Volume No8
£10.00
The art of
STORAGE There are ways – age-old methods – in which we can all make the way we eat more sustainable
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On the cover This photo was ta en by John ersey at oconnoc state. ead more about the sustainable eating practices coming to fore there in ‘The art of storage’ by Tia Tamblyn, from page . johnherseystudio.com botelet.com boconnoc.com
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ISSN 2632-9891 Š All rights reserved. Material may not be re-produced without the permission of Engine House Media Ltd. While ri will take every care to help readers with reports on properties and features, neither Engine House Media Ltd nor its contributors can accept any liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from editorial features, editorial or advertising featured in these pages. Engine House Media Ltd strongly advises viewing any property prior to purchasing or considerations over any financial decisions. ngine House Media reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit such material prior to publication. Engine House Media Ltd cannot take responsibility for loss or damage of supplied materials. The opinions expressed or advice given in the publication are the views of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of
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T E A M
Foreword ow, more than ever, endeavour is imperative. It permeates our days as we attempt by exertion, to strive or work with set purpose. This is a theme that runs throughout this volume, each story embodying a unique and individual endeavour. Whether that be a work of art or a photograph preserving a moment in time; preserving or producing food for the table; or undertaking a physical challenge either solitary or with community in mind, each brings joy, satisfaction and a sense of achievement. hotographer, John Hersey’s set purpose is to capture the subtle details of his subject (27), either in a portrait or as a fragment of the natural world. Young ultra-runner, Jodie auld s endeavour reveals that challenges don’t need be completed in order to be successful. The journey in itself, the very act
of finding out if it is even possible, is the reward . Tia Tamblyn uncovers an underta ing that preserves earthly delights for the year to come, through the ancient art of storage . This represents a shift in sustainable eating that is permeating throughout the county. an Williams seeks out ephemeral junctures in the natural world, revealing native wildlife in static splendour 5 , while author, icola pson employs prose as her medium of enterprise. It seems fitting that the last volume of I T for this year celebrates these e altations. ach one offers a way for us to understand our place on earth, giving us a sense of being amidst the chaos. We invite you to step into a world that provides a virtual escape from the ovid confines, surrounding you in the comfort that words and images so readily provide.
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Tia Tamblyn
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C O N T E N T S
At a glance 18
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P R E S S I N G M AT T E R S Asking the questions on all of our minds
27
UNVEILING AUTHENTICITY
38
RU N N I N G T H E R O O F
49
T H E A RT O F S T O R A G E
57
FESTIVE AND FINE
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WINDS OF CHANGE
72
S M A L L B ATC H B R E W S
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W H AT M A K E S YO U T I C K
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E A RT H L E D D E S I G N
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MOMENTS OF WONDER
95
Photography from John Hersey
104
A true adventure into the unknown
113
A story of sustainable eating
137
Recipes for the Christmas table
147
Talking beer with Josh Dunkley
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The newly completed ‘Cove’ collection
158
Luxury watches from Michael Spiers
160
In conversation with Arco2 Architecture
162
Reflecting a love for the natural world
W H Y C O M P RO M I S E ? A look at BMW’s 8 Series Gran Coupé
RIDING HIGH Supporting cycling in Cornwall
M A K I N G W AV E S What inspires artist, Gemma Lessinger
L U X U RY H O M E S At the pinnacle of the Cornish market
GUIDING LIGHTS A history of Cornwall’s lighthouses
M U R D E R S H E W RO T E Re-capturing the golden age of crime writing
M A D E TO B E T R E A S U R E D Fine jewellery from Michael Spiers
LOOK AFTER THE PENNIES Reducing liability for ‘hidden’ taxes
O N E TO WATC H Tune in to watch Cornwall Air 999
EVENTIDE The last word, from Malcolm Bell
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C R E AT E
Pressing
MATTERS WO R D S B Y M E RC E D E S S M I T H
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C R E AT E
A unique collection of etchings, on show this December, asks the questions we are all talking about.
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his December, Polzeath’s Whitewater Gallery presents Twenty Twenty, a unique collection of works by printmaker Sarah Seddon. Printmaking is one of the most complicated and misunderstood of all art mediums; it is also one of the oldest, dating back to the fabric prints of 5th century China, and to the early 1400s in Europe, when wood or metal plates were first carved, in ed and pressed to illustrate religious texts at a time when the new and widespread availability of paper made printing possible.
subtly adjusted layers, to create an image. It is a skill that takes patience, and years of study to perfect.
Today, the term printma ing is often confused with the mass production of industrial or digital print, where thousands of images are created instantly by machine, all of them identical, impersonal and disposable. In the arts, however, printma ing is a s ill that has remained relatively unchanged during its thousand year history, and involves the labour intensive process of carving a wooden bloc or metal plate, or cutting a paper or fabric stencil by hand, before inking it up and pressing it onto a surface, sometimes many times over in
“Etching is an exciting medium,” says Sarah. It is a method that evolves from a drawing, through thinking about tones, process, texture and sometimes colour.” Sarah works using the traditional ‘Intaglio’ process, where lines are etched into a metal plate and then filled with ink, before the surface of the plate is wiped clean, and dampened paper is pressed against the plate so the paper picks up the ink held in the etched cuts. “I enjoy the process of pressing the ink into the etched plate,” she says. “ I love the wiping away of in to produce each
Sarah Seddon studied Fine Art printmaking at almouth niversity. er e quisitely detailed prints are developed using traditional metal plate etching techniques, and reflect the depth of detail possible in contemporary handmade print. They also demonstrate her extraordinary ability as a printma er, achieving fine drawing and delicate tonal qualities through the skilled application of aquatint.
LEFT ‘Who Knows’
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TOP ‘A Winter Night’
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A B OV E L E F T ‘ isbehaving
A B OV E R I G H T ‘ leep vercomes Them
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discover the magic
michaelspiers.co.uk
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C R E AT E
some cases responding directly to individual works, Sarah has created a series of etchings that address our own time in history. Set in the innocuous setting of an allotment, her images use wit, drama and visual metaphor to expose the social predicaments we are facing in the early 21st century. “Goya was a pioneer in the development of aquatint” says Sarah, “and he is still considered one of the best artists of the technique. I visited the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, where I saw Goya’s plates and his press, which was very inspiring. His use of tone in Los Caprichos, and his compositions and use of atmosphere, gave me inspiration and a way of expressing my own thoughts and reactions to everyday life. All these prints have been a reaction - in a very personal way - to events that have affected me and are not always easy to express in words. Some of these include a close friend’s marriage break up, issues regarding respect for the elderly, allusions to power, or the problem of teenagers and alcohol. These are just a few of my inspirations.”
image, and the anticipation of putting your plate through the press to see what evolves on paper. My particular interest is in the aquatint process, which means putting tones into the plate, giving depth and atmosphere to the final image.” While Intaglio lines are cut into a plate by coating it with acid resistant wax, scratching away the wax to form a drawing, then immersing the plate in acid, the tonal qualities of aquatint are achieved by exposing the plate to acid through a fine layer of granulated resin. “It can be very rewarding, but it is also very challenging. Each plate is unpredictable, and the puzzle is to work out how to achieve the effect you want. The collection Sarah will be exhibiting in December has been created over the last twelve years, and is inspired by Francisco de Goya’s Los Caprichos series of satirical etchings and aquatints, which the Spanish artist created between 1797 and 1798 in response to the political corruption and social ills of the time. Paralleling Goya’s collection in spirit, and in
A B OV E ‘Evening Temptation’
TOP ‘Sarah Seddon’ - self-portrait
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A B OV E R I G H T ‘Can’t Anyone Untie Us’
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C R E AT E
Some of these works, inevitably, respond to Brexit and the challenges it has thrown up. With regard to the pandemic, however, associated works have yet to be resolved, or even begun in this ongoing collection. At first, during loc down, it was di cult to concentrate. The situation was unsettling,” explains Sarah. “I did make artwork related to the pandemic, but this was more experimental. Also, I don’t have acid at home for etching a plate, as it needs to be used in a safe environment and at a certain temperature. For this I go to the John Howard Print Studio in Penryn, but that simply wasn’t possible at the time.” Twelve years of work on this collection, however, has meant constant commitment and constantly staying open to inspiration. “I am always thinking about my art,” says Sarah, “and I try to be creative as often as possible. Putting on an exhibition like this involves a lot of preparation. My aim was to show the twenty Goya related images in 2020, so I felt I needed to have as much prepared as possible by the end of last year.”
donkeys and newsprint to satirise the handling of Brexit, directly parallels Goya’s Bravisimo!, in which a donkey can be seen being applauded by onlookers and serenaded by a guitar playing monkey. Similarly, Goya’s Can’t Anyone Unite Us? which alludes to the negative social impact of arranged marriages in 18th century Spain, is paralleled with Sarah’s Can’t Anyone Untie Us? which poses any number of questions related to the idea of social or political ‘union’ today. A limited-edition catalogue, created to accompany the show, further makes sense of these connections, though Sarah tells me: “I prefer the viewer to make their own interpretations. I hope people will enjoy my exhibition on many levels, as a body of work that makes an unusual contrast to the gallery’s other pictures. I hope the depth of content, in both mine and Goya’s work, will give the viewer an opportunity to explore their own interpretations of what they see. I also hope the exhibition will give visitors a greater understanding of the processes that are involved in printmaking.”
As part of the exhibition, in a way that illuminates the link between Los Caprichos and Sarah’s collection, reproductions of selected oya wor s will be on show, defining the close association between individual works. Sarah’s etching Hear, Hear, for example, which uses
See Sarah Seddon’s exhibition ‘Twenty Twenty’ in the New Year, from 1st to 10th January, at Whitewater Gallery and on the gallery website. whitewatergallery.co.uk
A B OV E ‘Teaching and Learning’
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F O C U S
Unveiling
AUTHENTICITY WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G
The work of John Hersey is inquisitive and sensitive, capturing moments of stillness within the person or landscape.
H
is work is inspired by tenderness in the human spirit and nature, exploring authenticity in the fabric, spaces and people that he photographs. He’s driven by an intrigue for light, shadow and how they define each other. His mantra is “light shows us what there is, shadow shows us the way to it”. John is primarily an assignment based photographer, with clients including some of Cornwall’s most established businesses, international journals, producers and manufacturers, corporations and private commissioners with a common focus on quality, integrity and detail in their pursuits. Through his assignments John finds quiet frames and moments in his subjects, that show a tender world – something akin to a lucid dream, capturing that state between sleep and consciousness. In 2021, John, who is based in Cornwall, is launching a series of immersive ‘Flow State’ workshops that will
incorporate meditation, nature connection and photography. He will also be exhibiting his fine art prints at orth oast Asylum allery, ewquay. johnherseystudio.com
A B OV E John Hersey
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A B OV E Harry
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A B OV E Kokoloco
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A B OV E Roger
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A B OV E Miners
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A B OV E Sam
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A B OV E Metta
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A B OV E Alfie for Adolescence
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A B OV E Rosehips with Garden Gate Flower Company
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19/11/2020 16:57
A B OV E Dick
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johnherseystudio.com
A B OV E Sam’s Grass
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Running the
WORDS BY H A N N A H TA P P I N G
Alex Mundt
ROOF
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I N SPI R AT I O N
Jodie Gauld takes everything in her stride, including joining a select team of ultrarunners to venture to one of the last truly wild landscapes on earth.
I
“I’ve always been a runner,” says Jodie. “I grew up on the family small holding in St Austell and as kids we were forever outside running around. PE was my favourite lesson at school and since joining a local athletics club I’ve never stopped.” A trip with university friends saw Jodie run her first 50 mile race in the Lake District, and so began her addiction to ultra-running. Alexis Tymon and Ben Crocker
hear from a friend of a mad adventure that’s going down. Three young runners, including one from Cornwall, plan to run across Tajikistan from the border of Afghanistan to the border of China, covering 400km in just 7 days – that’s about a marathon a day. All while being filmed to record the endeavour. I’m told it all started as a drunken bet between two friends – Jody Bragger, the organiser, the driving force, who’s no stranger to a 50k and Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Ghiglione, the funloving playful puppy of the group who can turn out a sub-five minute mile but has never run an ultra. They need a third runner and it’s Jodie Gauld who gets the call. Aged just 28, she’s a quietly competitive and self-driven ultrarunner from Cornwall. Although no stranger to running long distances or world travel, the trip will be the farthest and highest she’ll have ever run. Fast-forward a year and it’s lockdown number one. I find myself sitting in my camper watching the first cut of the subsequent film, Running The Roof, on aforementioned friend’s trusty old laptop. The trip was a success and the film has been entered into some of the world’s most prestigious adventure film festivals. I feel very privileged to be watching the first cut, which I am doing in advance of interviewing its female protagonist Jodie.
A B OV E Jodie, at one of the home stays
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Alex Mundt Alex Mundt
TOP Gabe, Jodie and Jody
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A B OV E Warding off the cold nights
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I N SPI R AT I O N
sun set even the little streams next to where we were camped were freezing over – and when I woke all I wanted was some water and it would all be frozen.” The team carried as much water with them in the support vehicles as they could but setting up water filters was a nightly job to ensure they always had enough for the next day.
She tells me that she loves the feel of running on trails, something that she’s recently realised might be to do with rock pooling as a child. “I was always skipping across the rocks, being quite nimble, focusing on finding little sea creatures – and now when I run I do the same, picking the more technical routes, almost dancing over the rocks. It’s a thought that’s only just occurred to me and I still love the feeling of being able to move and flow over offroad terrain.”
Running such long distances meant that hydration and fuel was also really important as Jodie explains: “We had to be very be aware of reminding each other to eat, especially when we got to the higher altitudes which can affect your appetite. We were lucky to have two great sponsors for our food rations. Real Turmat supplied our main meals and breakfasts, which were delicious. They freeze dry the individual ingredients, rather than the whole meal, which made a big difference. We also had Tribe on
Alexis Tymon and Ben Crocker
Now running is part of Jodie’s daily routine. She tells me it’s how she does everything; it’s the way she socialises, the way she relieves stress, the way she has a break from her work. “I love to explore new places and getting outside has become part of my life. I’m very comfortable with running long distances and would be happy to complete a marathon without too much extra training, but for Tajikistan I did up the miles and do some strength exercises. I knew the boys were really strong runners so I needed to be prepared.” The idea of the trip was to be super basic and very much experience the terrain in a raw way. The team was lucky to have a great set of sponsors especially for some of the more technical kit required. “One of the stand out bits of kit was a satellite phone that we needed for safety reasons, especially for the last few days when we were out in the middle of nowhere – luckily we didn’t use it! The rest of our kit was fairly basic, although we did need really warm sleeping bags,” explains Jodie. “It was so cold at night. It was bizarre as we were really exposed to the sun during the day but as we climbed to the plateau, which was more than 4,000m above sea level, when the sun went down it was minus a lot!” “I would run all day and then get back to camp and immediately bundle up in all my layers and seek the warmth of my tent. As soon as the
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and Farid who were invaluable for their local knowledge but were also great entertainment as they loved to dance. They were also super helpful when we were going through the little hamlets as they were able to communicate and translate for us, although even they sometimes struggled as the local dialect changed so often. Even though they lived about a quarter of the way through the valley, they had never driven the whole length.”
board for our snack bars that were nut and fruit based and full of natural proteins.” “We didn’t bank on being able to, but lower down in the valley we were lucky to have some house stays. The local people were so hospitable and proud that we were visiting their valley and country. They really don’t have too much and basically have to grow all of their food in an eight month period, as outside of that they’re locked down in snow. But they were so willing and happy to share what they had.”
As with any adventure, the team experienced highs and lows, with both Jody and Gabe falling ill during the trip. “It was a stark wakeup call that we weren’t invincible, but the upside was that it made us hyper-aware and drove us on.”
“Aside from us runners, we also had a small but perfectly formed support crew. Ben Crocker and Alexis Tymon from Sourcy Film were there to capture the action, while Alex Mundt was our team photographer and an amazing help in every aspect, especially as a great pep talker. We also had two local drivers Orzu
Alex Mundt
“I also hit a wall on day four. We were on one of the highest points and it was a wide open
A B OV E The valley seemed without end
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I N SPI R AT I O N
eventually made it to the camp I just bawled. eflecting bac now, I can see that I was ust mentally and physically exhausted.”
plateau. I could see for literally miles and it felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere – it was one of those days where we didn’t have a defined distance. I m not normally a watch or a distance checker but that day I had no energy and was desperately tic ing off the miles. I had no enthusiasm and ended up hike running 20k without seeing anyone else.”
Other than Jodie’s low day, the scenery blew her mind. “On the longest day, it was me and Gabe and we started running up the climb on to the plateau. e flew up, but I ust had to stop and turn around when we were climbing up , so I could look down back through the valley – I needed a moment to absorb it all. Barely anyone else had been where I was stood or had seen what I was looking at. At that moment, I felt very luck to be able to physically take on the challenge and to have such an incredible opportunity. Tajikistan has only recently started to have a push on tourism so there are not many people from the western world
Alex Mundt
“I was telling myself this is really pathetic. You’re in this amazing location, doing this incredible thing and you re being really selfish, feeling that you’re bored of doing the thing you love. Not wanting to run was a strange thing for me to experience. I had found days hard before but never mundane – it was so barmy, there were beautiful glaciers to one side and incredible rugged terrain to the next. When I
A B OV E Finding comfort in companionship
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Jodie puts the success of the trip down to the team: “It worked because of the set of people who were involved. It was always going to be a test of endurance but also a test of how we were going to get along. The bunch were serious when they needed to be but every other sentence was a joke. We all approached the trip with a light-hearted, no pressure vibe. Everyone was so supportive of everyone else, in whatever situation and no matter what happened it was about the adventure and a journey to one of the remotest places on earth. It didn’t actually matter if we hadn’t completed the journey, it was more about seeing if the journey was even possible.”
who have visited. There’s still lots of prejudice about the area but I felt safe and welcome the whole time. It s often depicted as a depleted war zone and it’s really not.” And no trip would be complete without a strange encounter, as Jodie recalls After our first night of camping Jody and I set off on trail, while abe was still fa ng We new he would bound past us shortly, so were happy to go on ahead. None of the other guys were with us and we were just running up the track when a child on a mule appeared from the right side of the valley. He couldn’t have been more than ten years old. He trotted up to us. He couldn’t’ speak a word of English, we couldn’t speak his language, but we managed to get his name and the name of his mule. The encounter lasted no more than five minutes and then he trotted off down another pass. As soon as he had disappeared, the rest of the team arrived If Jody hadn’t have been with me I would have thought it was all a dream.”
he re ulting l Running he Roof i a true adventure into the un nown t ha alread won an udience hoice ward at thi ear an ountain il e tival and ha u t aired at the endal ountain e tival
Alex Mundt
runningtheroof co
A B OV E Dancing over the terrain
RIGHT An incredible journey
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The art of
STORAGE W O R D S B Y T I A TA M B LY N
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IMAGES BY JOHN HERSEY
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SUSTA I N
A story of sustainable eating.
L
of winter and early spring? How did we e tend the season s offerings to have access to varied taste and nutrition through the sparser months?
ate autumn – that moment in the year when the abundance of garden produce begins its gradual decline; as the last apples hang on tight to gnarly orchard branches, courgettes give way to plump marrows, and brassicas proudly display their vitality as summer plants diminish.
Techniques such as salting, drying, pickling and smoking can be traced back thousands of years (predating somewhat the chest freezer...) enabling food to be preserved for safe and nutritious consumption weeks or months after harvest. There has been a resurgence of interest in artisan skills for food preservation, and in particular the health benefits of consuming fermented produce are widely shared. However, another ancient technique for extending the autumn harvest seems to be less discussed yet is deceptively simple, and relevant for all of us: storage.
Just as each year the growing season peaks reliably in early autumn before light fades and temperatures drop, so the customs that surround the season stretch back in time. Harvest festivals, marking the moment when the last of the crop has been brought in, are part of our cultural heritage; churchbased festivities are said to have originated here in Cornwall, in Morwenstow, in 1843. Autumn harvest is still celebrated within many communities today, and indeed there continue to be growers across the country whose hard work reaches a crescendo at this time of year. Yet with relatively few of us directly involved with growing food, or deeply connected to the local produce that is available to us, what resonance does harvesttime have for us today? Before it became the norm to airfreight over apples from South Africa in February and green beans from Kenya in November, what might eating patterns have looked like reaching forward from harvest-time, as we transitioned into the quieter growing period
INSET Preparing to extend the season s offering
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A B OV E Elizabeth Fortescue sorting onions in the Boconnoc potting shed
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SUSTA I N
We practice storage techniques the moment we bring fresh food into our homes – from the garden, supermarket or farmers market – but often with the intention of ma ing it last just a few days, until the next shopping trip. Before we had such readily available, yearround access to food, storage would have been a central part of the harvest process. Hard fruits such as apples and pears, and vegetables including potatoes, onions, turnips and parsnips were grown here in Cornwall for their durable qualities able to be left in the ground until ready to pull, or harvested and stored, especially in colder periods or if the soil became particularly saturated.
this for the mellow flavours of one that has been locally grown and stored? If we are serious about supporting local and eating with the seasons – including through winter -– we could revisit the ancient art of storage: so simple, yet seems to have become obscured in a fog of freight fumes.
y harnessing specific storage techniques much autumn produce has the potential to last, retaining a good proportion of its nutritional value, through the sparser growing seasons; meaning less wasted food, more support for local growers, and significantly lower environmental footprint of the plants that make up our winter diet. We have got used to the crisp bite of a well-travelled apple in winter, but have we considered exchanging
Clare Fortescue, who is part of the team running the historic family estate along with her mother Elizabeth and sister Sarah, says: “The market garden at Boconnoc was thriving prior to the 1970s. I have heard stories passed down through generations of gardeners about the team that worked in the space, the incredible produce that was grown, and the shops that used to take it locally; it has always been the dream to one day bring it back to life.”
Reconnecting with age-old storage techniques is exactly what many people are doing, including our neighbours at Boconnoc Estate, just along the lanes from us in south east Cornwall. Plans are evolving to renovate the old storage barns and re-commence using them for over-wintering garden produce.
A B OV E Clare Fortescue (le ) and Tia Tamblyn (right)
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principles of regenerative growing, with the intention of being able to again supply fresh food within the locality. Re-visiting historic techniques to be able to store food harvested in autumn is part of the vision. Whilst researching the history of produce storage at Boconnoc alongside Clare, we are referred to extracts from The Gardener’s Assistant (1878). The chapter on Garden Structures includes how to construct storage buildings, along with detailed techniques on how to store garden-grown produce. Going back in time, storage is seen as a natural extension of the growing process. Lockdown served as a catalyst at Boconnoc, as it did for many of us, to revisit opportunities for embracing local, seasonal eating. Clare comments: “Covid has given us the time to really think about how essential local food is, the importance of growing what we need, to store it and use it throughout the winter. Without thought we all tend to go to the shop, so it is very inspiring hearing from Stuart [Robertson, Boconnoc’s gardener] about what they used to do through winter.”
When I visit Boconnoc, there are already apples, onions and squash that have been brought in, some already boxed for winter and some waiting to be sorted. This year is about beginning the journey, testing out techniques and learning in order to increase the storage capacity for next year. Clare says: “We are using potting sheds near the kitchen garden this year as a trial run. For future years the dream would be storing as much as possible and potentially selling through veg boxes to guests or in local shops. Going forward we would love to host volunteer holidays where guests can come and get involved with activities like apple picking and storing, so people can start to experience more of the ways in which these things happened in the past.”
The estate’s market garden was turned into a dairy in the 0s, reflecting the trend towards milk-based produce. The scale of the fruit and vegetables being grown reduced considerably and the old storage barns became disused. Clare explains that her late father Anthony was keen to revive the market garden and restored the old potting sheds eight years ago in preparation. In recent years, the kitchen garden at Boconnoc has provided food for events such as weddings, however during lockdown the team initiated a quick transition, creating produce boxes for tenants living on the estate, for holiday guests as letting accommodation opened up in July, then for local café The Duchy of Cornwall as the growing season developed and with it the quantity of food. Plans are now afoot to develop the produce garden to become fully organic, embracing TOP Clare Fortescue collecting produce from the kitchen garden at Boconnoc
A B OV E Clare Fortescue harvesting parsnips from the kitchen garden at Boconnoc
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How can we extend the life of plant-based food whilst minimising the use of electricpowered appliances – especially during autumn when we may have an excess of garden produce, or could support a local grower and buy their autumn bounty? The detail of storage techniques for largerscale projects is beyond the scope of this article, but the following principles apply equally within domestic settings: Keep fresh produce such as root veg and hard fruit in dar well ventilated ace ideall o the floor a larder or cu oard can wor well or even a a e ent or attic ee the te erature a con tant a cool ut a ove free ing
o i le
Use a rack to increase ventilation, try not to ile roduce on to of each other
A B OV E Clare Fortescue sorting apples in the Boconnoc storage shed.
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Check produce regularly and prioritise use of an with ign of oiling re oving i ediatel fro the torage ace lace cut her
in a ar of water out of the fridge
rioriti e fridge
ace for leaf green
For those with access to bulk storage space: re h roduce hould e ic ed and tored when ature dr with oil ru hed o in good condition without rui e or nic and an leaf to re oved rate or low ided card oard o e can e u ed to allow ventilation roduce hould e chec ed regularl re oving an howing ign of rot eci c torage techni ue de end u on the lant fro hanging garlic and onion in the o en air to individually wrapping apples in newspaper, or creating a cla for root cro
TOP Clare Fortescue planting
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SU STA I N
improve the environmental impacts of feeding the planet, regenerating the soil alongside nourishing human health. ften, the solutions involve a combination of looking back to learn from history, then integrating techniques into contemporary living. Is there scope for storage of local produce to form a greater part of this?
There is an art to storing fresh produce in order that it survives weeks or months in a consumable and nourishing condition – and the same principles can be applied to our weekly fresh produce at home, just as to a largerscale pro ect li e oconnoc. ow often are we buying in new veg just as we’re extricating a limp and slightly moulding courgette from the back of the vegetable rack?
There are options available to all of us, according to our individual resources, regarding how we store our food to maximise longevity, increase our consumption of locally grown produce, and minimise food waste; we need to act at the individual as well as the community level. I am inspired by the steps being taken at Boconnoc as they trial storage techniques. There’s no doubt that it’s a journey, with much to learn along the way. But that intention, to utilise our facilities to make the food we eat more sustainable, is one we can all embrace. Perhaps in the coming years, harvest-time will again come to resonate for many more of us. That would, I believe, be worth celebrating.
The rather shocking statistic that food makes up 70% of the UK’s household waste, with most of this consisting of fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables, suggests that putting in place simple storage techniques could make a real difference to the environmental impact of how we eat. The work taking place at Boconnoc to begin over-wintering garden produce reflects an e citing shift that is happening more broadly in society right now, a desire to move towards more sustainable eating. The conversation around provenance is not new yet has gained traction, especially since lockdown. Can we extend this beyond what we buy to how we take care of our food?
tiatamblyn.com johnherseystudio.com boconnoc.com
There’s no doubt that we need to continue questioning what and how we eat if we are to
botelet.com A B OV E The importance of provenance has never been closer to our hearts
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S U S TA I N A B L E A R C H I T EC T U R E SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
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C U I SI N E
Festive and
FINE
© Ali Green
Three easy festive recipes, courtesy of Cornwall’s award-winning pork producer Primrose Herd, and the Duchy’s culinary ambassador, The Cornish Chef. .
primroseherd.co.uk thecornishchef.com
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C U I SI N E
Festive Ham with Orange and Spices INGREDIENTS: For the ham 3kg approx. Primrose Herd ham 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 1 onion, roughly chopped 1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery, roughly chopped 1 tsp mixed spice 1 clementine or orange, studded with 10 cloves A few Bay leaves
For the glaze 5g soft brown sugar 75g orange marmalade 50g whole grain mustard 25g honey 20 cloves approximately, to stud
Method egin by placing your ham in a large saucepan and covering with cold water. Place a lid on the pan and bring to a gentle boil, letting it simmer for about 0 minutes before removing from the heat and draining off the water this process removes any unwanted salts in the meat.
When the ham has rested and is cool enough to handle, use a sharp nife to cut off the strings and then cut away the skin, leaving the layer of fat underneath. Use your knife to carve a decorative crosshatch pattern into the soft fat around the oint, then place the ham into a ba ing tray before pouring over the gla e if needed use a pastry brush to get the gla e deep into the scores in the fat.
efill the pan with clean cold water along with the carrot, celery, onion, mixed spice, an orange or clementine studded with about 0 cloves, and the bay leaves. eturn to the stove and gently simmer for about hours, topping up with hot water if necessary.
Using the tip of your knife, create small cuts at intervals and plug with the dried cloves to stud the oint.
After this time, preheat your oven to 00 and remove the ham from the water, allowing it to stand for 15 minutes. Place all the glaze ingredients into a small bowl and mi well.
Place the ham into the middle of the hot oven and ba e for 0 minutes, basting with the runoff gla e after 5 minutes. n oy hot or cold.
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or and
ricot tu ng
INGREDIENTS: ak s s u n alls 1kg Primrose sausage meat 1 white onion 25g butter Salt and pepper 75g bread
5 leaves of fresh sage Âź of a nutmeg, grated 1 lemon 150g diced streaky bacon 50g cashew nuts 125g dried apricots
Method If cooking straight away, start by preheating the oven to 0 .
Add the breadcrumbs and onions and season well with salt and pepper, zest in the rind of the lemon and grate over about of a nutmeg.
Finely dice the onion and cook with the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat until softened and ust starting to brown.
Using your hands mix and combine all the ingredients thoroughly before rolling out into about 30 balls and placing on a lined baking tray with a small gap between each one. These can be covered and refrigerated for a day or two.
Place the bread and sage leaves in a food mixer and blit into a fine crumb. ice the bacon and finely chop both the apricots and cashew nuts and combine in a large mixing bowl with the sausage meat.
When ready to cook, place in the middle of the preheated oven and ba e for 5 minutes.
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C U I SI N E
Festive Pork and Cranberry Sausage Rolls INGREDIENTS: 500g Primrose Herd Cranberry and Rosemary sausages, meat removed 50g of good quality cranberry sauce 1 leek
roll puff pastry 1 egg 1 tbsp sesame seeds 25g butter
Method reheat the oven to
0
.
To create the lattice effect top, cut the pastry on either side of the filling at to cm intervals, all the way down both sides. tarting at one end ta e the first strip of pastry and fold over the top at a 5 angle, before repeating on the other side. ontinue this process all the way along before pinching the ends closed.
tart by very finely slicing your lee and washing away any dirt or grit. lace the lee in a medium saucepan with the butter and, over a low heat, coo the lee until it is soft and all the moisture in the pan coo ed out. et aside to cool.
Beat the egg in a small dish and using a pastry brush, brush the glaze all over the pastry before scattering with the sesame seeds.
emove your puff pastry from the fridge and bring up to room temperature before unrolling, eeping it on the paper it is supplied with.
Place in the middle of the preheated oven and ba e for 0 minutes, until puffy and golden.
Lay the cool leek across the middle along the width of the roll. ay the sausage meat evenly across the top of the leeks before spreading the cranberry sauce over the top of the sausage meat.
Remove and allow to cool enough to handle, or cool completely and enjoy cold over the next few days.
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10/11/2020 09:42
QU E N C H
SAME STORM
different BOATS WORDS BY LUCY CORNES
At the Cornish Crown Brewery high on the west Cornwall hills overlooking St Michael’s Mount, the winds of change are blowing.
P
Crown has not only survived but is now one of the best places to enjoy beer in the whole of the south west.”
erched between the dramatic sweep of Mount’s Bay and the wild and rugged Penwith moors, the Cornish Crown rewery is used to being buffeted by tumultuous conditions. Still, nothing could’ve prepared owner Josh Dunkley for what 2020 held in store for him and his fellow small brewers. As the year draws to a close, he thin s he s finally found his feet in the ‘new normal’, and believes a phoenix may have risen from the ashes.
Like the brewery itself, The Crown is all about the beer. It boasts a well-kept range of beers in cask, keg and bottle, constantly changing – reflecting the seasons and Josh’s latest creations. ou ll find warm Cornish hospitality and a down-to-earth sense of community at this neighbourhood pub, which is often described as one of Cornwall’s hidden gems.
For Josh, it all began 16 years ago, when he and his wife Michelle bought a run-down pub by the sea in Penzance. “When we came across The Crown it was on the verge of closure,” he tells me, as he checks the vital stats of one of his latest small batch brews. It too some serious graft and elbow grease, but we nurtured it back to life. In the last two decades many great pubs have closed their doors for good; we’re very proud that The
Having nurtured their now beloved pub back to life, Josh thought, what if we make our own beer? “We liked the idea of not having to go to the trouble of sourcing beers from all over the country and exercising complete control over the whole process, he recalls. After some serious study and a stint at a reputable national brewery, the Cornish Crown Brewery was born.
INSET Josh Dunkley
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There was a certain naivety in the decision to start a brewery, Josh admits, adding that it’s a tough, labour-intensive business which he often runs single-handedly. or e ample, on the day I visit him in the brewery he’s busy racking casks and loading up before heading off on local deliveries in his electric van. The fic le nature of the beer mar et has also led to countless sleepless nights over the years; many small brewers find themselves constantly on a knife-edge between success and failure. Yet Josh is still passionately, obsessively, into making beer. “The desire to make good beer has really got under my skin,” he confesses, somewhat unnecessarily, as he darts around the spotlessly clean brewery making minor adjustments to temperature controls and gazing lovingly at his new toy, a ‘hop gun’ which delivers optimum infusion for hopforward IPAs. He tears his attention away: “Our friends and family will tell you that it’s all I really talk about – luckily we still get invited to social occasions, perhaps because we always bring the beers!”
Several years have passed and Josh says some hard lessons have been learnt along the way, but he and Michelle are quietly proud of what the brewery means to west Cornwall. “Our business would be nothing without the community around us,” says Michelle, who I meet later that morning at brewery tap, The Crown, just a short drive down the hill into Penzance. “By growing sustainably, we aim to have a long-term positive impact – socially, environmentally, economically – on the area.” This genuine love for what they do and where they do it, permeates both the brewery and pub, and a little gets thrown into the hopper with every batch of beer. Just as wine critics talk of ‘terroir’, you can taste the maverick spirit of Penwith in every pint of Cornish Crown beer. Passion and community are watchwords in Josh and Michelle’s domain, as is curiosity. “We have huge respect for traditional brewing practices but also for the rebellious trailblazers of modern brewing,” Josh explains as, back at the brewery, we continue the tour past a row
LEFT Brewed for the modern palate
A B OV E Josh keeps his brewery spotlessly clean
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into full lockdown in March, the market shifted overnight into one entirely based on home consumption, something which stymied entire product lines and marketing plans for most breweries. There were depressing stories of vast amounts of beer having to be poured down the drain because it could no longer be sold in pubs. Smaller breweries were plunged into a battle for survival, but they also had some advantages. “One analogy which comes to mind is riding a push bike on a road which suddenly turns into a pitted, twisting track,” says Josh. ou re liable to fall off and it s tough going, but it’s better than driving an articulated lorry in the same circumstances.” Small breweries can be agile and responsive, and probably haven’t shelled out on the kind of marketing campaigns which, because of the change in lifestyles and habits, became irrelevant overnight.
of Scotch barrels, where he is experimenting with ageing a Vanilla Porter. “We like to go into the unknown. To experiment, innovate and push the boundaries. Sometimes it bac fires, but we re o with that We don t take ourselves too seriously – that’s one of our biggest strengths.” In fact, it seems a humble attitude and a sense of humour are essential qualities when running a small brewery in Cornwall, where the best laid plans can be affected by everything from the weather to the Wi-Fi connection…
“I think like lots of other industries, we’ve seen roughly five years of change and evolution condensed into about five months, Josh tells me. “For example, pre-Covid we were still producing quite a lot of cask beer for pubs. It was a shrinking market then, but that has been accelerated at warp-speed by the pandemic.”
However, no amount of planning could’ve predicted the total upheaval which arrived in spring 2020, like the mother of all storms scudding across Mount’s Bay under dark, laden clouds. For all of Cornwall’s breweries, from the smallest nano-brewery to the big national brands based in the Duchy, the pandemic is an almighty, ongoing challenge.
Like many small businesses, Josh immediately saw that his only option was to diversify, and to do it quickly. In the space of a few weeks he devised a plan to relaunch the brewery, practically picking it up and setting it down in mid-2025. The Cornish Crown would become a technologically advanced brewery producing a constantly evolving range of lagers and beers, canned on-site and increasingly sold direct to the public.
The raw ingredients of brewing – hops and malt – were suddenly hard to come by, and essentials like bottles and kegs were in unprecedented demand. When the UK went
Josh has invested in cutting-edge equipment for seamless production of these small
TOP Josh cares deeply about the raw ingredients he brews with
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A B OV E Words to live by!
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W O O D F O R D ARCHITECTURE
INTERIOR DESIGN
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QU E N C H
embracing the opportunity to drin a great range of beer made locally in small batches, with carbon-neutral delivery to their doors. Josh hopes this speedy adaptation will have saved his cherished brewery from the ravages of the pandemic, setting it on course to be a sustainable contributor to the life and soul of west ornwall for years to come. The phrase same storm, different boats comes to mind a lot, he says. I feel very luc y that I ve been able to adapt, and hopefully our vessel though clin ing with beer bottles and with a slightly dishevelled man at the helm is now weather-proof for what lies ahead. It’s vital that we all rally round and support small, local businesses. I now from e perience that it s more than a livelihood it s a passion.
batch lagers and hop-forward IPAs. e e plains We now have a filtration system to produce clear and crisp lagers; the hop gun to deliver optimum infusion for hoppy, punchy I As and a canning machine which allows us to be seriously agile in creating an ever-evolving range of beers.” These canned and bottled lagers and I As, designed for the modern palate, are the new focus, with sales through the relaunched website and orders delivered promptly across the UK. Meanwhile Josh has bought an electric van for local deliveries, enabling him to ma e eco-friendly doorstep drops around west Cornwall. He explains: “Local customers can also order online for ease, and delivery over a certain amount is free within the immediate area. ur customers are
cornishcrown.co.uk
A B OV E Brewed in west Cornwall for the UK’s beer lovers
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Small-batch BREWS C ove is a range of craft beers that celebrates the village of t Agnes in all its glory stunning coastal scenery, historic locations, local ingredients, fol loric tales and community spirit have been the inspiration for this contemporary canned range.
ach is handmade in small batches at the microbrewery in Trevaunance ove, from where you can hear the sea and taste the salt on the air and the eye-catching artwor for each beer was designed by local artist Jago ilver. dri wood ar rewer co ago ilver
uare ace co
1. BEACON A light and bright pale ale inspired by ha y summer days on t Agnes eacon where, from a soft carpet of sea thrift, you can see 0 miles out to sea.
le days from you ea.
2 . S E A B E R RY A reinvention of a classic aison which was brewed with sea buc thorn, or seaberry, which grows in abundance on the coast near the brewery.
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QU E N C H
A B OV E Inside the microbrewery 3. MIDNIGHT SKINNY DIPPER A smooth, rich mil stout inspired by local myths and legends of late-night shenanigans in the moonlit cove.
4 . S T I P P Y S TA P P Y A hop-forward I A named after the much-loved row of cottages in t Agnes, which once housed the captains of ships berthed down at Trevaunance ove.
BELOW Trevaunance ove
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MADE IN CORNWALL – FOR OVER 30 YEARS
01209 215 759 | enquiries@philipwhear.co.uk | www.philipwhear.co.uk DRIFT--05--AD--Philip Whear--1.00.indd 1
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Earth-led
DESIGN WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N
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“The good building is not one that hurts the landscape, but one which makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built.�
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Forestry Commission building and used this as an e perimental platform to showcase what we do. We undertoo the alterations and conversion ourselves, during and after wor ing hours, before eventually moving into our award-winning healthy, natural and sustainable o ce. This was nothing short of a master stro e not only providing themselves with the perfect base of operations, but also demonstrating to potential clients e actly what they could do, and more importantly, what they were about. ut not ust that. It enabled us to e pand and further e periment with sustainable buildings, developing, prototyping and building pre-fabricated straw bale and sheep-wool insulated buildings, alongside our day-to-day pro ects. We were, he continues, and still are, living and breathing sustainability.
his quote from American architect Frank Lloyd Wright could be considered something of a mantra for ornish firm, Arco Architecture. hampioning earth-led design, Arco designs buildings with the future in mind, although not in a way that leans solely towards loo s. f course, as you ll see in the images across the coming pages, Arco s buildings do loo good contemporary, slee , certainly built with the modern owner in mind. ut when Ian Armstrong, o- irector of this stellar ornish company, tal s about the future, he s referring more specifically to sustainability. It is Arco s belief that by e ploring your vision through a sustainable lens, you can discover innovative, modern architecture designed with your health, comfort and wellbeing at its core. years ago there was no opportunity for sustainable architecture within ornwall and no practises specialising in low-energy buildings, says Ian, as I as how it all began. eeing an opportunity, along with o- ounder and irector, athan avis, he too the opportunity to start a specialist practice with the sole purpose and passion for sustainability.
oth Ian and athan are ornish, Ian having spent all of his wor ing career here and, in his words, not wanting to leave ornwall. athan has wor ed further afield, with e perience in quantity surveying and building, prior to a life in architecture. I as what, if anything, is different about architecture here in the uchy. ornwall is a diverse county with coastal, moorland and urban areas offering a wide range of architecture and pro ects, answers Ian. We always hear how ornwall is so laid bac but actually, when you are busy wor ing, you don’t notice it! The lifestyle and beauty
They first started out from the loft of a house, Ian e plains, eventually ta ing over most of it. efore long, he says We needed a new premises to e pand. We purchased a former
PREVIOUS Featherbeds in Feock
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A B OV E A low-energy family home
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D I A LO G U E
whilst at the same time being robust, beautiful and sustainable.”
here is what keeps people in Cornwall, and what draws many of our clients and tourists to the county.
As an e ample, Ian refers to eatherbeds, a low-energy family home in eoc , with a separate building containing an indoor swimming pool, yoga room, wor shop and garaging. riginally purchased with planning permission to convert and e tend a poorly built barn, Ian e plains that with the pro ect came an element of ris that the replacement dwelling would not be supported by either Cornwall Council or that of the local Parish. This is where Arco s e perience came into its own.
“Cornwall has always been blessed with Innovators,” Ian continues. “It is a county filled with very talented people, creating opportunities in many industries, including sustainability.” He elaborates that Cornish architecture is distinctive and recognised for its sustainable approach. “Nature and natural materials feature strongly within the well-admired heritage of mining, which as you might e pect includes some of the finest quality slate and stone in the world.” And this feeds directly into the Arco2 ethos, which is, as Ian tells me: To design well considered, site-specific, bespo e buildings that are respectful to the landscape and the environment. All of our buildings are designed to be low energy, healthy and comfortable to enable a better lifestyle for our clients,
The client brief was to replace the e isting dwelling with a new family home it should be sustainable and self su cient, whilst ma ing the most of the site. Key to the brief were natural light and private views of the secluded valley locale, and also that the building should include areas of single and double storeys, using natural materials such as stone, timber
A B OV E Robust, beautiful and sustainable
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and green roofs, in con unction with modern materials like zinc. The brief demanded a contemporary design that respected the area s natural landscape and heritage, one that enabled the inside spaces to bring the outside in. It also required the incorporation of Californian, Balinese and Cornish architectural styles. In short, says Ian: “It was quite a challenge
half e pecting. In fact, he elaborates aving built our own homes, building has been our downtime That said, surfing, running, paddle-boarding and fishing are passions of mine. etting outside and en oying nature and what ornwall has to offer is a good relief from sitting down all day we are so luc y to have the coast, moors and countryside so nearby, especially important during loc down.
That said, he continues The pro ect was a success, in terms of design, construction and end product. We were able to ensure that the arish ouncil were supportive throughout the process, inviting them bac at the end to show how the quality of the scheme has proved to be good for the area as a whole creating something to truly be proud of.
nto the day to day, and a large part of Arco s portfolio is made up of pro ects for clients moving to ornwall, who are loo ing to move and build their dream homes here. With an ever-growing list of architectural firms vying for this business, I ask the obvious: why choose Arco ur sustainable ethos and awardwinning architecture, is Ian s straightforward reply. We push the boundaries of design we re Cornish, so we fully understand and appreciate the unique environment here, and we have our own sustainable construction company – ADD Sustainable Construction Ltd.”
ro ects li e this have helped Arco to nurture a roc -solid reputation for helping clients realise their aspirations. But with a portfolio that only continues to grow, how do the irectors find time to en oy their own lives in Cornwall? “Downtime is tricky for both of us,” Ian admits – an answer I was already
ut it goes deeper than that it s as much about the company’s proven processes, and
A B OV E & O P P O S I T E Waterhouse near Wadebridge
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having read briefly about Arco s three- ey phases iscovery, esign, elivery I as Ian to wal me through them. irst of all, the iscovery hase. This initial stage is vital. It allows us to understand our client’s lifestyle, needs and ambitions, which in turn inspire the design. iscovery encourages each pro ect to be founded upon sustainable living principles, and sets the path for truly unique architecture. The ne t phase esign is by and large what it says on the tin, but it’s fundamental to the Arco process. esigns are created with a focus on the client’s needs for comfort and wellbeing, says Ian. That said, all of Arco s buildings are engineered to be robust to minimise ongoing maintenance and reduce running costs through fundamentally sustainable design features . sympathetic to the rural setting within an Area of utstanding atural eauty. The finished result has completely transformed the lives of our clients, Ian tells me, opening the setting up to its beautiful estuary views and creating seamless transitions between the inside and outside spaces. What was once a typical 1980s ornish bungalow has now been replaced with a low-energy dwelling with lifetime benefits. It s a light-filled, spacious and modern family home, one that better connects with its location and ma es the most of its wonderful setting.
inally, the elivery phase. This, Ian reveals, is where your architecture pro ect meets and often surpasses the aspirations of the ourney, and where the building begins. et s ta e a loo at another recent e ample Waterhouse, near Wadebridge. With views over the river Camel, Arco2 were employed to design a replacement dwelling, to provide a site-specific and bespo e design tailored to the client s needs, without compromising on energy e ciency. It was crucial they remained
It’s clear, then – why clients not only choose, but recommend Arco2 to others. Especially this year, after two loc downs have left people around the UK in search of a healthier, more sustainable at-home lifestyle. And at a time when sustainability has never been higher on our agenda, as we loo to build a future that sees us dwelling harmoniously with the world around us, we must look at every aspect of our being in order to ma e that happen, a concept that has been at Arco s beating heart since its very inception. arco2.co.uk
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F O C U S
Moments
of WONDER WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N
For Dan Williams, photography is about capturing i age that reflect hi er onal fa cination with the natural world.
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Teigan Rundle
rowing up in Cornwall, Dan Williams was surrounded by the countryside, his fascination for wildlife in its seemingly endless forms fating him to a life spent outdoors. As an adult, his favourite pastimes include photography, fishing and falconry not only do the three roll nicely off the tongue, they also allow him to spend as much of his time as possible immersed in the outside world. “I’ve loved all species of animal since I was a child, says an, who finds fascination in each and every subject. But it is far more than just another hobby. “2020 hasn’t been great to many of us, and for me,” he explains, “photography has become a way to escape what can be a busy and stressful life.”
of Scotland. And even though the subjects change dramatically from place to place – from ornish peregrines to cottish pu ns – what remains constant is Dan’s ability to capture and share those fleeting moments of wonder, the kind of which can only be found in the natural world.
In the last year alone, Dan’s passion for wildlife and his determination to explore have taken him across the UK, from the shores of Cornwall, to the Cairngorms, the Isle of Mull, and even the Treshnish Isles
djwilliams_photography
A B OV E Dan Williams
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A B OV E Blue tit, Cornwall
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TOP Otters, Isle of Mull A B OV E u n, Isle of
ull
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RIGHT Female peregrine falcon, Cornwall
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TOP Stonechat, Cornwall
LEFT Young rabbit, Cornwall
BELOW Blackcap, Cornwall
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D I A LO G U E
Riding
HIGH
Colin Bradbury
WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G
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An inclusive sporting endeavour that is supporting cycling in Cornwall from grassroots to elite level.
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headed up by Cornish rider Steve Lampier, but its foundation lies in its supporters and grassroots cyclists. Based on what they refer to as the Saint Piran pyramid, as Team Principal Ricci is keen that they support riders at all levels.
f you have anything to do with cycling in Cornwall you’ll know Richard Pascoe, or Ricci as he has become affectionately nown in cycling circles. I first met Ricci in my early days as a journalist. His cycling shop, Bike Chain in Mount Ambrose, was a pioneer amongst the few. Taking full page adverts in Cycling Weekly, Ricci majored on mail order at a time when that really wasn’t even a thing. His stock of Italian bikes and kit bucked the trend of the more traditional offerings elsewhere and it was this early-days vision that set him up for success. He also had the foresight to take on premises at Bissoe, the start of Cornwall’s coast to coast cycling route. It s now a thriving cycling hub, offering bi e hire and a place to rest and refuel. Colin Bradbury
The base of the pyramid is aimed at the keen amateur cyclist – those who enjoy a local sportive or a Sunday social ride. You still have to apply to be a Saint Piran member, but once accepted your membership fee goes towards an inclusive calendar of events, both on and off the bi e, as well as feeding up the pyramid in support of the women’s, development and elite teams. The next tier of the pyramid is the newly launched women’s team followed by a male development team of aspiring elite riders. I’m keen to learn more and so, a very wet October day finds me at i e hain issoe. It s some 5 years since my first encounter with icci yes, we are that old!) and he is no less enthusiastic today then he was then. “It’s all about bringing
Not one to rest on his laurels, 2016 saw Ricci create a unique professional team, Saint Piran. Saint Piran is formed on a very different basis to other domestic cycling teams. Yes, there is an elite level squad, now
A B OV E Richard Pascoe
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All images Colin Bradbury
A B OV E Rattler Pro Ride 2019
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people in to develop them, and making them feel valued. Even if we have a development rider or a female rider that gets a to a level that they’re happy with and they don’t want to progress any further, then that s fine, we ll still support them. Most pro teams take a very different approach and drop all but the elite, it can be brutal. What we want to do is retain people within the organisation.” I wor on what I call my event hori on. o, what is the best thing that could happen to you in your cycling career If it was say, top si in a race then we would want to give that to you. ecause then you get rider loyalty and so that s our focus from a management point of view.”
With regard to the women s team, Jenny sees this as a unique platform for talented female riders. er team of si will compete in 0 in high level races such as the Tour eries and the National Road series and it’s a real opportunity to offer a platform for aspiring females within the race scene. or Jenny, one of the ey aspects of the women s team is to have the ability to train and race with likeminded teammates, and this is something she is keen to promote.
Colin Bradbury
icci never was one to sit still and today s no e ception. efore he has to dash off to a meeting he introduces me to the women s team manager, Jenny Bolsom to explain more.
ost teams are set up with a single cash sponsor and they might fund that team for one, two or three years. ut once that deal is over the team is left in a vulnerable position and without further funding wouldn t be able to afford to continue. The aint iran tier system has turned this on its head and all our income, whether that be from membership, sponsorship or sales of products via our brand partners goes bac to the team, giving a much more sustainable model.
A B OV E aint iran women s team captain, Jenny Bolsom
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© Tour of Britain © Tour of Britain
A B OV E aunch of the 0 Tour of ritain in en ance
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All images Colin Bradbury
A B OV E Team aint iran
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© Tour Series
D I A LO G U E
aint iran provides a support networ of riders at all different levels. All the squads can access help and nowledge across the tiers. or some riders that might be help with a bi e, for others it s tapping into the pro rider’s knowledge and expertise, for others it’s the need to be part of a well-established team and brand that allows them to compete at the highest level. We encourage everyone within the pyramid to help one another, continues Jenny. or e ample, there will be races where the womens team will be racing in the morning and the men will be racing in the afternoon. o it would be down to us to support the men with things li e handing out bottles and we would e pect them to do the same in return. And we all understand the need to work together.” We also spend time training together both with our team mates, so we can understand how each other rides and now what to e pect in a race, but also across the teams. This intermixing support allows new riders to train and get involved with more e perienced riders.
The aint iran goal has always been to create a team based on a sound, sustainable model. Its three pillars of sponsorship, brand and grassroots support is a combination that will ta e them successfully into the new cycling season. And as for ne t season, what are the plans Well, pandemic permitting, aint iran plans continue to compete at the same intensity as 2019, when the team was represented at more than 0 races across the . In terms of the new team line-up, aint iran has retained a core group of ey riders while securing some e citing new signings, including a selection of young Cornish talent. And as for icci, this year has seen the start of another new chapter. Jenny and icci have got engaged and their nine month old son, Lowen is keeping them on their toes, ensuring a new generation of cycling talent for the future! saintpiranprocycling.com
A B OV E teve ampier
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C R E AT E
Making
WAVES WORDS BY LOWENNA MERRITT
Gemma Lessinger is a painter in awe of the ever-changing nature of the ocean.
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he ridged textures, bold colours and fluid swirls of Gemma Lessinger’s paintings appear to be a homage to the ocean, and my conversation with the artist herself about her love for the sea confirms this idea. After growing up in Berkshire, G e m m a ’ s holidays to the Cornish coastline, with her husband, b e c a m e increasingly harder to return home from. Eventually, a strong admiration of the ocean was what tempted her to stay for good. This sense of marvel is what is most striking about her work – each piece brings the ocean to life in a textured myriad of colour
that almost appears to move around on the page. And this seems to have been Gemma’s intention, especially during lockdown. Living just out of walking distance from the sea, Gemma tells me of the need she felt to feel near to the coast. Working from whatever images she had on her phone of the sea was how she reignited her love for painting and brought the ocean to life in her own home during the weeks of isolation. Gemma details to me her journey with creating artwor . After studying art and design in college, her painting temporarily took a backbench as she branched off into fashion.
LEFT ‘Breaking on the Rocks’
A B OV E Gemma Lessinger
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“I have always loved art,” she tells me. “I remember being little and the only thing that would keep me quiet was painting and drawing.” This passion returned with her move to Cornwall and, since lockdown, her artistic career has snowballed. “I don’t know how I forgot how much I love doing it.” Her work is all about the ocean. It depicts the sea’s fascinating ability to change every day with the lighting, weather and seasons, being an ever-altering source of power. In Gemma’s paintings, the visible strokes of the paintbrush mirror cascading waves and ripples of water, whilst the flic s of paint replicate salty sea spray. One of the most distinct elements of her work is the texture – layers of paint form a thick crust mimicking a sand dune or a breaking wave barrel. Yet paint alone is not all that is layered onto her dazzling canvases. “Since the start I was really focused on texture – on the shorelines you’ve got the waves, the sand, the dunes and the sand ridges, and I didn’t feel that the acrylic was giving me that kind of texture”. Gemma details how she began using sea salt and mixing it in to create the texture of the waves, and then progressed to using real sand to emulate the sand dunes. “Depending on how heavy you build the layers, it creates the most amazing depth,” Gemma details, and this is indisputable. Every piece looks and feels like a mini beach scene. Her inclusion of actual elements of the beach adds a personal touch, too, as having one of these paintings in your home must feel as though you have your own little bit of the
coastline to keep. Keeping things natural is key to Gemma’s work and her ethos. “I would love to work with natural paints. I tried that in lockdown and made my own paints with plants from the garden, but you can’t get the same breadth of colours. But I like that the sand and the salt is natural.” As a member of Surfers Against Sewage, Gemma donates a certain percentage of every painting sold and supports them monthly. “I realised very quickly how precious the ocean is, and that it is being damaged, and that we aren’t helping to loo after it. And it is so vital for us. I ust want it to be known that we’ve got to look after it. emma refuses to celebrate the ocean without raising awareness of its need for conservation and protection. “Every little thing helps, even picking litter up from the beach…such a small thing really will make a difference. If everyone does that, we are heading in the right direction.” Perspective is another fascinating element of Gemma’s work. The angle you view the ocean from alters it entirely, and Gemma’s paintings play with this. Whilst some position you as almost amongst the waves, looking at the curve of a breaking wave from side on, others offer an aerial point of view, displaying the vastness of the ocean from above. Working with drone photographers George Stevens and Matt Warren is what inspired Gemma to experiment with bird’s eye view shots. Matt from ‘Kernow From Above’ produces beautiful aerial shot prints of Cornwall, all taken by drone. From above, you see things you wouldn’t usually see –
TOP LEFT ‘Daymer Bay Shoreline’ LEFT ‘Rock Beach’
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hidden coves, patterns of rocks, the bubble of water behind a breaking wave. “It became apparent,” Gemma says, “that to get what I wanted from locations I needed to have my own drone. So my lovely husband bought me one, and since then I’ve become a bit of a drone addict.” To plan a piece, she will head out to the desired location and take as many photos as needed to get the perfect shot to work from. Gemma’s latest project is, in her words, “a big one”, a collection for St Enodoc Hotel in Rock. “I love Rock and Polzeath and work there during my day job,” explains Gemma. “I look at it on a daily basis so for me it was really exciting to do a body of work based on the section of the shoreline from Polzeath to Rock. It’s so beautiful and varied, you’ve got
ol eath which is powerful and fierce, and the further you get around the coast path it gets calmer and calmer.” The selection of paintings will be on display in the hotel for people to buy and will encapsulate the different moods and atmospheres along this short, fascinating stretch of coastline. Gemma is also working on a commission project for a wedding, she tells me, creating artwork for the wedding stationery with an original painting of Porth – where the couple got engaged. She is also working on a plan for the reception, with each table featuring a different shoreline painting. Woven within the fabric of each of her pieces is authenticity, thoughtfulness and a personal touch. Projects such as these really set Gemma apart.
A B OV E ‘The Power of Polzeath’
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A B OV E ‘Crantock’
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TOP ‘The Estuary, Padstow’
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A B OV E ‘Perran Shoreline’
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Beyond creating fantastic pieces for sale, painting offers an abundance of wellbeing benefits, which I as emma about. “Lockdown was such a weird time, it made me stop and realise how busy I was, and how I wasn’t taking any time for myself. So even now I’m back to my day job, painting helps me to switch off after. It s very calming, if you’re stressed it helps you to release that. I have days where I’m a bit stressed, so to be able to release that onto a painting is really cathartic. If you can’t get it out in words, just put it onto canvas or paper.” Indeed, the blue tones and sweeping curves of Gemma’s work are immensely relaxing and creating such emotive pieces of work must be a release in itself. I ask her, should art be something everyone should try efinitely. eople say ‘I can’t do it’ or ‘I can’t paint’ and I say
just give it a try – don’t let the white paper daunt you, don’t let the thought of what it should be daunt you, just do something and see what happens. There are no rules, no good or bad, but what surprises me is that a lot of people think art is restricted, that it has to be fine art. This is what I want to help people realise, I studied art, but I was not a fine artist in any shape or form. I do it because I love it.” And this is what I take from Gemma’s work overall – a love and admiration for the ocean itself, Cornwall, and self-care. Through stunning colours and playful textures, emma creates an incentive to loo after the ocean, and the self. gemmalessinger.com
A B OV E ‘Holywell Shoreline’
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20/09/2019 12:27
C O M M E N T
Looking back
BY JONATHAN CUNLIFFE
er a ear of un recedented tu ult no od could have redicted how the ro ert ar et here in ornwall would ehave
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hen I wrote my last piece in these pages, we were just coming out of the first loc down, and I write this one as we have ust entered the second and hopefully last!), although it feels a lot li e a soft loc down this time around, as schools are still open, and most people are wor ing as normal, albeit some from home. The government have also confirmed that the property mar et should continue to function, whilst ta ing the appropriate precautions. The property mar et normally gets a bit quieter at this time of the year, and this second loc down is certainly giving it the opportunity to pause for breath after an e tremely busy summer, caused by pent-up demand, and also by an increasing number of people wanting the quality of life that ornwall provides. The latter no doubt a result of many spending the last loc down in a city flat with no outside space. The demand from buyers is still there with many focussed on securing something ready for ne t summer , but there is naturally much less property coming to the mar et at this time of the year, which of course eeps prices firmer than might one thin in winter. At this time of the year I often get as ed what I thin the mar et is going to do ne t year. The truth is I don t now. o one does, and the activity in the mar et post-loc down was not predicted with many commentators and
economists forecasting trouble for the UK property mar et as a result of oronavirus. I e pect that if we compare the reality of a mar et s behaviour with the forecasts, the charts loo quite different The turning point for the mar et was autumn 2019, with the recovery continuing after the loc down earlier this year. The stamp duty holiday is another factor and has undoubtedly been another contributor to the positive sentiment underpinning the mar et. When one analyses the mar et particularly in ornwall there are so many factors. or e ample, quarantines imposed on people holidaying abroad mean more people want to live and or holiday in ornwall rather than board an aeroplane lots of people who would normally be wor ing in ondon are now wor ing from home, and that home doesn t need to be close to ondon. And of course the country house mar et is naturally recovering from a long slump caused by the 00 00 financial crisis and then the run up to re it. If you are considering a sale in the months ahead, firstly don t write off the ne t few months, but secondly, plan ahead. et the right photography when the weather and tide are right, ensure you have all the necessary paperwor such as completion building regulation certificates, and only start mar eting or entertaining viewings once you are ready. emember, fail to prepare equays prepare to fail! onathancunli e co u
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TIMELESS,
CONTEMPORARY This spacious, detached, whitewashed villa with beautiful walled gardens lies just 200 yards from the sandy Gyllyngvase beach.
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uilt by the local landowner in the 1800s as a legacy for his sons, from the outside, it’s not hard to see why other homes built in the area during the early 20th century drew inspiration from Kerensa. Its whitewashed exterior, surmounted by stunning red-brick roof tiles, is reminiscent of the sprawling villas you might associate with the sun-baked Mediterranean – an architectural style that timelessly complements its proximity to the coast. Outside in the gardens and grounds, features of note include a garden studio – once a detached garage – which has been insulated and fitted with a new roof, making it the perfect space for a number of uses, be that a studio, office, or even a games room. The gardens themselves are enclosed from the road by stone walling with mature hedging above, and comprise two main lawned areas. The lower of these sets the house back from Cliff Road, and is home to a large garden shed. Above this you’ll find a sun terrace, with the raised and lawned rear garden separated from the house by the private brick-paved driveway. Inside the house, the interiors have been comprehensively upgraded by the current owners to offer sizeable accommodation
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that’s perfect for the modern family. As well as two reception rooms and a gorgeous kitchen/breakfast room with a separate walk-in pantry, there are three fabulous new bath shower rooms across the first and second floor, plus a newly installed gas central heating system. In total there are three/four bedrooms, all situated on the first and second floor. Along with a generous en-suite double, on the first floor you ll also find the master suite, which could be reverted to two separate rooms if required. Another double occupies the top floor, complete with an ensuite shower room and the most astounding elevated views. As if all of this was not enough, Kerensa also comes with planning consent for a two-storey extension at the rear, designed by the Cornwall based architects at Märraum. This means that while everything is ready for a family to move in, there is also room, with permissions in place, to grow. With that in mind, we think it’s fair to say that there are very few homes on the Cornish market, this close to the coast, that tick quite so many boxes.
KERENSA Guide price: £1.15M JONATHAN CUNLIFFE 01326 617447
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DEFINED by the water
A rare waterfront property on the banks of the river Fowey.
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erchants House is a large and rare waterfront freehold property located in a central yet quiet and tucked-away location, within the heart of Fowey town centre. The property is currently arranged as four residences, which are all currently used for lucrative holiday letting, and between them they offer six bedrooms of accommodation.
The waterfront section of the property has fantastic views across Fowey harbour, with two balconies and a roof terrace from which to sit and soak it all in. It also has three par ing spaces and the benefit of two frape moorings, making it the ideal residence for sailing enthusiasts. All of the properties are very well presented and in excellent decorative condition throughout. Fowey has, for many years, been renowned as a sailor s haven with fine waters and an interesting coastline to explore. It is the ideal location, not only for its stunning position set at the end of the beautiful river, but also for its interesting architecture along with its numerous restaurants, pubs and shops. It’s home to a number of independent artists and galleries too, each in their own way drawing inspiration from and celebrating the incredible coast and countryside that surround the town. Fowey harbour is well known for its safe anchorage, excellent sailing facilities and its boat building heritage, which means
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that throughout the summer, it is always bustling with numerous interesting river and sea-going vessels alike. The town also pays homage to its maritime heritage by hosting a number of major cultural and maritime events, including the renowned Daphne Du Maurier Literary Festival and Fowey Royal Regatta. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, with the South West Coast Path nearby offering superb wal ing and breathta ing scenery along a magnificent stretch of south Cornwall’s coastline, Fowey is something of a paradise. What’s more, for the non-sailing water sports enthusiast there are numerous other activities on Fowey’s doorstep, including kayaking, paddle-boarding, water skiing, windsurfing, power boating and coasteering, to name but a few, as well as an attractive beach at Readymoney Cove. Overall, given its potential for a variety of different configurations, erchants ouse is a very rare property. It offers immense versatility and potential to a variety of purchasers, including investors, holiday home buyers or even permanent residents. With a full video walk-through available via the estate agents you can see for yourself everything that it has to offer, all on the front line of one of Cornwall’s most coveted coastal towns.
MERCHANTS HOUSE O.I.E.O £2M ROHRS & ROWE 01872 306360 info@rohrsandrowe.co.uk
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A RARE breed
Rarely does a property like ier ou e nd it wa onto ornwall o en ro ert ar et
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ocated on Smeatons Pier on Quay Street, St Ives, this four-storey home boasts farreaching views of the harbour, towards Carbis Bay and beyond. The ground level is let out to The ier offee ar, a successful local business of eight years that provides the owners with a reliable annual rental income. n the first floor is a generously si ed itchen and living area – all beautifully decorated in Farrow and Ball paints (as are the rest of the rooms) – with stairs leading up to the second floor, where a light and spacious landing with seafront views welcomes you to the sleeping quarters. There are three bedrooms in total, including two doubles, one of which enjoys an en-suite shower room. The top floor, currently used as a second sitting room, would ma e a fabulous fourth bedroom. However you choose to use it, the views from the bay window here are simply staggering. Occupying a premier position in one of Cornwall’s most highly coveted seaside destinations, there are very few homes li e Pier House in Cornwall. With gorgeous interiors, spectacular views and a position just moments from the water, this St Ives home needs seeing to be believed.
PIER HOUSE Guide price: £950,000 SAVILLS CORNWALL 73 Lemon Street, Truro TR1 2PN 01872 243200 truro@savills.com
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WATERSIDE wonder
An exceptional four-storey townhouse with ‘grandstand’ harbour views.
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uilt in the 18th and early 19th centuries, with staggering views across the water, the houses on this road were once the homes of illustrious packet ship captains and leading merchants of the period. Now, they’re evidence of Falmouth’s rich maritime history, alongside the National Maritime Museum, annual regattas, and regular races that finish three times a wee , all within sight. Number 16 is one of the larger homes on Dunstanville Terrace. Deceptive from the front, on the inside, it is quite a tardis. It s effectively laid out as a generous one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor with a four-bedroom house above. The apartment features a glass atrium, flooding light into a superb, modern fitted itchen. Its ensuite bedroom has access to the rear garden, whilst the sitting room at the front has glorious views over the water. Upstairs, the remaining four bedrooms are spread across three floors, including the top-floor master, with its stunning dormer window and en-suite wetroom. There’s also a gorgeous kitchen-breakfast room, plus a cosy sitting room with its own woodburner and lovely views out across the harbour. Add to all of this the large rear gardens, all just a stone’s throw from the harbour, and this property is perfect for anybody dreaming of a life by the water. 16 DUNSTANVILLE TERRACE Guide Price: £950,000 JONATHAN CUNLIFFE 01326 617447
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SECLUDED and sublime
A stunning four-bedroom conversion of a detached, 400 year old former mill, on the edge of the Luxulyan valley.
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s spacious as it is stylish, the main accommodation includes four bedrooms, a fabulous high-spec kitchen, spectacular bathrooms (including a master en suite), and modern fittings such as underfloor heating. And although the space does feel decidedly contemporary, it nonetheless retains much of the mill’s former character, thanks to wooden floors, open beams and exposed trusses in the ceilings. Outside, beautifully built seating areas are perfect for entertaining, as is a tempting under-cover hot tub, from which you or your guests can soak up far-reaching views, over and beyond the valley. Further to the owner’s accommodation are three detached cottages, ideal for either holiday or long-term letting, as well as an additional wooden cabin (previously a successful Airbnb let , a detached home o ce, and a car port. Add to all of this wooden stables, a field shelter and 0. 5 acres of paddoc , and The ill not only suits the lifestyle of a modern family in need of room to grow; it lends itself perfectly to anybody with equestrian interests, all the while proffering a potentially lucrative additional stream of income. THE MILL Guide price: £1.485M ROHRS & ROWE 01872 306360 info@rohrsandrowe.co.uk
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GEORGIAN SPLENDOUR
Built circa 1820, this Grade II listed former rectory has been recently refurbished to create an exceptionally stunning family home.
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tarting from the outside, the gardens and grounds here are breathtaking. Your approach to the home is via a gravel driveway lined with mature trees, and as you make your way around to the rear, you’re met with neat landscaped gardens, mainly laid to lawn, with stone walls marking the boundary and vibrant hydrangeas dominating the borders.
Into the main house, renovations include new wiring, plumbing and brand-new bathroom suites in each of the five bedrooms. And yet, the living spaces retain much of their Georgian character, with original features such as the shutters and open fireplaces remaining prominent. The result is a characterful contemporary home with stunning modern bathrooms, a gorgeous shaker style kitchen and spacious yet cosy living spaces, all harmoniously balanced with modern fi tures and traditional natural materials. As well as an attached two-bedroom anne e, complete with its own itchen, dining and sitting room, Sancreed comes complete with a number of further outbuildings. One is a traditional stone barn, with power and water, which has been partially refurbished with a new roof and offers the potential for conversion into further accommodation. There is also an artist’s studio, which speaks of the property’s previous ownership by Cornish landscape artist, John Miller, not to mention the recent addition of the pool house. Built just two years ago, the
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P RO P E RT Y concrete/tiled pool can be heated by any combination of solar, heat pump and woodburner; the building itself has an insulated pine roof with e posed trusses and skylights, plus a shower, with ample room for loungers and even a hot tub, should you wish to install one. Impressively, Sancreed also comes with three one-bedroom holiday cottages. Built in 2018 and all with unrestricted residential use, these represent a lucrative additional income stream, especially when you consider that each cottage is furnished to a five-star standard, with oa floors, wood-burning stoves and fully fitted kitchens complete with dishwashers and osch coffee machines nto the location and you ll find the village of Sancreed in west Cornwall, just a short distance from both Penzance and Newlyn. The nearby coastline includes worldrenowned beaches such as Sennen Cove and Porthcurno, while the wider Penwith peninsula – renowned for its unique, rolling landscape – is a paradise for anybody who wants to spend their days e ploring. It is fast becoming a hub of creative culture too, being home to a growing number of galleries, from the Tate in St Ives to the Jackson Foundation Gallery in St Just, alongside global cultural and icons including St Michael’s Mount and the Minack Theatre. It is a truly wonderful part of the world, and the meticulously refurbished accommodation of Sancreed is an enviable base from which to enjoy it. SANCREED Guide price: £1.65M SAVILLS CORNWALL 73 Lemon Street, Truro TR1 2PN 01872 243200 truro@savills.com
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I N SPI R AT I O N
Room to MOVE
There’s something to be said for having space where we live.
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fter months of being unable to leave our homes this year, we re sure that many people will agree. ot only does it allow for a healthier lifestyle at home, one in which everybody can find their own quiet corner to rela and reflect, it also gives those of us wor ing from home ample space to do so without distraction. And this is a trend that s on the rise, with employers around the seeing the benefits of a remote wor force. As an e ample, let s ta e a loo at wel an orwel currently on the mar et with hilip artin, with no chain and a guide price of 5,000. A very large detached family home, this stunning property has recently been converted from a former agricultural building, on the outs irts of tic er village near t Austell. Inside, as well as a huge open-plan itchen, dining and sitting room, there are a total of four bedrooms five if you include the self-contained anne e , including a fabulous master suite with its own dressing room. ou ll also find a study, ideal for wor ing from home, and even a cinema room,
perfect for movie nights on those blustery ornish winter evenings. ven on the coldest nights, you ll be blissfully unaware of the weather than s to underfloor heating and a delightful, cleverly positioned woodburner on the ground floor. utside, the gardens feel wonderfully private and enclosed. To the rear you ll find a very useful storage shed, ideal for gardening equipment, as well as two static caravans, which are due to be removed. This will create a considerable space and thereby open up a world of possibilities for anybody interested in further development, be that with a studio, o ce, or even another dwelling sub ect to consent . To put it simply, with so much and more to offer, all in ust under an acre, it s rare to find a property quite as spacious, versatile and contemporary as this one. If you re one of countless buyers in search of more space after this year s loc downs, then really, you need to see wel an orwel. philip-martin.co.uk
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A world AWAY
There is magic to be found in Cornwall’s wild places, from the innermost heart of the countryside, to the fringes of the coast and the ocean beyond.
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eparating Crantock from Pentire Point on the north Cornish coast, the annel estuary gently but firmly carves its way along the western border of Newquay. Stunning salt marshes with swathes of reedbeds are lined with white sandy beaches, all inhabited by an eclectic mi of wild flora and fauna. The area is ripe for exploring, with endless miles of coastal paths and ational Trust owned countryside to discover. The tranquil waters of the estuary open up a world of possibility too, and whether your interests lie in swimming, kayaking, paddle-boarding, or simply dipping your toes on the waterline from one the estuary’s sandy beaches, the ocean is an integral part of life here. Indeed, this is the kind of place that reminds you that Cornwall belongs to the sea, and that any kind of life here should be lived harmoniously with in. Of course now, more than ever, that is the kind of life that 0 0 has left many of us dreaming of, and so it was with great foresight that Cornwall based CAD architects designed Tides each a unique, contemporary build of just six houses, each designed to the highest specification, situated a mere stone s throw from the banks of the estuary.
Each house has four bedrooms; four are semi-detached, two are detached. They all enjoy reverse-level accommodation, as well as stunning roof terraces that maximise their outlook across this beautiful stretch of coastal ornwall. Internal specifications are designed to offer the utmost in contemporary luxury and functionality. Kitchens feature stone composite worktops, integrated NEFF appliances, wine coolers and boiling water taps. Wide plank engineered oa flooring runs throughout the living areas and hallways, while the bedrooms en oy 00 wool carpets. emoteaccess underfloor heating is fed by economic air-source heat pumps, and on the subject of technology, you ll find in-built ceiling speakers in the living room, lounge and master bedroom. Available through David Ball Agencies’ Luxury Collection, with prices starting at £595,000, as more seek to swap their busy lives in or near the city for the calming pace of life by the sea, opportunities such as this are becoming fewer and further between. davidballagencies.co.uk
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BESPOKE CURTAINS AND BLINDS HANDMADE IN CORNWALL CURTAINS, BLINDS, SHUTTERS, UPHOLSTERY, CUSHIONS, HEADBOARDS, CARPETS & PAINTS. INTERIOR DESIGN, MEASURING & FITTING SERVICE. mail@cotton-mills.co.uk www.cotton-mills.co.uk 1Infirmary Hill, TRURO, TR1 2JB 01872 278545
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Guiding
LIGHTS WO R D S B Y DA N WA R D E N
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I C O N
Cornwall’s lighthouses remain steadfast in their duty, even in the worst Atlantic storms.
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e at DRIFT are obsessed with the water. Our very name hints at the idea of floating, of currents, of the endless flow of rivers and the irresistible push and pull of the tides. We love the water because it is such an integral part of ornish life, of our history and our heritage. Today, the word coast con ures up dreamy oases of ice cream and shoreline paddles, however historically it has represented something of a double-edged sword. Whilst entire communities have, for generations, forged their livelihoods from it by fishing, the ocean is nonetheless fic le, unpredictable, and dangerous by its very nature. At the very least, it is a neighbour to wary of. Arguably the most iconic and visible reminders of this are ornwall s lighthouses. Interestingly, the first such structure in ornwall wasn t built until the early th century, and yet ust a quic search of ornish shipwrec s yields a long list of incidents dating as far bac as the 00s. We can only guess as to how many went unrecorded. The reason for so many tragedies ornwall, nowadays, is celebrated for its rugged coastline. n any number of coastal wal s you can loo out to sea and watch brea ers rolling across sharp, treacherous reefs, many of which lie hidden beneath the surface. In centuries, even millennia
gone by, without the accurate sea charts and navigational equipment that today is considered standard, these ha ards were points of peril for anybody forging a livelihood at sea. It was, then, a huge relief to seafarers when the first lighthouses were built. ot only did they warn sailors of dangerous stretches of water, each lighthouse s individual signal allowed their location to be determined too. And whilst, to begin with, they were no more sophisticated than coal fires at the tops of towers, as technology improved, they gradually evolved to utilise oil lamps, then bulbs, and are now entirely automated and unmanned, some even ma ing use of solar power. ornwall is home to nine lighthouses in total, not including those at the end of harbour piers in en ance, ewlyn and t Ives. ach is an icon, and each has its own intriguing, and often tumultuous, history. Lizard Lighthouse, built 1752 In fact, the first purpose built tower here was erected in . ornishman ir John illigrew applied for a patent, which was granted on the proviso that the light be e tinguished should enemy vessels or pirates be seen approaching. nfortunately illigrew s hope that passing ships would contribute financially to the up eep of the lighthouse was proven ill-founded, and when James I imposed a fee of one halfpenny per ton on all vessels passing the light, such was
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©National Trust Images/Joe Cornish Dan Leonard
A B OV E ongships ighthouse, and s nd
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TOP i ard ighthouse www.nationaltrust.org.u
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the uproar from shipowners that Killigrew’s patent was withdrawn, the light extinguished, the tower demolished. The lighthouse as we now know it was built by Thomas Fonnereau, supported by The Corporation of Trinity House, which is now a charity dedicated to the safeguarding of shipping and seafarers. Longships Lighthouse, built 1795 Victorian art critic John Ruskin described the motion of the seas around the cliffs of and s End as “an entire disorder of the surges”, comparing it to “the defeated division of a great army, throwing all behind it into disorder”. Up until the 1790s, the area was devoid of navigational aid. On 30th June 1791, Trinity ouse obtained a patent after a petition from seafarers, giving a lease to ieutenant enry Smith, who would erect a lighthouse on the ongships islets. A three-storey circular tower, designed by Samuel Wyatt, was erected soon thereafter on arn ras, the largest of the islets. Rising 12 metres above high tides, it stood for almost a century, however the lantern was often obscured by water during stormy weather. For this reason, in 1875 Wyatt’s tower was replaced by the present circular tower of grey granite. uilt by ir James ouglas, Trinity ouse s ngineer-in- hief, that tower still stands today. In 1988 it was automated, and is now controlled from Trinity House’s Planning Centre in Essex. St Anthony’s Head Lighthouse, built 1835 According to Trinity ouse, a large red flag was flown here to aid navigation as early as the th century, however it was taken down in 1779 to prevent its use by invading fleets. The lighthouse that now occupies the position sits at the entrance to the waterways of Falmouth harbour and the renowned sailing waters of the Carrick Roads. These waterways are of great historic importance; in fact, King
Henry VIII had the castles of St Mawes and Pendennis built to defend them. The lighthouse was commissioned by Trinity House in 1835 to warn ships of ‘The Manacles’ a set of treacherous roc s off the i ard peninsula as well as the dangers of lac Rock, which lurks right in the centre of the harbour entrance. What were once the keepers’ cottages have since been converted into holiday lets, offering a truly unique place to stay. Trevose Head, built 1847 A lighthouse was first proposed for this stretch of the north coast as early as 1809, and was considered again by Trinity House in 1813 and then , but it was not until st ecember that a light first shone from the headland at Trevose. Towering 150 feet above the water, the lighthouse underwent extensive alterations and work in 1911 to install a fog signal – an ‘enormous trumpet’ – which was later replaced in 1963. The structure was manned by keepers until 0th ecember 5, when the lighthouse was automated. Godrevy Lighthouse, built 1858 Godrevy Island stands what feels like a stone’s throw from odrevy eadland. eyond it lie The tones. uring the first half of the th century there was a significant increase in the coastal passenger and commercial trade, which in turn brought many ships along the north Cornish coast to St Ives. While the town flourished, the natural path for ships sailing there lay dangerously close to The Stones, and as you might expect, without a lighthouse or any means of warning ships of the dangers, the reef claimed more than its share of victims. It wasn’t until 1854, when screw steamer SS Nile was wrecked – with the loss of all passengers and crew – that Trinity House decided to take action. Consultant engineer, James Walker, provided the design,
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and the first light shone on st arch 5 . metres high, the white octagonal tower is built from rubble stone bedded in mortar. While the structure still stands, it was automated in 1934 with a new lens; in 1995 it was converted to solar-powered operation, then in 0 , the light was moved from the original tower to a new steel structure on the adjacent rock.
that the Admiralty provided Winstanley with a warship for protection during the days that work took place. One morning the guard did not arrive, and in its stead came a French privateer, which took Winstanley to France against his will. When ouis I was advised of the events, he ordered Winstanley’s release, saying that France was at war with England, “not with humanity”.
Wolf Rock Lighthouse, built 1869 Tac ing bac towards and s nd, Wolf oc ighthouse is a tower built into a steep, craggy roc around eight miles off-shore. Thanks to gargantuan swells in the area, the rock is rarely out of the water, and such high seas would designate a number of attempts to erect a beacon here throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries, to fail. To add scale to the di culties, during the years - 0, an iron beacon was positioned on the rock, designed by James Wal er. uring those five years, it was recorded that there were only 302 hours during which work could be carried out. That said, Walker’s beacon was to be a success and even today, remains part of the present landing. The granite tower that now defines Wolf oc ighthouse was also designed by Wal er, wor on which began in 1861. True to Wolf Rock form, by the end of 1864, only 37 stones in the second course of masonry had been laid, and it wasn’t until 1869 that the tower was completed, the light being brought into service early the following year. Eddystone Lighthouse, built 1882 Eddytone’s is a tale of four towers, their history dating bac to . The first Winstanley’s Tower – lasted until the Great Storm of 1703, which erased almost all traces of it. Its construction took place while England was at war with France, and such was the importance of the ‘Eddystone Project’ (given the reef ’s ill repute in the maritime world),
The second beacon to be built here was Rudyerd’s Tower – a wooden structure that would stand for 47 years, patented by Captain ovett and built by architect, John udyerd. Its demise came about on nd ecember 55, when the roof caught fire. enry all, who was on watch, did his best alongside his fellow eeper to put the fire out, but the fire remained above them, cremating the structure from the top down. In the fray, as he looked up at the inferno, a piece of molten lead is said to have fallen into his throat, which meant that despite he and his companion’s rescue from the rocks in high seas, Hall died 12 days later with a post-mortem revealing a .5o piece of lead in his stomach. Accustomed to the benefits of a light atop the Eddystone Reef, mariners were keen to have udyerd s Tower replaced as quic ly as possible. As a temporary measure, Trinity House placed a lightvessel in the area until a permanent tower could be built, then in 1956, on the recommendation of the Royal Society, Yorkshireman John Smeaton was assigned to the ob. asing his tower on the shape of an English oak tree, but using stone instead of wood, Smeaton employed the toughest labourers he could find, many of whom were ornish tin miners. ocal granite was used for the foundations and facing, for which meaton s newly invented quic -drying cement – which is still used today – would prove invaluable. Other ingenious methods of construction were pioneered during the tower’s
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August Schwerdfeger Alvaro, CC BY-SA 3.0 Visit Cornwall – Adam Gibbard
CENTRE Wolf oc , eight miles off-shore BOTTOM Trevose Head, 150 feet above sea level
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TO P L E F T & R I G H T t Anthony s ead left ouglass Tower right stands on the Eddystone reef, beside the remains of Smeaton’s
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Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 4.0 August Schwerdfeger CC-BY-4
A B OV E Tater u
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construction, including the use of dovetail joints and marble dowels, as well as a device for hoisting large blocks of stone from ships to the di ying heights the tower s crown. meatons Tower first shone on th ctober 5 , and held firm until the 0s when crac s began to form in the roc beneath. After 0 years, the top half was dismantled and re-erected on Plymouth Hoe as a monument to the builder. That brings us to ouglass tower, of . After the dismantling of meaton s, no time was wasted. That said, the task of building a new tower did represent a great opportunity to incorporate many of the day’s most advanced ideas in lighthouse construction, which, by , had become a far more scientific endeavour. William ouglass built the present lighthouse using larger stones, dovetailed to each other on all sides, as well as to the courses above and below. The structure was complete in 1882 and was opened by the u e of dinburgh, who laid the final stone. In May 1982 – a century later – it became the first Trinity ouse roc lighthouse to be automated.
Tater Du Lighthouse, built 1965 pened by The u e of loucester in 5, Tater u is ornwall s most recently built lighthouse. Its construction was prompted in 1963 by the tragic loss of Spanish coaster, Juan Ferrier, and the lives of 11 on board. It was built as an automatic installation, to warn ships of the deadly unnelstone oc s to the west of en ance. Modernised in 1996, it’s now monitored and controlled from the Trinity House Planning Centre. It is di cult nowadays to imagine the coastline at night without the recognisable signals of these iconic Cornish structures. Similarly to our engine houses and historic stone circles, they are a visible reminder of our heritage specifically, of our historic relationship with the ocean. espite the known dangers of our coastlines and the countless lives lost at sea, they are nevertheless recent additions to the landscape, and by virtue of their being present, remind us of a time when they weren’t.
One word that seems apt along much of Cornwall’s coastline, at least for sailors, is ‘inhospitable’. This is certainly the case for the shoreline between Pendeen and Gurnard’s Head. Without any form of guiding light and with the high cliffs bloc ing out any view of other lighthouses to the east or west, many ships have foundered along this stretch, particularly on the groups of sunken and exposed rocks near Pendeen Watch. No surprise then, that at the close of the 19th century, Trinity House decided to erect a lighthouse and fog signal here. The facility was automated in 1995, with the keepers leaving their station and relinquishing control of the signal to Trinity House’s Planning Centre in Essex.
Wusel007, CC BY-SA 3.0
trinityhouse.co.uk
Pendeen Lighthouse, built 1900
A B OV E The wreck of the RMS Mülheim, near and s nd
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Sarah Seddon | Featured Artist 1st December to 10th January 2021 This unique collection of twenty etchings, created over the last twelve years, is inspired by Francisco de Goya’s ‘Los Caprichos’ series of satirical etchings and aquatints, that addresses our own recent time in history. Set in the innocuous setting of an allotment, Sarah’s images use visual metaphor to expose the contemporary social and political predicaments we are facing in the early 21st century.
Take a 3D tour of each show via our website Private viewings and a parking space are available. Please call or book online
g a l l e r y The Parade, Polzeath, PL27 6SR | 01208 869 301 | art@whitewatergallery.co.uk | whitewatergallery.co.uk
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MURDER
she wrote
©National Trust Images/Chris Lacey
WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G
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Imaginary misdemeanours inspired by Cornish settings; author Nicola Upson re-captures the Golden Age of crime writing.
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appenstance couldn’t be more of a suitable word in summing up the beginning of Nicola Upson’s crime fiction writing career. It all began at her home in Cambridge, with a copy of a catalogue of National Trust cottages and a search for a holiday. Nicola and her partner Mandy Morton were looking for a week away and having both holidayed in Cornwall in their younger days decided upon Whitstone Cottage, a pretty thatched property on the edge of the Penrose Estate, just outside orthleven. We ust fell in love with the village. We loved the restaurants and we loved the beach. To this day, there is nowhere we would rather be than sitting on Blue Buoy steps, says icola. uch was the draw of the area that they returned the following year to stay at Helston Lodge, a former gate house on the edge of Loe Pool, in the heart of enrose state.
The idea for Nicola’s series of crime novels, which star real-life mystery writer Josephine Tey as an amateur sleuth, started at Helston odge At the time I was trying to write a biography of Josephine Tey and I was coming up against a lot of bric walls. he was a very private person and there just wasn’t enough information to write a full ob ective biography.
We had had a couple of glasses of wine one evening and Mandy said to me ‘Oh, for God’s sa e ust ma e it up and that s how it began. The tale continues during Nicola and Mandy’s stay at elston odge. eing ovember, the weather wasn’t great and so for something to do on a wet afternoon we went to the estate agents in Porthleven and ended up putting our name down on their mailing list. ne day, a few wee s later, a photocopied set of particulars came through the door. It was for a rade II listed thatched cottage in the very heart of the village that had once been part of the Penrose state. We instantly fell in love with it and felt it was meant to be and so called and offered the as ing price without even seeing it. We couldn t afford it, it was really rather ridiculous. ome 0 years ago estate agents wouldn t accept offers without viewings and so on a dark February night Mandy drove to Cornwall, arriving in the early hours of the morning with snow on the bonnet. A viewing the ne t day confirmed what they already new and the cottage was theirs. I find that it s the very cottage I have always envied on my wal s through Porthleven – always a lamp on in the window and a laptop on the coffee table, a writer s haven.
A B OV E Nicola Upson
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Joshua Billington
A B OV E Porthleven
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Nicola and Mandy now try to divide their time equally between Cambridge and Cornwall and the cottage is a place where they both write: “There’s something about the freedom, the energy and the peace there that suits us very well.” Fitting then, that Nicola’s detective Archie Penrose is named in honour of the estate and that the second book in her series, Angel With Two Faces, is set largely In Penrose and Porthleven.
attempt to write a biography. But one day, I got bac to my flat in ambridge and my flatmate said “John Gielgud’s called, you’ve just missed him!” Fortunately he phoned back and we had two, afternoon-length conversations about Tey and what he remembered of her and their friendship. He also told me so much about the theatre of the 1930s and 40s that I was able to feed it into the books. It’s a lovely backdrop to have.”
Having read English at Downing College, Cambridge, Nicola spent some time as a freelance arts journalist, starting a magazine dedicated to women’s arts, writing and literature before becoming Head of Marketing at Cambridge Arts Theatre. I’m intrigued as to why the interest in Josephine Tey and Nicola explains that it this was the theatre in a way that created it: “The Cambridge Arts Theatre goes back to 1936. Founded by the economist Maynard Keynes it was built not only to give the town that he loved a theatre, but also as a stage where his wife, the ballet dancer Lydia Lopokova, could act and dance. I think that’s just the most romantic thing and it’s the romance of the theatre and the West End during that period that was really resonant with me when I started to write these books. I suppose that’s what drew me to Josephine Tey.”
Nicola had already written a number of nonfiction titles but her first foray into fiction was something of a terrifying prospect. “There were gaps in Tey’s life that no-one knew about; she was quite a contrary and contradictory person in a good way but it left much intrigue. o, she actually suited the fictional approach perfectly. Sitting down to write those early chapters was hard, especially writing dialogue and making people sound as though they were actually talking to each other.”
“During her lifetime Tey was just as famous as a playwrite as she was a crime writer and of particular interest to me was a play she wrote called Richard of Bordeaux, which was subsequently directed by and starred John Gielgud. He was already a well-respected classical actor, but it was this play that turned Gielgud into a celebrity overnight.” “I was lucky enough to start researching my books when Gielgud was still alive and I even got to speak to him on the phone. I wrote to him to ask if he would help me, not expecting a reply, as at the time of Tey’s death many of her friends had refused to cooperate with any
The first couple of boo s in the series were much more rigorously plotted at the beginning than they are now. I needed that structure – I needed to know where I was going. Now, I’m much more comfortable to be quite a long way through the book before I know how the ends are going to tie up. That s fine because I now have the experience to just keep faith with it and that it will be alright in the end.” Nicola attributes her early successful transition from non-fiction to fiction down to Escalator, a scheme run by the Arts Council and the National Centre for Writing that helps writers who are at a turning point or a crossroads in their career. “It was good to have the endorsement of that and also both Mandy and I had incidentally come to know PD James through our respective careers. Mandy had produced her radio biography for Radio 2 and I had been to see her to her to talk about Tey as she was a huge fan. She was very supportive of me and was fantastic through the writing
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of my first novel. ight up until her death she loved the books; she took a great and active interest in them. To talk things through with someone who had such a brilliant mind and wicked sense of humour, and who was so wise and so generous, was just brilliant. I can’t overestimate how valuable that was.” icola admits to finding the first third of any book the hardest: “It’s like walking into a room of strange people and having to get to know them quite quickly. There are always so many things you want to include when a boo first starts but it’s better to drop a few of those and let the book breathe a bit more – ironically the books get a richness, a texture and a depth when you pack less into them.” I ask Nicola about her characters, eager to know if she already has her cast in mind at the start. “I have a fair idea of who the cast will be when I begin but they develop in different ways. Their function in the book can change. Sometimes they die sooner than expected and sometimes they die when I was convinced that they were going to live. They do quite literally take on a life of their own! Angel with Two Faces was a particularly lovely book to write in terms of character as I had lots of help with research from interviewing some of the more elderly people in the village of Porthleven. To have that real richness of experience and know for sure what the village was like in the 1930s from the memories of their parents and grandparents was invaluable.” Escalator was also invaluable when it came to icola securing her first publishing contract. Through the scheme she was promoted to the industry: “My agent did the actual submission process. There were some rejections along the way but I was always secretly hoping for Faber & Faber. As a publishing house it has a beautiful tradition of crime writing with PD James and Cyril Hare to name just a few from its long history.”
It was actually Phyllis (PD James) herself who called to tell Nicola the news: “You’re getting an offer from aber dear, she said, to which Nicola replied that she was sure they were still considering her manuscript. hyllis was firm in her response o dear, you are getting an offer from aber I can think of no better way to hear about winning a publishing contract. Nicola’s novels take about a year to research and write, accumulating a plethora of notes and photographs: “A sense of place is really important in the books so that’s the single most important piece of research. I write on Leonard, my laptop named in honour of Leonard Woolf, and all of my books have been written on it. I’m incredibly superstitious about it. It’s not connected to the modern world, I use it more as a glorified typewriter. If I m going to have a good day writing I also need to ditch the phone – it’s too intrusive. I write listening to music that suits the tone of the content. As The Dead of Winter is set on St Michaels’ Mount and its incredible church, choral music and Gregorian chants became its soundtrack. The book I’m writing at the moment is set in uffol , on the cusp of World War II breaking out, and so I’m currently listening to June Tabor and Pentagle – music that evokes Old England.” It’s been a strange year for everyone and Nicola and Mandy haven’t been able to spend as much time in their Cornish home as they would have liked, but it’s not stopped them being creative. andy started and finished a novel in lockdown, while Nicola tells me she was not quite so disciplined but has continued to write apace. I look forward to seeing the lights on in the cottage and eonard on the coffee table once again. The Dead of Winter is published by Faber & Faber (Hardback, November 5th 2020, £12.99). faber.co.uk
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ere in the UK, the top 50% of taxpayers account for 90.5% of the total tax receipts, with 85% of taxpayers liable for basic rate, 13% higher rate and 2% additional rate income tax. While most of us would agree that tax is important to provide and maintain our public services, there are some instances where those with relatively modest incomes are being taxed more than the very wealthy. igh Income hild enefit harge is the first. hild enefit remains universal, however if you have an adjusted net income of more than £50,000 and you or your partner claim hild enefit, you may have to pay a tax charge known as the ‘High Income hild enefit harge . or those with an adjusted net income between £50,000 and 0,000, this is of the total benefit for every £100 of income over £50,000. Those earning over 0,000, effectively receive no
hild enefit at all. The charge applies to the partner with the highest adjusted net income, regardless of who actually receives hild enefit. Take Mr and Mrs Smith, for example. They have four children under the age of 16, for which Mrs Smith claims £3,270.80 a year in Child enefit. While rs mith does not wor , Mr Smith has a basic salary of £50,000. His employer generously awards him a bonus of £10,000, which brings his total adjusted net income to £60,000. As a result, not only will Mr Smith be liable to £4,000 additional income tax, but they will also lose 100% of their hild enefit. This results in an effective ta rate of on r mith s bonus. The second instance is Personal Allowance Reduction. Your personal allowance is the amount of income you can earn in a year without any liability to income tax. What people often do not realise is that your
A B OV E A little planning can go a long way
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allowance gradually reduces to nil if you earn £100,000 to £125,000 (2020/21). This means the effective rate of ta for these earners is 60%. Your allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 earned over £100,000. As an example, Miss Phillips has a basic salary of £100,000. During the year she receives her annual performance-related bonus of £10,000. Not only will she be liable for the higher rate 40% tax (£4,000) she will also lose £5,000 of her personal allowance, resulting in a further £2,000 income tax. This results in an effective ta rate of 0 on iss hillips bonus.
then keep her personal allowance intact. This means she can add £10,000 into her pension for a real cost of only ,000. Of course, this is one of a number of solutions to the above dilemmas. Other options are available which reduce your overall tax liability without locking the funds up for retirement. Tax planning is, however, a complex area with many interlinked issues, so if you would like to discuss your options or would like help or advice, it makes sense to call the advisers at At ins errie Wealth Management on 01872 306422 to book your initial review and consultation.
o how can these rates be mitigated ften the most e cient solution is an additional pension contribution. In the earlier example loo ing at r and rs mith s hild enefit, if Mr Smith contributed £10,000 gross into a pension, the igh Income hild enefit Charge would be negated entirely. This means he can add £10,000 into his pension for a real cost of only , . 0. Likewise, Miss Phillips could contribute £10,000 gross into her pension, which would
afwm.co.uk A B OV E Could you reduce your liability for hidden ta es
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WATCH A new series follows the lifesaving Cornwall Air Ambulance team as they respond to emergencies around the south west.
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hether you live in Cornwall, or regularly holiday in the county, it is very likely you will have spotted the ornwall Air Ambulance flying overhead on a mission. The charity’s new red and yellow helicopter is unmista able and often turns up in unexpected places, even on occasion in someone’s back garden. You might have seen it land on the beach, on moorland or at the roadside, but what you don’t see is what happens ne t. ach year the helicopter flies on over 750 missions across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The critical care paramedics on board the air ambulance are tasked to the most seriously sick and injured patients in the county. So, when the helicopter lands on scene, that is just the start of the story. In order to give the public an insight into the lifesaving service their donations provide, Cornwall Air Ambulance opened its doors to a film crew for a special documentary series. The show Cornwall Air 999 follows the charity’s critical care paramedics and pilots as they attend emergencies over the
busy summer months. The series for digital TV channel, Really, focuses on real-life rescue situations, the patients helped by the aircrew and the effect ovid- has had on the service. “Lots of people see the helicopter out and about in the summer, but what they might not be aware of is that we are a charity,” says Air perations cer, teve arvey. “Cornwall Air Ambulance relies on public donations to fly these missions and reach people in their moment of need. So, as a charity it is important to raise awareness about the types of incidents we attend, and how vital the service is here in Cornwall. But it is equally special for our supporters to be able to see first-hand the service they are funding and the difference they ma e to people’s lives.” When the red phone rings at the charity’s airbase near Newquay, no one knows what or where the next emergency will be. Capturing film footage of real-life rescues, often in very challenging situations, was the task for
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Wadebridge-based Beagle Media. A camera operator followed the crew on daily shifts over the summer, travelling to scenes in the helicopter alongside the aircrew. Along with this, cameras were fitted into the helicopter and paramedics wore bodycams to capture different types of footage on scene. For Steve, being in front of the camera is no new e perience. In over 0 years with Cornwall Air Ambulance, he has previously featured on television shows about his work as part of the aircrew, which includes leading a team of 0 paramedics. “It becomes second nature wearing the cameras and you do forget they are there; on scene our focus is solely on helping our patient,” says Steve. “I think viewers will enjoy seeing some of the environments we land in, the novel ways in which we sometimes have to reach a patient and how we work together as a team to provide the best possible care. We are also in the fortunate position of enjoying the views of Cornwall from the air every day, so it’s nice to be able to share that too.”
The series follows the aircrew from the moors of west Penwith, to the beaches of the north coast and even over the border into Devon, covering emergencies such as road tra c collisions, serious falls and agricultural incidents. Paula Martin, Chief Executive of Cornwall Air Ambulance, says: “What our critical care team do is amazing; they are there for people in their absolute moment of need, providing lifesaving emergency care. This year they have had an even greater challenge than normal responding to incidents during the ovidpandemic. We are delighted that viewers across the country will be able to see this firsthand, to understand the difference ornwall Air Ambulance makes to families and how important it is to support the charity. It’s going to be a very exciting watch.” Cornwall Air 999 airs on Discovery’s Freeview digital TV channel Really on Tuesdays at 9pm, or stream online at www.discoveryplus.co.uk cornwallairambulancetrust.org
A B OV E See the air ambulance and its crew in action
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BY MALCOLM BELL
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hy do so many people love Cornwall, not just those who were lucky enough to be born here, like myself, but also those who have come to share the Duchy with us? I truly believe it is the sea and the environment, which not only shapes what you see but how you feel about the most important things in life and our culture, our views on life, and that feeds through to our communities. The sea and the environment is the driver that brings mindfulness and balance to those who live here and those five million who visit us in Cornwall each year. You only have to spend time looking out to sea, watching the power of the waves, looking up at the sky and stars at night, to realise that our time on our planet is limited and not to get self-obsessed, as we are only one miniscule part of the world – if that! o, when life seems hard, testing and di cult I have a suggestion that I hope will help you, as it has helped me and will do in the future. For those lucky enough to live here, go to your favourite cliff top or beach. or those of you outside Cornwall take a few minutes and close your eyes and go there in your mind’s eye. Now listen to the sound of the sea and the waves,
the smell of the ocean and the feel of the sea spray mist on your face. Look to the horizon and reflect on the fact that the view in front of you, or in your mind’s eye, has been the same for hundreds if not thousands of years and during that time, people have endured so much but kept going. Concentrate on great memories and experiences you have had and think of those you will have in the future. List what you have already achieved and got, not on any failures and not what you haven’t got. All too often marketing and advertising can make us feel envious of others or even worse that we have failed to achieve. We must banish negativity from any unintended consequence of today’s media and even more importantly the frequent corrosive impact of social media, where too many people portray their lives as perfect and can make you feel a failure. Just go to the ocean in your mind, see the horizon, hear the waves, breathe deeply and think positively, life is and will be good and we can work through any transient issues. This is the appeal and the true spirit of Cornwall. visitcornwall.com
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