in the car built, our very own housein-the-trees awaited. We all felt like the kids exploring the beautifully decorated house and at once felt relaxed and ready to enjoy some quality time together after the busy timetable of Christmas and New Year. It was wonderful to arrive to a Cornishinspired hamper packed with food essentials and Cornish treats and we were soon tucking into tea and biscuits.

Gems| Cornwall

Our home is on the edge of the moors in north Cornwall so when the weekend comes round my husband, Grant, and I like to explore more of the county with the children, Rocco (age 5) and Valli (almost 3).

We have stayed with Cornish Gems many times in the past, we find that staying in a self-catering holiday home like Treetops suits us perfectly as there is so much space, no compromise on luxury and we can set our own itinerary without the restrictions of a hotel for example.

As a mum of littlies, I not only look for style and luxury but need to find a house that is child-friendly too. We found Treetops very well equipped with stair gates, corner protectors, highchairs, plug covers etc, all essential items to keep the children safe and to help me relax.

We were thrilled that my parents were able to join us for the weekend and, upon their arrival, Rocco was soon in his element showing Granny around the choice of bedrooms and bathrooms.

Over the weekend we spent most of our time eating in and spending time gathered around the table. The colourful open-plan kitchen was a joy to cook in and I even managed to trial a few new recipes which, much to my satisfaction, led to clear plates all round.

Whilst the weather was chilly, we wrapped up and headed out to nearby Porthtowan beach where Rocco and Valli could burn off some energy. The stunning National Trust beach at Chapel Porth is close by too and a visit there isn’t complete without one of their famous Hedgehog Ice Creams, we had our first Cornish Ice Cream of the year on the 5th January.

It was the perfect start to 2019 and we can’t wait to make more mini-break memories at other Cornish Gems in the future.”

Bursting with style, ideas, family life and more, Shell and the Littlies instagram pages are as refreshing and inspiring as any glossy magazine.

Follow the families adventures as they step out and about in Cornwall.

@shellandthelittlies Holiday Highlife

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Capturing

Cornwall Kate Whiston

Leave the sight-seeing behind and enjoy some sight-doing during your holiday. On a beautiful March morning, Jen from our Gems marketing team joined expert Kate Whiston on a guided photography walk around Padstow, north Cornwall.

Jen, says: “Armed with my faithful Canon camera, the sky and the sea could not have been more blue as I wandered round a peaceful Padstow harbour to meet Kate Whiston, a local photographer with a passion for capturing landscapes.

After a quick evaluation of my camera knowledge (which was patchy to say the least) we were soon adjusting our shutter speeds and tweaking the aperture to ensure our settings were on point to capture the stunning coastal surroundings perfectly.

As we set off from the harbour and along the coast path, Kate explained, “A camera alone cannot make a great photo. Imagination, inspiration and creativity are tools we all have but to take your photography to the next level you need to have an understanding of composition. Leading lines, the rule of thirds, framing, depth of field and contrast are all techniques adopted by the pros and will transform your snap shot to that hero shot worthy of framing.”

Under Kate’s reassuring and encouraging tuition, it wasn’t long before I was crouching in the seagrass, perching on stiles and lining up the winding coast path to master my composition.”

To find out more about Kate’s Guided Photography walks visit her website www.katewhisphotography.co.uk 22 Holiday Highlife

What better way to experience the natural landscape of Cornwall and improve your photography skills during your holiday. Whether you have a DSLR camera or a smart mobile phone, Kate Whiston’s guided photography walks are open to all abilities and will help demystify and simplify the technical elements to your camera helping you to take better photos. Your holiday snaps will never be the same again.

Gems| Cornwall

So much more than just a holiday...

Inspiring

CORNISH GEMS RETREATS

With our finger on the pulse of all things Cornwall, we’ve teamed up with some of the county’s very best experts to create a collection of inspiring retreats tailor-made to complement our luxury homes and locations.

Yoga and Wellness Retreats Following the success of our first yoga break in January, we look forward to warmer seas and sunny skies for our next wellness breaks. The next Yoga and Surfing Break is 27 - 30 September 2019, for more dates and further information visit cornishgems.com.

Delivered by yoga expert Alicia Ray, these yoga and surfing breaks are based near the beach in Cornwall and open to all levels. Alicia will guide you through a weekend of Cornish zen by the sea guaranteed to leave you feeling energised and refreshed. Dine on hearty, healthy food and stay in coastal luxury.

Festive Breaks Whether the extended family and friends fill your guest list or you are looking to host a getaway with your colleagues, our larger luxury homes set the scene for celebrations throughout November, December and January. Arrive to a beautifully dressed home, enjoy the masterclass of a private wine tasting before indulging in a Cornish inspired 4 course dinner.

Stay from just 2 nights and kick off the festivities in style.

To find out more about our Cornish Gems breaks, visit www.cornishgems.com Holiday Highlife 23

Go Off The Beaten Track In Tiny sheltered coves, moorland trails, breathtaking headlands: discover special spots off the beaten track in Cornwall you never knew existed. With our feet firmly planted in the county, put away the guide books for the day and let us help you head out along roads less travelled with our secret suggestions... shhh.

Cornwall

Moorland and Woodland Leave the coast behind and experience the moorlands and woodlands of the county. Tall pine trees flank rushing rivers at Cardinham Woods in Bodmin whilst Tehidy Woods’ 9 miles of paths in west Cornwall, will lead you deep into rural Cornwall. For a bird’s eye view, head to the high-ground of Bodmin Moor and climb the natural granite stacks at The Cheesewring, Roughtor and Cornwall’s highest point, Brown Willy.

Way down in the west Commit your journey to the end of the county and immerse yourself in myth, legend and spectacular natural scenery of the west. Rub shoulders with the locals in the villages of St Just, hear long-ago tales of smuggling and tin-mining at Poldark Mine and hit the coastal paths that lead down craggy rocks to sparkling clear water at Portherras Cove. Dive right into the west coast way of life, far from the madding crowd.

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Gems| Cornwall

Rich Cornish Heritage & Tradition From pasties and cream teas to Cornish folklore and ancient remains, Cornwall is steeped in a rich heritage well worth experiencing. Cornwall Heritage Trust work tirelessly to preserve those hidden treasures of the county including Trevanion Culverhouse and Carn Euny, an Iron Age settlement.

During the warmer months, local communities embrace country fetes and carnivals where a warm welcome is assured.

The Coolest Cafes and Pop-Ups Gone are the days when Cornish cafes served up stale sandwiches with mugs of tea. With Cornwall firmly on the foodie map, today’s artisan eateries tempt you with award winning bread, the freshest of local crab, gourmet salads and barista served Cornish coffee.

Away from the bustle of holiday crowds, stumble across converted horse box pop-ups such as The Hungry Horsebox, serving up fresh cakes and coffee (and the occasional feast night) and Wild Bake pizza served from a converted horse trailer.

Cornish Wonders When you think of Cornwall many of us think of the beautiful beaches, but hit the paths less trodden and you’ll find many stunning landmarks many visitors have yet to discover. A trip to Godrevy will not only spoil you with wonderful views but most of the year you can also spot a colony of seals resting and playing in a nearby cove. St Nectans Glen offers cascading 60ft waterfalls, rare botanicals and trails of woodland to explore or how about a day following in Captain Poldark’s footsteps exploring Cot Valley, a lush subtropical valley leading through tin mines and rugged cliff tops in west Cornwall.

A visit to Cornwall soon becomes a life-long love affair where each visit takes you to another stunning seascape, another iconic landmark, another coast path walk. And for those who are ready to explore beyond the stunning beaches and coastline, you will be rewarded with a quieter Cornwall off the beaten track.

Cornwall Heritage Trust Cornwall Heritage Trust protects some of the most iconic sites in Cornwall and supports many heritage organisations and education projects to help promote a greater understanding of Cornwall’s unique heritage. Membership of Cornwall Heritage Trust starts from just £10 per year and enables members to access English Heritage properties and sites in Cornwall for free, including Tintagel and Pendennis Castle. From ancient burial sites to dramatic viaducts, visit www.cornishheritagetrust.org to plan your holiday days off the beaten track.

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Create your own luxury Cornish Gem If you own or are looking to buy a property that can offer something special, contact our portfolio team and make your dream a reality.

B E AC H A PARTMENTS • COUNTRY H O U SES • COASTAL COTTAG ES • D O G FRI EN D LY

cornishgems.com | 01872 241 241 26 Holiday Highlife

Gems| People

Leading the way in luxury holiday lettings Cornish Gems is an established and award-winning local company specialising in providing luxury self-catering holidays in Cornwall. Since 2007, it has been providing visitors to the UK’s number one tourist destination with superb self-catering accommodation that meets the highest quality, cleanliness and safety standards in iconic and breathtaking locations throughout Cornwall.

Twelve years ago, Julianne Shelton and Nadia Macer-Wright identified a gap in the Cornish tourism market and created a business centred on delivering the highestlevel tourism standards and offering luxury holiday homes appealing to an emerging trend of visitors seeking a home-fromhome (or better) holiday experience.

What Julianne and Nadia didn’t quite appreciate at the time of launching Cornish Gems was that their efforts in realising their dream to create the best hand-picked range of luxury holiday homes in Cornwall would contribute towards raising the bar of Cornish tourism. Cornish Gems appeals to a diverse range of customers, all seeking the same thing: an amazing place to call their home on holiday in Cornwall.

Twelve years later and Cornish Gems is now one of Cornwall’s leading luxury holiday rental agencies and employs around 100 people in Cornwall.

Managing Directors, Julianne and Nadia explain the Cornish Gems service…

“At Cornish Gems we have two main customer groups, the 25,000 holiday makers we bring on average to Cornwall every year and the individual property owners that each own the 180 properties within the Cornish Gems portfolio. Over time we have honed our customer service to centre around providing the highest level of customer care and our workforce has been shaped to deliver this. We fully manage the guest experience from the point of enquiry, right through to their day of departure. This all-encompassing service - via our knowledgeable local travel advisors, housekeeping and maintenance staff and our trusty customer service team, who are onhand to ensure we have a solution to every request - creates a truly memorable holiday experience.

The Haven, Carbis Bay Holiday Highlife 27

Rather than being the biggest, we want to be renowned as being the best

Tanzarra, Mawgan Porth

We are passionate about Cornwall so once our travel advisors have helped guests choose their perfect Gem we will help them plan an unforgettable holiday. In addition to providing local recommendations, we also offer a concierge service to help with arranging holiday essentials such as babysitters, private chefs, extra housekeeping and those memory-making holiday experiences from surfing to wine tasting.

We offer a myriad of support services to holiday home owners too, along with advice to ensure they are legally compliant, that they are providing safe environments for guests and offering a property management service to provide the weekly changeovers. Our exceptionally trained housekeepers, clean week in week out, keep an eye on wear and tear and standards, while managing all the laundry and luxury welcome provisions. We have also developed our own in-house quality standards, which define and benchmark luxury holiday letting. Our full time in-house quality assessor works with property owners to achieve these standards.

Setting the industry standard • Founded in 2007 by managing directors, Julianne Shelton (right) and Nadia Macer-Wright (left)

We look for holiday home owners who share our passion for excellence and high quality and want to join us on our journey, playing an integral part of our luxury travel brand by offering the best standard of accommodation they can for our guests.

• A luxury holiday home rental agency with an exclusive portfolio of 180 luxury holiday homes in Cornwall

The real fruits of the hard work at Cornish Gems is a direct result of our passion and committment to drive the business forward by continuously challenging ourselves to deliver the highest quality of service.

• With offices in St Ives and Truro, Cornish Gems employs 100 people in Cornwall, 90% of whom are woman

Entrepreneurial spirit is in our blood and while at Cornish Gems we’re very comfortable with our portfolio size of 180 luxury holiday homes, we’ll always be exploring new ways to improve our service for our owners and for the 25,000 holiday-makers we welcome to the county each year. Rather than being the biggest, we want to be renowned as being the best!”

• Visit cornishgems.com

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Gems| People

H AN NAH’S

Customer Services & Maintenance manager, Hannah, has worked at Cornish Gems since 2016. Here Hannah shares her passion for Cornwall and the inspiration behind creating her own home in the west.

How long have you lived in Cornwall?

I moved to Cornwall five years ago on a bit of a whim having never visited previously. Needless to say, I instantly fell in love and can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world.

What do you love about the county?

The warm and friendly people, the relaxed way of life and the gorgeous beaches. I adore all the seasons from the stormy seas in the winter and the tropical climates in the summer. There is so much to do and so many places to explore - the list is endless!

Where is your favourite place in Cornwall?

Where to start! There are so many beautiful places in my top 10 it is hard to choose. But I think it would have to be Porthcurno in west Cornwall on a warm sunny day, it’s difficult to believe that you are in the UK and not the Carribean with crystal clear water and, if you’re lucky, you might spot a dolphin or two.

What’s the best part of your job at Cornish Gems?

We’re a relatively small and close knit team, who are passionate about ensuring our guests have the best possible experience and holiday when they stay with us. It’s important that myself and the team are confident when discussing our portfolio with guests, so we’re often out and about visiting properties countywide so that we can answer queries and questions with ease and first-hand knowledge.

It’s so inspiring to work with some of the most beautiful properties the county has to offer - who needs Pinterest or home idea magazines when you can look through the Cornish Gems website and get all the inspiration you could possibly need.

home

Having such a great understanding of property maintenance has most definitely served me well during my own self build. I’ve been able to choose wisely picking stylish yet durable furnishings and fittings that I know will last. From the best outside lights that will withstand the salty Cornish air to the best paint choices, I have become quite an expert!

What was the drive to embark on your own self-build?

As first time buyers we really struggled to find anything close to what we wanted within our budget. We’re extremely fortunate to have family in the construction industry so when the plot of land became available we jumped straight on it. It is by no means an easy process but so worth it in the end.

How would you describe your interior style?

I prefer the Scandinavian pared back style but have teamed this with more eclectic pieces. Now that the interiors are complete and we have settled in, we are pleased with the homely yet cohesive finish combining our favourite personal items with a fresh new look.

How did you start to shop the look?

It can be quite overwhelming having a whole house to furnish along with all the fixtures and fittings you need to choose from.

Using Cornish Gems’ portfolio as inspiration, I managed to track down similar key pieces sush as the molecular light fitting in Blue Waters to the gorgeous Laura Ashley ‘Wicker Charcoal’ bathroom tiles that can be found in Inches Quay.

I would spend hours deciding what I wanted but found it much easier picking a specific piece and working everything else around that as a centrepiece.

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The Conscious Traveller In our last edition of Holiday Highlife we shared with you the sterling work of our Cornish Gems Coffee Lounge in St Ives to create an environmentally -conscious business and fly the flag for a plastic-free St Ives.

Continuing their efforts, a range of enviro-friendly products are available from the Coffee Lounge or on the website thecoffeeloungecornwall.com/shop/.

Are you a conscious holiday maker? Pop in and browse the collection of refillable Chilly’s bottles, Joco coffee cups, reusable straws and so much more.

Hot off the press, our new Cornish Gems jute bags are ready for the summer season and looking great with a fresh new design from artist and Coffee Lounge manager, Emma Fashokun.

Our guests will receive a jute bag packed with Cornish goodies on arrival but they also make the perfect souvenir and gift so will also be available to buy from the Cornish Gems Coffee Lounge in St Ives.

Coffee, cake and conversation in the heart of St Ives

Savour freshly prepared sandwiches, bagels, paninis, our beautiful cakes and patisserie delights.

Not forgetting our delicious coffee, locally roasted by Olfactory and served by our expert baristas. Sit in or takeaway.

The Coffee Lounge is brought to you by holiday letting specialists Pop in and meet the Cornish Gems St Ives team who are available to assist with your property enquiries.

Find us at 4 Tregenna Hill, St Ives, TR26 1SE | Open 7 days a week 01736 | thecoffeeloungecornwall.com

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Gems| Homes

Inspiring spaces

1.

Interior design and style are often a reflection and a celebration of ourselves and our families be it bright, bold prints, soft and serene hues or creative and playful design. We look at just some of our most favourite Cornish Gems interiors and inspiring spaces for your Cornwall holiday.

1. Maximalism

Tanzarra, Mawgan Porth The latest buzzword in the world of interiors and a style that encourages bigger, bolder and brighter where more is certainly more.

2. Tile-Style

Halekulani, Holywell Bay From earthy Moroccan colours to classic Herringbone shapes, tiles have come a long way from the avocado bathrooms of the 60s. Inject instant personality and a real talking point with creative and playful tile-style.

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2.

3.

5.

3. Coastal Contemporary Sapphire, St Ives

Glamorous gold might not be the obvious choice when it comes to coastal design but embracing bold and unexpected colours will pay off by creating inviting and interesting spaces in your home.

4. Monochrome and Metals Hummingbird, Veryan

Striking blacks paired with industrial metals, including copper and brushed brass, combine to create an uberstylish twist to kitchen and bathroom interior style.

5. All-white appeal Heatherleigh, Carbis Bay

4.

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Holiday Highlife

Not for the dog lovers or sticky fingers, a fresh all-white presentation of your home is a brave yet rewarding choice and ensures an instant sense of calm, serenity and home-zen.

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A Gems Journey

Seaclusion

From milking parlour to a luxury Gem, husband and wife team, Derek and Vicki Phillips, share their renovation journey.

1. How long have you been a customer with Cornish Gems? This is our first year offering holiday accommodation, and therefore our first year with Cornish Gems. We wanted to aim for the luxury end of the holiday market and we felt Cornish Gems would be the ideal agent for us.

2. Describe how you have transformed your property into a Cornish Gem. Our Cornish Gem was a former milking parlour, which has taken two years to carefully convert into a holiday home. With the beautiful sea views available to the property, our first priority was to remove the end wall of the building and install a full height gable-end window, so that guests could sit and enjoy the view from the lounge area. A spacious sunroom was built on to the property to make the most of the country views and garden area. We wanted to create a feeling of space and luxury and I think we’ve managed to achieve that. Outside, we used the footprint of a former cowshed to create a large garden, with three patios, seating area and hot tub.

3. How would you describe your interior style, and what was your inspiration? We wanted to make the most of the stunning sea view and retain some of the characteristics of the original building. Being single storey, we decided on a vaulted ceiling and exposed oak beams throughout. We used some of the old beams for the window returns, and also to make a large dining table in the sun room, and we feel it works well in bringing the old and new together.

The interior designers suggested a calm Scandi-style décor, keeping the colours muted and relaxed, and they were invaluable in designing feature lighting throughout the building.

4. What was the biggest challenge you faced getting the property guest ready? With the building 95% complete, the last 5% took a long time. The list of ‘jobs to be finished’ seemed endless. Creating the garden area took much longer than we expected, with hours and hours of work on the digger having to be scheduled around the farm work. Finding the time to get off site to source things like patio slabs, hot tubs, etc. was also challenging.

5. What advice or tips would you give to other property owners embarking on a project to create a holiday let?

Our advice would be to have a plan before you begin, and try to be one step ahead of any questions you may be asked by builders and tradesmen. However long you think it will take, it will most likely take longer, and cost more!

6. What do you love most about your Cornish Gem? Absolutely everything! We feel an enormous sense of pride when we sit on the garden bench, gazing towards the sea, with a glass of wine in hand and birdsong and tranquility all around us. We hope that our guests will enjoy it every bit as much.

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Gems| Homes

A Gems Journey

The Haven

London based brothers and property developers Paul and Andy talk about their investment holiday rental property, The Haven.

1. How long have you been a customer with Cornish Gems, and describe your experience?

Seven years. Cornish Gems is a very professional, personal company and has been very supportive over the years when we have struggled with decisions regarding interiors, upgrades, quality and bookings etc. The team is always on hand to help, so we are very happy with our partnership.

2. Describe your Cornish Gem and where you’ve reinvested over the years? We purchased a detached Victorian house that hadn’t been renovated for over 50 years. We sympathetically modernised it to maximise the view, whilst retaining its beautiful exterior shape, including the eyebrow dormer window. A first floor balcony with glass balustrades was installed along with a ground floor decked sun terrace, with inset hot tub - all enjoying the panoramic views across Porthkidney

Before

After

beach (below), across to Gwithian and Godrevy. It’s normal to expect some level of re-investment back into the property each year, from inventory replacement to general maintenance and redecoration. We appreciate and listen to guest and Cornish Gems’ feedback and we’ve tried to enhance The Haven to meet evolving expectations.

This season’s upgrades include new outdoor dining furniture, new soft furnishings, new dining chairs, accessories and redecoration which were all facilitated by the team at Cornish Gems.

and the impact on the bottom line, but we understand that re-investing will produce short to longer term returns by ensuring happy customers and repeat business.

3. What has been the most challenging part of renting your home out for luxury holidays over the years? The greatest challenge has been managing the standard of quality required to ensure the property is desirable to holiday makers in an evolving and competitive marketplace. There is a balancing act when it comes to investing

4. What advice or tips would you give to other property owners embarking on a project to enhance their holiday let? Listen to the experts at Cornish Gems, they’ve been in the business for over 12 years and have so much knowledge and insight into luxury holiday letting and the evolution of guest expectations during this time. They offer a one-stop solution and can help enhance the look of a property by sourcing quality inventory required to keep the property delivering results.

5. What do you love most about your Cornish Gem? The view and location, it was the main draw that initially attracted us to purchase the property.

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GEM IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Rosilian Hall

We recently welcomed national journalist and television and radio presenter, Mariella Frostrup, to stay at one of our Cornish Cribs, Rosilian Hall. Mariella shared her experience in her travel column in the Telegraph.

Forget the old Cornwall, the modern Duchy is now a vibrant place to visit, and where better to explore it from than a magnificent abode

By Mariella Frostrup / Telegraph Media Group Ltd

Just as I’d never imagined that my children would one day be begging for the Gucci loafers I discarded in the mid-Nineties, the idea that stamping Cornish on to anything from tea bags to salt would make it infinitely more desirable, is an imaginative leap for those of us who first visited in the Eighties.

A quiet revolution has been taking place in the south-western tip of England and the Duchy of Cornwall business is clearly just the tip of the

They weren’t the only ones playing games though; with kayaks, table tennis, access to our own beach, a snooker table and a huge lawn for boules, football, or simply lolling, there was little reason to leave our well-appointed compound. We had our food delivered by Cornish Food Box, whose box of treasures included glass bottles of creamy milk from a local dairy and eggs with yolks the colour of the setting sun. On Saturday night an even greater treat was in store when the Michelin-starred chef Ben Tunnicliffe; now owner of a local pub, arrived with a giant, freshly caught turbot from which he rustled up real fish fingers for the kids and utterly mouth-watering fillets with hollandaise for the adults, followed by a perfect rhubarb crumble. This collaboration with Cornish Gems is inspired, offering peak-season holidaymakers the chance to sample the finest cuisine Cornwall has to offer in the comfort of their own kitchen!

iceberg. In a world where successful branding is a watchword for success, Cornwall now ticks all the right boxes with its promise of olde worlde seaside pleasures like briny fresh air, quality fish and chips and family fun.

In 1980 when I had just passed my driving test and took a practice road trip west with my then boyfriend, we survived on ubiquitous pasties and cream teas while enduring pink nylon sheets and a landlady inquisitive about our marital status. Nowadays there’s chic beach shacks and designer ice cream, Bridget Riley-inspired interiors and a world-class surfer scene.

It certainly felt like the “past is a foreign country” arriving for the May Day bank holiday to host a house party for eight adults and nine children at Rosilian Hall. A grand Cape Dutch-style mansion, built in 1908 overlooking Falmouth harbour and now debuting as a rental property, it’s almost an insult to describe it as a holiday home. This elegant, highceilinged mansion, newly decorated in shades of white and cream and furnished in vintage château style, boasts 10 bedrooms, a huge kitchen and acres of space for entertaining, inside and out. Our luxurious location made it all too easy to be seduced into a state of torpor, but in the heart of Daphne du Maurier country, it seemed only right to honour the author with a pilgrimage.

Kayaking up the Helford estuary to the Frenchman’s Creek she made famous, with our lovely Koru Kayaking guide Hetty, we were introduced to local lore, architectural eccentricities, paddling egrets and the ruined fish-smoking facility favoured by the eponymous Frenchmen.

Money may not buy you happiness, but a big house, I discovered, certainly affords a welcome degree of peace. Despite being outnumbered by offspring, there were long parts of the day when they were happily out of earshot, a blessed relief with a crew ranging in age from eight to 14.

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Stepping beyond the electronic gates to take the dogs for a walk on the beautiful coastal path to Mylor proved a shocking reintroduction to a world full of bustle, with day trippers trying to park up in the sweltering heat and jostling for space on the crowded patch of gravelly sand at Flushing. That said, the 90-minute walk to Mylor and back served as a reminder of Cornwall’s other enormous asset, its natural beauty. The sun shimmered on the turquoise sea, small boats buzzed about, sails billowed on small yachts, green meadows were verdant after months of rain and the cows lazed on the soft grass. Ambling along, investigating the myriad rock pools left by low tide, the sea breeze ruffling my hair and the sun on my winter weary shoulders, it felt like the most perfect place on earth.

A week’s stay at Rosilian Hall accommodating up to 20 guests in 10 bedrooms and with private beach access costs from £12,225 through Cornish Gems (01872 241241; www.cornishgems.com). © Mariella Frostrup / John Nguyen / Telegraph Media Group Limited

Unforgettable Cornwall Holidays Showcasing a stunning portfolio of hand-selected holiday homes across Cornwall for groups of 2 - 20. Let Cornish Gems set the scene for your holiday highlife.

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