DRIFT 46

Volume No46 £10.00

A world

in COLOUR Heightening the beauty of the landscape with a romantic sense of charm and joy

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J O U R N A L

F O R

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D I S C E R N I N G

Drift /drift/

noun 1. the act of driving something along 2. the flow or the velocity of the current of a river or ocean stream

verb 1. to become driven or carried along, as by a current of water, wind, or air 2. to move or float smoothly and effortlessly

We invite you to continue your lifestyle voyage online.

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On the cover Room With A View, by landscape painter Debbie Lush.

As featured from page 30.

debslush

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DRIFT is published by: Engine House Media LTD Holbrook, The Moors, Porthleven, Cornwall TR13 9JX www.enginehousemedia.co.uk www.levenmediagroup.co.uk

ISSN 2632-9891 © All rights reserved. Material may not be re-produced without the permission of Engine House Media Ltd. While DRIFT 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. Engine 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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Engine House Media Ltd. It is suggested that further advice is taken over any actions resulting from reading any part of this magazine.

Engine House Media Ltd is a multi-platform media business with a passion for everything Cornish. Visit www.enginehousemedia. co.uk to find out more. Our mission is to create READ-WATCHEXPERIENCE media opportunities marrying together consumers with the fabulous businesses across Cornwall. Our publishing and marketing teams are specialists in creating print and online communications, devised to achieve a range of marketing objectives. With over 20 years of marketing, brand management and magazine experience we develop effective communications that deliver your message in a credible and creative way. We operate across all media channels, including: print, online and video.

09/05/2025 10:14

T E A M

Foreword In DRIFT Journal we explore the spaces between – quiet, liminal places where thought meanders and meaning unfolds slowly. In this volume, we trace the many forms a journey can take: across oceans, through pages, into memory, and beyond the self. Art and literature have long been vessels for such voyages. Whether exploring the contours of the self or mapping unfamiliar terrain, the act of movement – physical or metaphorical – becomes a kind of creative imperative. There is something inherently narrative about travelling. The artists and writers featured here embrace the unknown, following threads of history, myth and personal experience. Their work offers a way to drift differently: to see the detour not as delay, but as deepening. For landscape painter, Debbie Lush (30), brightly coloured landscapes are based on walks with her dog and her sketchbook along weather-beaten coastal paths, past

rural villages, beaches and harbour walls, beside streams and rivers, through glades and forests and over agricultural fields shaped by livestock and crop farming.

Chef Emily Scott, is no stranger to travel, working and living between France and Cornwall. Her latest cookbook (67) sees a return to her roots as Home Shores celebrates fish dishes inspired by her life on the coast.

Rich in content and reverie, Petroc Trelawny’s book Trelawny’s Cornwall, A Journey Through Western Lands (75), straddles two worlds, a congress between past and present, town and country, with a narrative that flows remarkably well when read aloud – likely a testament to Petroc’s background in broadcasting. Journeys rarely unfold as planned. They resist neat conclusions and often demand that we unlearn as much as we discover.

In the textures of paint, in the rhythm of a sentence, we encounter moments of pause and reflection.

Our contributors

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C O N T E N T S

At a glance 19 S E A S O F H O P E

84 V I S U A L S I M U L A T I O N S

Through the lens of Lewis Jeffries

Sophie Capron’s work looks at the relationship between the manmade world and nature

30 L A N D S C A P E P A I N T E R

89 S L O W L U X U RY

Vibrant paintings inspired by the beautiful landscape of the South West, painted in a palette of gorgeous, dreamlike colours

The Britannic Explorer, a Belmond Train, fuses timeless rail heritage with contemporary British gastronomy, culture, wellness and style

42 A Q U I E T P U R S U I T

99 K N O W I N G W E A R E W A T E R

The past lingers at Middle Colenso Farm.

But it is a place with a renewed purpose

Artist Ro Robertson gives shape to the forces in nature that unite us

53 S E T T I N G N E W S T A N D A R D S

110 W H A T L I E S B E N E A T H

Princess Yachts’ acclaimed F-Class series is an exceptional range of flybridge yachts

Heritage and high-tech converge to shape Cornwall’s industrial future

67 H O M E S H O R E S

120 R O O T E D I N R E N E W A L

Emily Scott’s new cookbook is guaranteed to become your go-to kitchen companion

Where others see waste, Cornwall, along with SUEZ, sees possibility

75 T H E G O - B E T W E E N

122 E V E N T I D E

‘Trelawny’s Cornwall, A Journey Through Western Lands’, straddles two worlds

The last word – Ross Jackson-Hicks

15 D R I F T J O U R NA L . C O. U K

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Seas of HOPE WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

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F O C U S

oo r er lmm er ewis efferies elie es ower l im er s e ili o i s ire c io o el co ser e re.

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rowing up by the coast in the South West, a love of the sea and the great outdoors was forged at an early age. In fact, it was when learning to scuba dive aged just 13 that Lewis’ deep love of the ocean and nature truly began y first underwater photo – taken on just a instant fil ca era – awoke my passion to reveal the beauty of nature hidden to many.

“Cornwall is blessed with having a wealth of natural wonders both above and below the waves t has had a huge in uence on me and my work and will always be a place I strive to protect.”

As happy below the water as he is above it, Lewis creates his stories using a variety of camera techniques. His work with leading scientists and conservationists has helped to raise awareness of nature conservation and environmental issues across the globe.

“I love to capture the wonders of the natural world, to showcase the amazing creatures, habitats and landscapes that so desperately need our protection as well as supporting the work of conservationists working hard to protect them. Hopefully my images can help inspire others to love and appreciate nature the way it deserves.”

Lewis is an award-winning fil aker photographer drone operator and underwater cameraman based in al outh e produces short fil s and photography for businesses, brands and conservation organisations as well as writing articles for nature and diving publications isit lewis e eries co to view more of his work.

Photography has taken Lewis to distant shores – searching for wild places – but it’s closer to home that his true passion lies.

PREVIOUS Seagrass meadow, Helford River, Cornwall

lewismjefferies.com

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TOP European lobster in kelp forest, Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall

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A B OV E oon ellyfish bloo Marsa Alam, Red Sea, Egypt

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Explore St Michaels Resort, footsteps from Gyllyngvase beach

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TOP Mixed seaweeds, Helford River, Cornwall

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A B OV E Grey seal, Lundy Island, Devon

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TOP o pass ellyfish

al outh

ornwall

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A B OV E Seagrass and seaweeds, Marazion, Cornwall.

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A B VOV E uvenile pollack and wrasse swi

ing over

i ed seaweeds

al outh

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ornwall

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TOP reen sea turtle sabella sland

alapagos

cuador

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TOP lue shark ten iles o en ance nglish hannel ornwall

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A B OV E rca sabella sland alapagos cuador

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TOP pinner dolphins ataya eef ed ea

gypt

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A B OV E ivers ad iring ballan wrasse and starfish i ard eninsula ornwall

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A B OV E oral reef scene

lphinstone eef

ed ea

gypt

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lewismjefferies.com

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Landscape PAINTER WO R D S B Y M E RC E D E S S M I T H

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hello@huskconstruction.co.uk | www.huskconstruction.co.uk | Mobile: 07503 569949

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C R E AT E

Vibrant paintings inspired by the beautiful landscape of the South West, painted in a palette of gorgeous, dreamlike colours.

I

and capturing the inspirational colours and textures of landscape along the way.

f you are looking for something wonderfully uplifting in your life this spring, let us introduce you to the work of artist Debbie Lush.

Debbie attended Harrow School of Art in London and went on to study illustration at the Royal College of Art. For the next two decades she worked as a freelance illustrator before turning her eye for visual storytelling and magical wonder to painting on canvas.

“The real landscape is a route to escape into” says Debbie, “a world of colour, composition and detail that I love getting lost in”. Back in her studio she translates her outdoor drawings into bright, illustrative paintings, heightening the beauty and colour of the landscape with a romantic sense of charm and joy.

Her compositions are lively with a playful sense of perspective, simple but descriptive shapes and a wealth of dazzling colours, capturing the essence of the special landscape we enjoy here in Devon and Cornwall. Debbie Lush lives and works at her studio in rural East Devon.

Her brightly coloured landscapes are based on walks with her dog and her sketchbook along weather beaten coastal paths, past rural villages, beaches and harbour walls, beside streams and rivers, through glades and forests and over agricultural fields shaped by livestock and crop farming.

See Debbie’s latest collection on show until 27th May at Whitewater Contemporary, The Parade, Polzeath, PL27 6SR, www.wwcg.co.uk

Her latest collection, on show this May as part of Whitewater Contemporary’s Featured Artist series, takes us walking with the artist towards the West, mapping the beauty of the coast and countryside

PREVIOUS Big Landscape

debslush

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INSET Debbie Lush

D R I F T J O U R NA L . C O. U K

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A B OV E Where the Cows Go

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Beautiful timber buildings

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TOP Ridge Red Earth

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A B OV E Room with a View

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PREVIOUS Looking West

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TOP Honey Hill

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A B OV E House on the Hill

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TOP Secret Field

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A B OV E Sunny Days

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A B OV E Looks Like Rain

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debslush

07/05/2025 09:30

A quiet

PURSUIT

WORDS BY JAMIE CROCKER

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I N SPI R AT I O N

The past lingers at Middle Colenso Farm.

But it is a place with a renewed purpose.

I

Christen, who runs Middle Colenso with her husband Chris, remembers the seed of the idea taking root nearly three decades ago. At university, she took part in a reading party – an academic tradition where students would gather in a grand house, balancing scholarly discussions with long walks and solitary hours buried in books.

The concept lingered with her, resurfacing years later when she began hosting fitness and writing retreats. Then came the realisation: why not extend the idea to reading? Not an academic exercise, nor a structured book club, but a simple invitation – to read, uninterrupted, in the company of others who cherished books as much as she did.

t clings to the Cornish stone, worn smooth by wind and rain and settles in the folds of the Penwith landscape, a land of gorse and granite where the modern world feels distant. Once a working farm, its history stretches back to the Elizabethan age, but today it is something else entirely – a place of stillness, of retreat, where the hurried pace of life is exchanged for something altogether slower. Among the old barns and simple dwellings, redesigned with an eye for natural materials and midcentury elegance, is a venture unlike any other. It is here, beneath low-beamed ceilings and by the glow of lamplight, that The Reading Party unfolds.

PREVIOUS A quiet corner of the barn

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INSET Guests can bring their own books or choose from those on the shelves

D R I F T J O U R NA L . C O. U K

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I N SPI R AT I O N

bibliotheca in en ance filled with maritime lore and antiquarian treasures, or to wander the cli s where the tlantic scours the land’s edge. St Ives, with its galleries and sea-blown streets, is a popular excursion, though many guests choose to remain at the farm, book in hand, as the light slopes through the old windows.

Much of what makes The Reading Party so seductive is its location. Removed from the distractions of daily life, Middle Colenso is hushed and contemplative. Participants arrive carrying their own books or selecting something from Christen’s library, and within hours, an unspoken rhythm settles over the group. There is no enforced conversation, no expectation to socialise, only the quiet companionship of others similarly lost in their pages.

Middle Colenso itself is a place of quiet and reverence. Set within a hamlet where farms have stood for centuries, its history is tangible in the stone walls and weathered beams.

The buildings, some dating to the 18th century, have been restored with a sensibility that respects their rural heritage while embracing understated elegance. Christen has drawn inspiration from the buildings themselves, blending rustic textures with mid-century design.

Slate, reclaimed wood, and linen dominate the interiors, creating an atmosphere that is as tactile as it is visual. The accommodation, though self-catering, is anything but impersonal. Christen and Chris live on-site, albeit discretely distanced, o ering guests a personal welco e and, as a small gesture of hospitality, freshly baked scones with homemade jam on arrival. For some, the simple act of reading in company is a revelation.

“We spend so much time feeling guilty for taking a moment to read,” Christen re ects here s always something more pressing – emails to answer, chores to do. I wanted to create a space where people could read without guilt, where the act of reading was not an indulgence but a purpose.”

That purpose is reinforced by the cadence of the days. Meals – prepared by Christen’s friend Helen, who sources local, seasonal ingredients – punctuate the hours of reading. Guests gather around the table, discussing books or drifting into other topics entirely he conversation is uid shifting between literary discoveries and the small pleasures of the moment. In the afternoons there are opportunities to visit the Morrab Library, an inconspicuous

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INSET Novels set in Cornwall are always a popular choice

D R I F T J O U R NA L . C O. U K

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A B OV E There’s plenty of comfortable seating for reading

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TOP Christen in the barn

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I N SPI R AT I O N

a way that has drawn painters to St Ives for over a century. But it is not only the coastline that captivates. The proximity to ancient monuments – the upright standing stones and stone circles scattered across the Penwith Moors – holds a fascination, too. Even those who arrive seeking nothing more than a few days of uninterrupted reading often find the selves drawn outdoors, if only for a brief, bracing walk before returning to their books.

“I’ve been surprised by how natural it feels,” Christen admits. “Even though everyone is reading their own book, there’s something companionable about it. Readers are solitary by nature, but sometimes it’s a quiet pleasure to be alone together.”

The Reading Party is not prescriptive.

Guests are free to follow their instincts – some consuming entire novels in the course of a weekend, others lingering over passages, annotating and re ecting hristen introduces an optional theme: before arriving, each participant is sent a book with a Cornish setting or by a Cornish author o ering a literary map of the landscape surrounding them. Those unfamiliar with Cornwall often find their reading takes on a new resonance when walking its moors and cli paths

One of the most memorable moments from the last retreat came when a guest proposed a question over dinner: name your desert island book. “It sparked a huge discussion,” Christen recalls, laughing. “No one could choose just one. Most of us struggled to pick three. But that’s the joy of it – being among people who understand the agony of narrowing down a list.”

The sense of place is integral to the experience. West Cornwall is an ancient land of small open moors, vernacular hedged fields and shifting light where the landscape itself tells stories. Those who venture beyond their books find themselves walking the same paths that inspired generations of artists and writers.

The light here is particular, luminous in

There is no strict itinerary, no required reading list, and no expectation to contribute beyond one’s presence.

Pilates and sauna sessions are available, o ering another layer of happiness In the end, the retreat is shaped by those who attend. Each group forms its own quiet chemistry, its own rhythm.

47

INSET The classic Penguin Donkey in Smugglers Lane

D R I F T J O U R NA L . C O. U K

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Interior Design, Cornwall & Devon Sofas | Furniture | Homewares & Accessories Curtains & Blinds Kitchens Flooring Fitted Furniture

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TOP Previous guests enjoying some communal reading

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I N SPI R AT I O N

eyond he eading arty iddle olenso o ers other opportunities for those seeking a di erent kind of stillness ts restored barns provide self-catering stays where the same unhurried atmosphere lingers, inviting guests to explore Penwith’s wild interior or simply enjoy the comfort of the thoughtfully designed spaces. The cottages o er a si ilar sense of retreat ovingly restored, each space balances simplicity with comfort, featuring open-plan living areas, wood-burning stoves, and carefully chosen furnishings. Large windows invite in the ever changing ornish light while private gardens o er a secluded spot to sit and re ect

o e guests re ain in touch long after the weekend has ended, bonded by the simple experience of reading in the same room, sharing the same meals and walking the same paths. venings settle softly at iddle olenso Lamplight glows in the barn where guests gather, books in hand. The crackle of a log fire punctuates the silence and beyond the windows the ornish night unfurls deep and dark. It is in these moments that the true essence of The Reading Party is felt – not in grand gestures or carefully orchestrated activities, but in the stillness, the shared reverence for the written word, and the quiet understanding that reading is a creative act worth dedicating time to.

Whether guests choose the snug familiarity of The Dairy or the generous proportions of The Barn, every detail has been considered to create a space for letting go of the outside world.

happy with how it s evolved hristen re ects ach retreat is di erent because each group brings something new to it.

But at its heart, it’s always the same: a time to slow down, to read, to breathe.”

TOP All of the cottages have a selection of books

middlecolensofarm.co.uk

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A B OV E he grounds o er so e secluded spaces for reading

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Setting new

STANDARDS WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

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NAU T I C A L

Princess Yachts’ acclaimed F-Class series is e ce io l r eo ri e c s that are the epitome of elegance, innovation, and exhilarating performance on the water.

T

terrace an e tre ely popular feature borrowed fro larger rincess odels is also large enough to entertain or si ply o er a tran uil place to rela

he new F58 is no exception.

Featuring elegant lines, exceptional space and a level of specification and standard of finish nor ally reserved for uch larger craft she is un istakably rincess

he cockpit continues the focus on a i ising volu e as this sea lessly connects to the saloon and galley to create an incredibly sociable space and also leads down to the bathing platfor and ini beach club transo area where owners have various options of storage for water toys or a waterside barbecue co plete with sink and a fold down transo seat aking this the perfect place to en oy the water.

This is no truer than with her exterior spaces which have been designed with sociability and rela ation very uch in ind er vast ybridge has been configured to a i ise guest space creating an incredible place to entertain with a large dining area and a fully e uipped wet bar co plete with electric barbecue situated aft to open up the area. The ybridge hel is situated centrally providing superb all round visibility and o ers a second co panion seat for guests or crew while underway Sun worshippers are catered for here too with the seating to starboard o ering a si ple conversion to a sunpad

Inside, the interior blends eticulous crafts anship with a conte porary yet ti eless design that ows throughout her spacious acco odation he saloon is surrounded by panora ic windows filling the space with natural light and connecting e ortlessly to the outside

he e tensive e terior deck space is far fro li ited to the ybridge he foredeck

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AWARDS 2025 THIS YEAR, WE ARE DELIGHTED TO BRING YOU THE INAUGURAL DRIFT AWARDS 2025, CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE SOUTH WEST Visit drift-cornwall.co.uk/awards2025 to nominate now, or scan the QR code.

Nominations are open until the 24th August.

Proceeds from the DRIFT Awards 2025, which will be held in October 2025, will go to Dive Project Cornwall.

The shortlists will be announced on 1st September 2025.

Voting will then commence, closing on the 31st September 2025.

Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to receive regular updates – drift-cornwall.co.uk/email-sign-up

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AWARD CATEGORIES E P I C U R E

C R E A T E

Celebrating exceptional culinary innovation and excellence.

Awarded to individuals or teams who demonstrate outstanding creativity, craftsmanship or impact in the realm of food, drink or hospitality.

Acknowledging exceptional creativity across any medium.

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R E T R E A T

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58 D R I F T J O U R NA L . C O. U K

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P RO P E RT Y

Porthilly HAVEN

Perched near the sheltered cove, is ro er offers e si e Camel Estuary views.

F

oys is a quintessential coastal residence in the heart of Porthilly, merely 100 yards from where the Camel Estuary eets the ornish coastline his five bedroo ho e occupies a privileged position with its south facing garden capturing the coastal light he elevated terrace serves as a natural vantage point nside the generous open plan kitchen dining living space ows with natural light while two additional sitting roo s provide peaceful retreats self contained studio o ers versatile space for work or creative pursuits ith approved planning per ission for e pansion above the double garage oys presents re arkable potential he sought after location places residents within o ents of ock each with its world class sailing and water sports ocal culinary treasures abound with celebrated restaurants accessible via the char ing ferry crossing to adstow oys represents not erely a ho e but a cornerstone of the coveted orth ornwall coastal lifestyle.

FOYS Guide Price: £3.5M JOHN BRAY ESTATES 01208 862601 sales@johnbrayestates.co.uk

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P RO P E RT Y

Granite

GRANDEUR An oasis of elegant period charm near to Mullion.

T

remenhee is a distinguished 19th-century residence set within 1.5 acres of mature grounds. This architectural showpiece features striking granite elevations complemented by traditional sash windows, merging historic character with conte porary refine ent The spacious interior extends to approximately 3,800 square feet, featuring an elegant dualaspect sitting room with a grand inglenook fireplace he aster suite i presses with its generous bedroom, dressing room and luxurious en-suite bathroom, while three additional bedrooms complete the accommodation.

Versatility abounds with an integral studio and the detached Corlan Cottage – a characterful two bedroo dwelling o ering e cellent potential as guest accommodation or holiday letting. The property’s private setting is approached via a long-gravelled driveway, with gardens embracing a Victorian-style summerhouse and an established vegetable plot. The Lizard Peninsula location delivers an exceptional coastal lifestyle, with pristine beaches and exquisite local seafood mere minutes away.

TREMENHEE Guide price: £1.55M ROHRS & ROWE 01872 306360 info@rohrsandrowe.co.uk

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P RO P E RT Y

Clean

LIVING Discreetly positioned in the coveted residential area of Constantine Bay.

V

allens is a seven-bedroom coastal residence of considered refine ent his substantial ho e pairs tran uillity with sophistication featuring four grand double bedroo s two with en suites and an interconnecting three bedroo anne e ideal for guests or ulti generational living oteworthy attributes include stripped wood oors oil fired ga double gla ed windows a wood burning stove and soft colour palette throughout hile the interiors speak of uiet elegance the carefully created and ature gardens are an inviting and verdant space approaching half an acre fra ing a heated pool and a beautiful garden roo ith an attached garage a ple parking and ust a short stroll to revose olf lub and onstantine ay allens blends privacy and position with enviable poise his is a rare and re arkable opportunity to purchase a property in one of the ost sought after bays along the north ornish coast VALLENS Guide price: £2.5M JACKIE STANLEY 01841 532555 sales@jackie-stanley.co.uk

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P RO P E RT Y

Cornish TREASURE An exquisite Grade II listed farmhouse combining heritage charm with contemporary comforts.

T

regiddris Farmhouse, on the Lizard Peninsula, is a beautifully restored home set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Dating to circa 1798, this Grade II listed property arries historic character with refined living he interior reveals a welco ing entrance hall living spaces anchored by a striking stone inglenook fireplace and a spacious kitchen with an electric overlooking sweeping countryside. Upstairs, from a galleried landing, you ll find four bedroo s the principal of which is ensuite and includes built-in storage. A selfcontained anne e currently serves as a profitable holiday let while an artist s studio o ers creative potential or conversion to a double garage he two acre grounds feature level lawns ature trees a productive orchard and vegetable gardens with a greenhouse.

Minutes from Cornwall’s south coast beaches and esteemed local dining, Tregiddris presents an uncommon chance to tap into Cornish heritage.

TREGIDDRIS FARMHOUSE Guide price: £1M JACKSON-STOPS 01872 261160 cornwall@jackson-stops.co.uk

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C UI SI N E

Home SHORES W O R D S B Y E M I LY S C O T T

mil co s ew coo oo ome ores is guaranteed to become your go-to kitchen companion w e e er o c s or i er.

Extracted from HOME SHORES

by Emily Scott (Hardie Grant, £30) published 15th May 2025.

67

emil sco

oo .com

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C U I SI N E

Prawn and courgette fritters with mint and parsley SERVES 4 Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 10–15 minutes (in batches) INGREDIENTS:

andful of at leaf parsley roughly chopped

150g (5oz) cottage cheese

tablespoons plain all purpose

our

1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks

Zest of 2 limes 140 g (41 2oz) large prawns (jumbo shrimp), peeled and chopped

2 courgettes (zucchini)

Handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped

ea salt and freshly ground black pepper

tablespoons olive oil

METHOD courgettes over the sink. Keep squeezing until as uch oisture as possible is released tir the courgettes into the prawn mixture.

Everyone loves a fritter. For me, the combination of prawns and courgettes (zucchini) here is a winner. I have used cottage cheese to add creaminess to the recipe and the lime just adds a citrussy hit.

Make sure you squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the courgettes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large frying pan skillet over a ediu high heat. Working in batches, form rustic fritters from the prawn and courgette mixture and gently press them into the pan. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until a golden crust for s do not try to ove or lift the ust let them do their thing). Add extra oil to the pan when needed.

In a bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, lime zest, mint and parsley. Add the prawns, our egg and yolks tir together well then season with salt and pepper.

Top and tail the courgettes and grate into a clean tea (dish) towel. Bring the towel together and squeeze out the water from the

erve hot

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C UI SI N E

Calamari with crispy sage SERVES 2 (AS A MAIN) Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 8 minutes 500g (1lb 2 oz) frozen squid, tubes and tentacles, defrosted and cut into 1cm (1 2 in) rings/slices

INGREDIENTS: 1100g (3 2oz/generous 4 cup) plain all purpose our 1

3

ea salt and freshly ground black pepper un ower oil for deep frying

tablespoons corn our cornstarch

Aioli, to serve

1 teaspoon paprika Handful of sage leaves

METHOD dd the s uid to the seasoned shake o any e cess et aside

unshine and holiday ti e ala ari and crispy sage. There is something quite beautiful about this sea creature uid has always been something I have enjoyed cooking and eating – preparing, not so much! Braised, barbecued, cut into rings for cala ari or pan fried it is always super uick and versatile often buy fro en s uid with the tubes and tentacles ready and prepared, so all I have to do is defrost earlier in the day for a quick seafood supper.

eat a c in depth of oil in a heavy based pan to to test drop a pinch of our in the oil if it si les you are ready to go eep fry half of the s uid for to minutes until golden brown, adding half of the sage leaves for the final inute e ove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt epeat the process with the remaining squid and sage.

lace the our corn our paprika in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. rain o any water fro dry with paper towels.

our and

erve piles of the crispy cala ari and sage with bowls of aioli to dip into.

the s uid and pat

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C U I SI N E

o

s

o r

i

o

SERVES 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes 1 bouquet garni (rosemary and thyme sprigs plus a bay leaf tied together)

INGREDIENTS: g lb onkfish tri ed and cut into (11 2in) pieces (on the bone)

c

6 baby carrots with tops g

2 tablespoons olive oil

l

12 small shallots, peeled (keep whole)

o

cups red wine

inot

oir

Extra thyme leaves, to garnish

cup fish stock

Buttery mash, to serve

1 x 400 g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes teaspoon dried chilli hot pepper

sugar snap peas

ea salt

6 garlic cloves, peeled l

o

teaspoon corn our cornstarch

25g (1oz) unsalted butter

akes

METHOD dd the tin of to atoes chilli akes and the bouquet garni, then add the baby carrots.

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the carrots are tender (be careful not to overcook them).

he classic avours of bourguignon and onkfish here are not any easy swaps here; the meaty, robust nature of the onkfish can keep up with the pace though and is a really lovely alternative to using beef. A lighter red wine like Pinot Noir sets the scene well, giving you a relatively quick, stew like co forting fish supper

Bring a small pan of water to the boil and blanch and refresh the sugar snap peas. et aside

at dry the onkfish dry with kitchen paper and season with sea salt. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pan. Once bubbling, cook the onkfish in batches until the fish is golden brown e ove and set aside

n a s all bowl slake the corn our with the red wine. Pour into the pan, then add the onkfish pieces back to the pan and si er for to inutes until the onkfish is ust cooked. Finally, add the sugar snap peas.

In the same pan, sauté the shallots and garlic until softened and translucent our in the fish stock allowing it to gently degla e the pan and bring to a simmer.

Ladle into warm bowls and serve with buttery mash, garnished with extra thyme leaves.

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Cornwall & Devon’s Premier Kitchen Specialists

­

­ ­

­

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The

GO-BETWEEN

Hugh Hastings

WORDS BY JAMIE CROCKER

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D I A LO G U E

Rich in content and reverie, ‘Trelawny’s Cornwall, A Journey Through Western Lands’, straddles two worlds, a congress between past and present, town and country.

O

place that nurtured hi yet couldn t hold hi the reader is o ered so ething that goes beyond a simple travelogue into a nuanced examination of identity, change and the enduring character of a region that steadfastly refuses to be merely another English county.

ne of the most famous opening lines in English literature, courtesy of Leslie Poles Hartley, ‘The past is a foreign country they do things di erently there serves as an epithet that can be applied to Petroc relawny s recently published tome. Part autobiographical and part historical, picking it up and reading through some of the first few pages evokes a sense of nostalgia or hireth owever to describe it solely as a sop for a halcyon past would be doing it an injustice.

Although many elements are wrapped in a genial warmth for a Cornwall that has vanished, Petroc is also a pragmatist. Raised in the small village of t artin in eneage he set o at 18, in a bildungsroman-like fashion, to explore the world. As such, the pages re ect the perspective of so eone who has gained insight. Returning to the

PREVIOUS Petroc Trelawny

Petroc, now in his early fifties is a fa iliar voice to BBC Radio 3 listeners, having tickled their ears with his elli uous voice and carefully chosen classical music for nearly three decades.

Recently moving from the breakfast show to presenting the afternoon progra e n une he maintains a connection to Cornwall that transcends geography.

During the pandemic, he broadcast from a room in St Martin, ingeniously soundproofed with duvets hanging from beams, always wary of the helicopters from RNAS Culdrose potentially disrupting his transmission.

76

INSET Trelawny’s Cornwall (Weidenfeld & Nicolson £22)

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TOP ornwall s harbours are a i of new endeavours and established ways of life

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TOP Competing forces for ornwall s religious heart

A B OV E L E F T Flora Day in Helston

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A B OV E Petroc broadcasting for BBC Radio 3 on Lindisfarne

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D I A LO G U E

pride, this incredible sense of self-belief, and this incredible feeling of being di erent that recognisably courses through the people of both countys.

His relationship with Cornwall mirrors the experiences of many who grow up in rural communities – an adolescent yearning to escape what felt “desperately dull,” followed by a gradual reconnection in middle age. t eighteen couldn t wait to get away etroc ad its is ourney took hi first to Exeter, then to broadcasting positions in Hong Kong and Manchester before a return to his native land.

etroc s narrative captures the re arkable transformation of Cornwall within his lifetime. In St Martin, he witnessed homes with outside bathrooms and thriving chapel communities coexisting with the high-tech communications centre at Goonhilly and RNAS Culdrose, then the largest helicopter base in Western Europe, only two miles away. This juxtaposition of traditional rural life against symbols of technological advancement forms a compelling thread throughout the book.

is father s death beca e a pivotal o ent in his reconnection with Cornwall. “When you lose a parent, everything changes,” he re ects his loss created space for a relationship with Cornwall on his own terms, “rather than through the prism of my father.”

A three-week stay in Cornwall – his longest visit since leaving at eighteen – catalysed a profound shift in perspective as he began to see the richness and complexity of the place he had once been so eager to leave.

Each day the sonic boom of Concorde rattled our roof tiles as the ight to New York passed over the Cornish coast. I would imagine David rost or oan ollins taking a first glass of champagne and making themselves comfortable. But below, in St Martin, there were still people living without electricity.

(Trelawny, 2024, p.31)

he resulting book ca e fro a con uence of a personal journey that was yearning to be shared with a wider audience and editorial insight. Weidenfeld & Nicholson, who had had success with a publication of similar ilk centred in Yorkshire and who were aware of etroc s initial atte pts to nail down his own story, approached him with a proposition. It proved to be the key that unlocked the author. This otherness, this distinction from being “just another English county,” provided the conceptual foundation for a book that would blend history, memoir and travelogue coalescing around “this incredible

While acknowledging an inevitable element of sentimentality creeping into his recollections of childhood, he consciously avoids “wallowing in nostalgia.” Instead, he presents a balanced account of what has been lost alongside an honest assessment of Cornwall today. When discussing Helston with arts leader David Turnbull from the Helston Community Interest Company

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D I A LO G U E

erhaps ost revealing is etroc s ad ission that, despite his Cornish upbringing, large swathes of the county remained unknown to him until he researched this book. The territories east of Truro, north of Truro, and west of Penzance were “like one of those old maps of Africa where it says ‘Here be dragons co pletely une plored ith characteristic self deprecation he notes

he found himself reminiscing about shops long gone ingle s depart ent store ddy on arnett s enswear while urnbull s focus re ained resolutely on the future and revitalisation of spaces like the old cattle market.

This tension between preservation and progress runs throughout the narrative.

Petroc acknowledges the positive aspects of modernisation – few would advocate returning to houses without bathrooms or electricity – while mourning the dissolution of tight-knit communities and family-centred lifestyles. The transformation of working fishing villages into second ho e enclaves and the economic struggles of former industrial towns like Camborne and Redruth after the collapse of ining receive e ual attention in his even-handed assessment.

I realise that I made it to Australian aunceston five years before its Cornish namesake.

Tasmanians s uee e three syllables into its na e – Lorn-cess-ton. The more economic Cornish are happy with two – Lornstun, or Lan-son as a few older people still say.

(Trelawny, 2024, p.284) This exploration of unfamiliar Cornish landscapes – Bude, Looe, St Just, the Roseland Peninsula, Flushing – became a “thrilling part of the journey.” Through these excursions, he deepens both his own connection to ornwall and readers understanding of its diverse character.

For readers familiar with Cornwall, the book o ers fresh and fascinating insights into familiar landscapes. For those who know Cornwall only through postcards and television dramas, it provides a nuanced corrective to romanticised views.

A case in point is when he visits the Newlyn il house to see ark enkin s fil Enys Men. Several pages are devoted to themes that course through the fil aker s oeuvre

From Helston, where Petroc went to school, to ruro the county s capital the reader is treated to historical accounts aligned with anecdotal recollections, bringing to life the places that we may regularly pass through or visit for a two-week holiday in the summer.

Jenkin is the leading chronicler of modern Cornwall, a brilliant, critical observer of the way we are now.

These are uncompromising and provocative works, raising vital uestions about what it eans to live in contemporary Cornwall.

(Trelawny, 2024, pp.237-39)

Chapters illuminate the story of the people who have responded to its lure – from ornwall s great ictorian poet priest awker who

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Henrietta Bredin

A B OV E Petroc in Porthleven

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D I A LO G U E

Trelawny’s Cornwall ulti ately transcends si ple categorisation t is at once a personal e oir a social history as well as a love letter to a region that defies easy definition y interweaving his ourney with ornwall s evolution etroc has created a thoughtful editation on place identity and belonging that resonates far beyond the county s borders

Under a full moon, he sat on a rock just o the shore at ude and i personated a er aid relawny p to renda

ootton

he was the voice of ornwall cherished at ho e treated as a star in rance but e cept in the folk world pretty uch unknown east of the a ar er breakthrough albu Pasties and Cream was released in the year was born relawny p

or anyone interested in how regions aintain their distinctive character in an increasingly ho ogenised world Trelawny’s Cornwall o ers a valuable perspective on the delicate balance between preservation and adaptation

hough now dividing his ti e between ondon and ornwall with practical broadcasting considerations keeping hi pri arily in the capital etroc aintains a profound connection to the uchy e wrote of the book in ornwall and anticipates that future writing pro ects even those unrelated to ornwall will likely be co pleted there t s a great place to ust get away and put your head down without being too disturbed he e plains

or those considering per anent residence in ornwall current residents or anyone seeking an erudite and well crafted book etroc s o ering is a standout choice hile reading ve fre uently shared passages with y wife who also hails fro up country whenever discovered fascinating new insights about our adoptive county he book presents a delightful i of hu orous and poignant o ents with a narrative that ows re arkably well when read aloud likely a testa ent to etroc s background in broadcasting

his duality of e perience e bracing both the energetic bu of north ondon and the distinctive character of ornwall enriches the perspective is a ection for both environ ents allows hi to appreciate each on its own ter s while acknowledging their funda ental di erences

would suggest you treat yourself to a copy and e perience the pleasure firsthand orionbooks.co.uk

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Visual

SIMULATIONS WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

A B OV E ‘Hwegh’ reclaimed materials, 60cmx 60cm

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Sophie Capron’s work looks at the relationship between the manmade world and the marks it makes and how nature, conversely, can erode the same.

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were found ow though feel we are slowly spoiling nature s beauty with crass buildings and cheap develop ents ut find it fascinating that despite our best e orts nature will always reclai things love the colours of natural decay of rust and algae ver ti e nature heals and only arks are left where things once stood ll of this heavily in uences y practice represent these arks these colours and transitions within y work rawing inspiration fro the erosion of these urban environ ents and the co ple relationship between hu anity and the natural world ophie s art e ploys layered sgra to ark aking and recycled paints to re ect the subtle dialogue between these forces

lthough often classed as an abstract painter ophie apron describes herself as a representational artist recording arks that have seen and then re working the into y pieces with her work e ploring the intersection of urban decay and nature s resilience graduate of inchester chool of rt with a ons in e tile rt ophie s creative ourney was further enriched by a transfor ative period of study in apan an e perience that introduced nuanced cultural ele ents into her practice n she was awarded uropean funding for a residency at icture erlin an opportunity that led to her participation in an international e hibition in the city

ophie s recent e hibitions include a pro inent showing at ornwall useu as part of the ruro chools ollection where her work was displayed alongside iconic ritish artists such as arbara epworth ate icolson and eter anyon nternationally her work has been featured

ve always had an appreciation for the environ ent says ophie rowing up was always up a tree or falling in stinging nettles e ca ped as kids travelled to new places and left things as they

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e ber of ornwall s vibrant artistic co unity ophie oined the ewlyn ociety of rtists in and currently serves on its co ittee he also plays a key role in organising the biannual e hibitions at re enheere culpture ardens

in galleries across rance apan er any and the nited tates including e hibitions in orient a alerie du aoudedic and ew ork he was also invited to participate in the prestigious th nternational iennale on o en in onte porary rt ar or lage rance

Sophie is currently based at the Old Bakery Studios in Truro and welcomes visits.

She is represented by Artwave West, Art Dog London and Summer House Gallery.

ince ophie has held four solo e hibitions at rtwave est and e hibited in group shows at notable venues such as the rypt allery and the u er ouse allery where she recently collaborated with cera icist ake oe s an active

A B OV E ri reclai ed c c

sophiecapron.co.uk sophie_capron

aterials

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A B OV E L E F T obby reclai ed c c

aterials

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TOP os c c reclaimed materials

A B OV E R I G H T agyans c c reclaimed materials, painted on back of canvas

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Slow LUXURY

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The Britannic Explorer, a Belmond Train, fuses a celebration of timeless rail heritage with contemporary British gastronomy, culture, wellness and style.

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Setting a new standard in luxury design, the renowned London-based studio, Albion Nord, has created serenely elegant interiors with an unmistakable British charm, distinct to the train. Combining a colour palette inspired by the breathtaking natural world beyond the expanse of picturewindows, with heritage motifs and playful details, the ensuing environment is both tranquil and vibrant.

he Britannic Explorer is the first luxury sleeper train in England and Wales and will make its first ourneys in July this year.

Departing from London, it will offer three-night ourneys with a choice of three evocative routes through the spectacular natural landscapes of Cornwall, The Lake District, and Wales. By day, optional off-train guided excursions will showcase the rich cultural tapestry, beauty, and history of each destination, and by night, passengers can unwind and mingle in the train’s botanically inspired Bar, located in the Observation Car, set to be the vibrant social heart of the Britannic Explorer. The routes are scheduled to allow travellers to combine two regional ourneys into one trip: The Cornwall and Lake District routes run from Friday to Monday, while the Wales route runs from Monday to Thursday.

PREVIOUS The botanically inspired Bar, located in the Observation Car

Each of the Britannic Explorer’s 18 cabins couple sophistication with comfort. The three Grand Suites and 15 Suites have been carefully crafted in Britain and delicately designed to make the experience of the ourney as extraordinary as the destination. Inspired by sweeping views of Britain’s rugged coastlines and rolling hills, each moment is transformed into a visual feast, whether passengers feel at home in

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Menus celebrate seasonal, sustainable ingredients

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of local ingredients, providing a true taste of the UK’s rich agricultural heritage.

From breakfast, the menu showcases organically and regeneratively grown native grains, with inventive dishes such as fermented barley crumpets topped with roasted ox marrow and cave-aged cheddar, and ancestral grain pikelets made with flax seed and grilled orchard fruits. Traditional British ingredients are celebrated throughout, including Lincolnshire smoked eel on toasted rye bread and savoury crop-rotation porridge featuring wild mushrooms and seasonal brassicas from local farms.

the privacy of their cabin, relaxing in the onboard spa, or indulging in the Bar and restaurant cars.

The dining experience aboard the Britannic Explorer will be designed by awardwinning restaurateur Simon Rogan, a visionary leader in Britain’s farm-to-fork movement. Rogan’s menus will celebrate seasonal, sustainable ingredients, sourced locally to showcase the richness of Britain’s diverse regions. Each of the three routes will feature bespoke afternoon tea, lunch and dinner menus, highlighting the finest local specialties to ensure every meal is a true reflection of Britain’s culinary heritage.

Joining the train as Executive Head Chef, the Britannic Explorer is delighted to announce the appointment of Sven-Hanson Britt. With a career spanning Michelin-starred kitchens and luxury hospitality, including The Ritz London and Blue Hill Farm in New York, alongside his own acclaimed restaurant, Oxeye in London. With deep-rooted experience in the farming industry, Chef Sven combines his expertise in regenerative agriculture with a passion for seasonal British produce to create a dining experience that will bring a fresh environmentally conscious approach. “I believe that the Britannic Explorer will change the game for luxury sustainable hospitality full stop, not just luxury travel. I feel very privileged to be the bridge between the UK’s best independent restaurant group working closely with chef Simon Rogan, Managing Director Sam Ward, and their team of world class talents and the world’s finest luxury hotel and travel group. It feels new and avant garde whilst also feeling embedded in

Speaking of the collaboration, Simon Rogan shared: “For me, true luxury lies in humble ingredients, grown with care, respect for their surroundings, and harvested at their peak. Across all my restaurants, my dishes are defined by local, often homegrown produce, and by partnering with British growers and suppliers who share our deep connection to the land and its natural elements. This philosophy allows our food to resonate with the environment from which it originates. I am very excited to bring this approach to the launch of the Britannic Explorer, where each plate will reflect Britain’s diverse landscapes.

I hope every passenger not only enjoys the flavours but also feels a connection between the dishes and the journey, making their time on board truly memorable.”

The menu aboard the Britannic Explorer has been designed to reflect the landscapes and flavours of the regions the train travels through. Each dish highlights the flavours

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heritage and traditional opulence. Most excitingly of all though, is that the Britannic Explorer sits in a category of its own. It is completely unique.”

recipes or Welsh Bakestones, paired with dishes that include wild bilberries, roasted chicory root, and Somerset-grown walnuts.

Each dining experience onboard will reflect the landscape outside the train’s windows, using the freshest local ingredients to create an immersive culinary journey that celebrates the diverse flavours and stories of England and Wales

Chef imon adds: We’re in the final phase of refining our dishes for the Britannic Explorer menu and it’s been a hugely enjoyable process. Sven is a highly accomplished chef who shares our ethos and knowledge for produce, so his appointment as Exec Chef was the perfect solution. Guests will be in the best possible hands as they enjoy their dining experience on the train.”

The Bar, inspired by Victorian apothecaries, provides an elegant and convivial atmosphere where guests can savour a menu of innovative, botanically inspired cocktails, alongside a carefully curated selection of artisan gins and craft beers, highlighting the finest offerings from the ’s independent distilleries and breweries.

Each route offers a distinct dining experience. Highlights on the Wales route include a picnic-style lunch featuring delights like rarebit and leek tart. For those travelling on the Cornwall journey, a vibrant Cornish barbeque lunch is served, showcasing the region’s coastal bounty.

Guests can indulge in refreshing salads, such as red lammas wheat berries with Spar’s golden ale and fermented cabbage, before moving on to grilled local delicacies like Roche village asparagus, St Austell mussels, clams, and jig-caught squid with seaweed, alongside Cornish red mullet. For dessert, classic Cornish summer berries are paired with meadowsweet and chamomile cream, offering a perfect finish.

A partnership with leading British wellbeing brand, Wildsmith, will see an exclusive Wellness Suite on board the train.

Renowned for a nature-inspired approach to wellbeing, curated treatments will be exclusive to, and inspired by, the journey, offering guests a serene escape to harmonise body and mind. Housed in one of the train’s ten beautifully designed carriages, the Wellness uite will be the first experience of its kind on a train in England and Wales.

Wildsmith’s treatment menu will centre on five bespoke experiences with mindfulness, grounding techniques, and personalised reflection at its core – inspired by the world outside the train windows.

The focus on sustainability and seasonal produce continues with signature dishes like the reimagined Corra Linn wa e, a nod to Simon Rogan’s culinary philosophy, served with birch sap-cured Tamworth pork chop. Afternoon tea offers a regional twist, with scones made from traditional Cornish

Designed exclusively for the Britannic Explorer, Wildsmith have created a ‘Signature Circadian Rhythm Reset’ treatment, drawing inspiration from the lifecycle of trees and the body’s

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Cabins and suites couple sophistication with comfort

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A B OV E Wildsmith Wellness Suite

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I C O N

Explorer feeling re-energized and deeply cared for. This partnership reinforces our belief that travel should be transformative, immersive, and ultimately, restorative.”

natural rhythms, providing a tailored experience with a choice of three distinct treatments throughout the day: including a revitalizing morning session, a midday purifying treatment, and a calming evening ritual designed to promote relaxation and restful sleep.

Beyond the train, guests can continue their wellbeing journey with a curated selection of re uvenating o oard experiences.

Guests travelling to Cornwall can enjoy coastal sailing, yoga, and a mindful fire ceremony for moments of restoration. The Lake District itinerary offers outdoors experiences including wild swimming, rowing, and paddleboarding. On the Wales journey, wellness meets adventure with scenic valley hikes, lavender farm visits, woodfired saunas, art classes, and clay pigeon shooting. The Britannic Explorer and Wildsmith partnership provides guests with an opportunity to relax into a slower pace of life, and emerge restored and rebalanced.

“We are beyond proud to be chosen as the wellbeing partner for the Britannic Explorer,” says Katherine Pye, General Manager at Wildsmith, “as we continue to expand our presence in the wellbeing and hospitality sector, we seek partners who share our commitment to offering elevated wellbeing experiences. From our first meeting, it was clear that our shared values of innovation, excellence, sustainability and authenticity would allow us to create transformative ourneys that reflect the distinctive and unique character of the train. We are thrilled to be joining them for this journey.”

The Britannic Explorer will debut in July 2025. Luxury accommodation onboard starts from £11,000 based on a double cabin. This includes a three-night itinerary, excursions, meals, wine and alcoholic beverages on board.

The Wellness Suite will be bookable for guests on each Britannic Explorer journey.

For reservations and more information, please contact reservations.bex@belmond. com or visit the web page below.

The Britannic Explorer’s General Manager, Hendrik Huebner, comments: “Wellbeing is at the heart of the Britannic Explorer experience. Our collaboration with Wildsmith is a commitment to offering our guests more than ust a journey; we are providing an opportunity for them to take time to reconnect with themselves and the world around them.

By integrating Wildsmith’s natureinspired approach to wellbeing into our offering, we are providing an opportunity for every guest to leave the Britannic

belmond.com/trains/europe/uk/ britannic-explorer

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INSET The Britannic Explorer, a Belmond Train

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Where Luxury Living Meets Award-Winning Design (01326) 565522

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Knowing we

are WATER

W O R D S B Y M A R T I N H O L M A N | A RT W O R K S B Y R O R O B E R T S O N

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In their exploration of the boundaries between landscape and people, artist Ro Robertson gives shape to the forces in nature that unite us.

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Like the tides and rocky shores that this artist regularly walks and swims between, Robertson’s approach is animated by transitoriness – in material properties of steel, stone, in drawing and colour as well as in notions of meaning and implication. Within ob ects and the largescale paintings on paper that are frequently shown together, lines radiate without seeming to settle, in a kind of continuity between media, and between three-dimensionality and the flat.

ith solo presentations since 2019 at Tate St Ives and the Hepworth in Wakefield, participation in significant group shows around the country and exposure at one of London’s leading new commercial galleries, Ro Robertson is fast being recognised as one of the most interesting people at present making sculpture in Britain.

Taking sculpture off the pedestal of the grand and the mighty, this artist investigates echoes in the personal and intimate of the forces in the natural world that shape us.

The installation “Modern Thresholds” on show at Tate St Ives plays out how Robertson makes these resonant connections visible. In the curved glazed gallery that overlooks the beach and sea at Porthmeor, two unframed images in gouache (an opaque, waterbased paint), pencil and watercolour evoke the colours of the scene outside.

Water has been a factor in Robertson’s life from earliest days. Growing up in Sunderland near the River Wear, for the past five years they have lived and worked on the coast of West Penwith, years when the critical limelight has fallen upon an unfolding singular vision.

PREVIOUS Porth I, 2023 (detail), Gouache paint, watercolour pencil, graphite, sand and binder on paper, 200 x 140 cm. Ro Robertson.

Courtesy the artist and Maximillian William, London. Photograph by Deniz Guzel

INSET Ro Robertson. Photograph courtesy Here Now Films

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TOP Trickster Figures, culpture and the Body, installation view at M Gallery, Milton eynes, 2023.

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A B OV E Between Two Bodies, 2020, Jesmonite, pigment and steel rebar. Installation view at The Hepworth Wakefield. Ro Robertson.

Courtesy the artist and The Hepworth Wakefield. Photograph by Nick ingleton

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M A D E I N CO R NWALL FO R 4 0 YEARS

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Actions by the body in nature are the source of Robertson’s formulations. Whether drawn in pencil or shaped by bending thin sheets of metal, the shapes resemble gestures caught in an instant by the shutter of a camera before they change. The composite sculpture “Drench” (2022) substitutes rigid Corten steel for the malleable metal of “Interlude” that is so thin it might quiver.

The gathering of ballooning outlines and dripping rivulets of pigment seems held by an act of will alone from spontaneously changing before our eyes into another arrangement.

The dynamism of water creating patterns on sand as it advances then retreats finds a graphic parallel in these works, called “Porth I and II” (2023). Less about a specific place, scale or gravity than an idea of liquidness and motion, they correspond to the steel structures in front, both sitting on low, wedge-shaped museum plinths above the slate tiled floor. The various curved metal facets that make up each section of “Interlude I” (2023) seem to face each other across the gap that separates them as if they want to fold together. Yet they stay apart and the viewer instead gravitates naturally into the space between them to feel momentarily immersed in that impending cascade.

Inspired by watching the coastline submerged and exposed by successive tides, five elements rise like steps in height and slanting angle from individual bases flat on the ground. Yet these are not directly representations of landscape; the scope of allusions is wide, so that echoes co-exist of other matters. Planes and shapes in these sculptures offer the viewer spaces to slip into, imaginatively if not always physically, to find alternative other narratives lying there. A comparison might be with spoken words, open script or a thought floating up in the mind for an instant and then vanishing.

The effect maybe touches memories of watching waves pulled into a crevice by the pulse of the current, or even of dipping into water as it shoots up into arcs between hard surfaces before withdrawing like an expulsion of breath back into the billows.

Nature abhors a straight line so the contours of Robertson’s objects undulate restlessly, suggesting different sightlines or shifts in shape, shadow and tonality. The allusion to sea is compelling, and the colours support that reading. But the link is not concrete; strong abstract sensations of implied movement are more insistent. And the body – of the sculpture as well as the onlooker – somehow feels enclosed by this reluctance to contain a single identity.

Similarly, the uprights in “Drench” recall Celtic standing stones, such the mythic circles of this region, agile divers or figures in a dance. As humans, we are always concocting theories about how the world works and how we fix people into categories within it. This sculpture’s theme, though, is movement and the body provides the key. For the body and the world, in all their complexities, are seen as indissolubly part of the same transient experience. Conceived for outdoors, colours on every surface of “Drench” in paint and rusted metal imply the organic tones of rock, beach and sea meshed in the flow and ebb of energy. Depending on the direction it is seen from, the outline mounts

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in crescendo like sound or falls away in a diminuendo.

focus on that exchange, which is historically coloured by prejudice when established precepts are questioned. Describing “Drench” as the “terrain of the queer body”, Robertson confounds with exhilaration attitudes built upon outdated inflexibilities in belief.

Robertson’s visual language evolved by treating their own body as tool and material.

That was aided by their background in performance. After all, actions are sculptural, the ephemeral dimension of an artform at odds with its two abiding qualities of permanence and monumentality. Robertson resists both with explorations that started with immaterial space and assembling sounds. They largely took place in Manchester where Robertson moved to study at the city’s art school, graduating in 2010 and continuing to work there and then in West Yorkshire until relocating to Cornwall.

Titles can underline that: “Stone (Butch)” (2021), identifying one of their first public sculptures (displayed in the City of London), cites author Leslie Feinberg’s defiant novel tone Butch Blues (1993) about New York’s Lesbian community. “I jump between spaces of the personal and the shared,” Robertson has written, “by crossing back and forth between inner and outer landscapes.” Just as the landscape is the definition of natural beauty, so too is the body in all its forms and diversity.

The elements they are exposed to are not all climatic.

In Manchester Robertson learned how to use materials and assess their potential for a particular type of expression through performance and not construction. The first public pro ects involved manipulating hard matter like metal in the manner of an instrument, striking it with objects as if to wring a non-verbal voice from it.

Taking their performances outdoors where they existed in photographs or video helped to transform Robertson’s practice. Curiously, it is in stills and images that we first see the emergence of their purpose in sculpture - locating the core of an artwork in gaps and crevices in nature, the place of utmost change and possibility in nature. Robertson carried their materials on long walks to record these interactions. Camera and performance props soon became materials with which they could cast that fertile void between obdurate rocks into an object to show elsewhere, leading to “Between Two Bodies” (2020).

Within the city’s diverse and experimental art, music and LGBT communities, settings for performances were often improvised from vacant o ce blocks and shops and initially known to few – ideal incubators for fresh approaches. Stepping out into a highly creative arena for Robertson called equally upon tapping into self as object as well as on stuff, a layered perspective on making that has not changed.

All artists observe the world and consider how the world sees them. As a queer and non-binary artist, Robertson has a claim to

Using Jesmonite, a synthetic mix of sedimentary rock powder and water-

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TOP Drench, 2022, painted Corten steel, 320 × 400 × 400 cm. © Ro Robertson.

Photograph by Jack Hems

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A B OV E Stone (Butch), 2021, Corten steel, Jesmonite, paint. Installation view at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire, 2022. © Ro Robertson.

Courtesy the artist, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Maximillian William, London.

Photograph by Nick Singleton

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TOP (Foreground) Interlude I, 2023, Corten steel, marine paint, found blue rope, 320 x 400 x 400 cm, (behind) Porth I and Porth II, both 2023, gouache, watercolour, graphite, sand, binder on paper, 200 x 140 cm

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A B OV E Torso II, 2021, Corten steel, Jesmonite, paint and found objects (vest, sports socks, seaweed, mulch, rocks).

Installation view at Leeds Art Gallery, 2024. © Ro Robertson

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artists, who shared expertise. Crucial, however, was the knowledge gained since art school in how materials behave, so that each step taken was grounded on long-standing experience. Indeed, family history had played a part. Shipbuilding was integral to the identity of their native underland until the 1980s, and to the livelihoods of its people. Robertson’s grandfather and great-grandfather worked in the industry and for generations before had been seafarers, a link their brother continues.

based acrylic resin, which can be poured on site, this remarkable form transposes the empty cleft into a positive form.

At the same time, the dense rocks that shrouded it are dematerialised into slender open metal supports. The void becomes a skin with overtones of soft tissue in orifices, the points in the body that engage with the outer world, receiving and expelling it.

Skin is an analogy that Robertson’s sculpture investigates. All matter has a surface. In stone it holds in billions of constructive crystals. As the body’s largest organ, skin is criss-crossed by millions of sensory receptors. It also layers the body, so that in this sculpture, iridescent colour suggests raiment in precious fabric.

Their working-class history is immersed in labour; while the viewer need not know, the fact motivates Robertson. Their articulation of sculpture’s essences demonstrates it: they are not likeness or shape, but force, scale,weight and the material’s relationship with the body. Their great-grandfather was a “holder up” in the shipyard, the person in a team who placed red-hot rivets into the ribs that joined massive plates into the skin of a new vessel. Robertson’s latest London exhibition reflects on that heritage through their personal experience of making. Their first museum career retrospective will open in Sunderland in July.

Clothing is both public as the surface that others see and intimate, masking the true natural self. In sculptures serially titled “Torso” (2021), Robertson acknowledges these functions, incorporating genderless garments (a vest, shorts). They are casually draped on steel forms. The painted steel “Trickster Figures” (2022-23) are neatly cut into contrasting swollen ellipses and slender fluted columns that recall rock pools and tight, empty crevices.

Not every sculpture is painted, but many are. The process calls upon primer and marine paint designed to protect surfaces rather than embellish them, intended for industrial applications rather than painterly ones. The medium is stiff and unyielding, and Robertson adapts their technique to its characteristics. This results in bold shapes, but which retain the fluid linearity of the painting and drawing that have always been present in their practice.

Robertson’s movement into sculpture followed a pause to review and precipitated an accelerated technical learning curve.

One step seemed to unlock ideas that called upon new methods. Plate steel supplanted lightweight rolled steel to withstand showing outdoors; angle grinders and water-jet cutting was added to folding and bending by hand; welding became a skill, assisted as elsewhere by advice from other

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in the viewer, exploring organic forms that included negative space. Holes became connections. Through the clarity of their means, Ro Robertson’s work travels between levels of interpretation and through the conflicting distinctions humankind constructs. By treating these fragmentary impulses with frankness, they face the forces that shape the world.

Indeed, until they concentrated on performance in their third year as a Manchester undergraduate, painting was Robertson’s principal area. Their subjects were mostly figurative, including selfportraits. That figurative impulse has been stripped down since to an expressive abstraction built on spontaneous markmaking, a kind of automatic system that plugs into gestures detached from conscious control.

As adept with poetry as with gesture, image and form, Robertson naturally harnesses the rhythms of words:

The works on paper, “Porth I and II” emerged in this way, supplemented in their drawing by the artist studying contours left in the sand by retreating waves and sometimes tracing them. The sea, after all, makes no plans before landing on the beach. Moreover, Robertson shapes their sculpture in a comparably improvised manner. The demands of jet-cutting steel, however, mean that these drawings are converted digitally into plans for the cutters to follow. Robertson then finishes the steels, sometimes incising drawings onto the surface, as in “Outer Body” (2023), a sentinel-like vertical with the spiky profile of a weapon or runic symbol, which was recently acquired by the Arts Council Collection.

shi inside ro land to od no reflect the , old the , dou le the and re eat the u es and etal are tr in to ond ith e he steel ense le e an to dance all at once, and a surrounded re ove sel clean sel o ou and ou o * From “Interlude II” by Ro Robertson, poem published in Forbidden Territories: 100 Years of Surreal Landscapes, Thames and Hudson, 2024, pp. 190-1

Modern Thresholds: Ro Robertson at Tate St Ives is part of Modern Conversations (until December). The exhibition Holder Up continues at Maximillian William, 47 Mortimer Street, London W1, until 14 June 2025. Ro Robertson: The Ribs Begin to Rise takes place at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland, 26th July – 6th December 2025.

Robertson describes the intensity of working as “entering an emotional space which puts everything into a flow. Everything goes quiet and I know it’s the final session. Time goes a bit weird. When now the sculpture exists as its own thing, parting follows. I have to remove myself from it and that’s hard.”

Barbara Hepworth worked not far from Robertson’s painting studio in St Ives. Her sculpture aimed for a unifying experience

rorobertson.studio maximillianwilliam.com

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TOP The artist welding. Photograph courtesy Here Now Films

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A B OV E PSI, 2024, gouache, watercolour, pencil, graphite on paper (detail). © Ro Robertson. Courtesy the artist and Eric Firestone Gallery, New ork

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What lies

BENEATH Cornish Lithium

W O R D S B Y J I L LY E A S T E R B Y

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Heritage and high-tech converge to shape Cornwall’s industrial future.

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industry needs rucially this presents a transfor ational opportunity for ritain to control its own supply chain

Cornish copper mine. A Victorian academic. A modern-day pioneer. he con uence of geology history and che istry global race to harness a vital natural resource ornwall s o ent to recapture the eitgeist and revitalise its prospects for generations to co e. his is a tale of discovery and opportunity of geopolitics and national security his is the story of ornish ithiu and its uest to build a secure do estic supply of the critical ineral that is changing our world

n rofessor illia llen iller of ing s ollege ondon discovered that hot spring waters deep beneath a ornish copper ine contained a large a ount of lithiu investing the with unusual interest and i portance n a th century world do inated by copper and tin and driven by the ight of a stea powered industrial revolution lithiu was valued only by the edical profession for the treat ent of certain ail ents and to becal troubled inds

LEFT ornwall s geother al waters generate lithiu and heat

Cornish Lithium

his is not si ply because lithiu is a crucial co ponent in the anufacture of electric vehicles s grid scale electricity storage rechargeable industrial batteries and battery related defence applications r because it is needed for s artphones laptops and other electronic devices on which so any of us depend t is because worldwide de and is forecast to outstrip supply resulting in a significant global shortage because the i ports of the lithiu it uses and because ornwall possesses the largest lithiu deposit in urope enough to satiate ore than half of the country s

rofessor iller was of course wholly unaware that his discovery at the heal li ord ine near edruth would unlock a new kind of industrial revolution and catalyse a bright new future for st century ornwall his antle fell to a a borne chool of ines graduate turned ining invest ent banker with strong ties to the county who recognised the global i pact of the transition to s and renewable energy

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INSET ornish ithiu s a ie irnes and ere y rathall ounder and ecutive hair an

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and rgentina with the lithiu concentrate produced in ustralia re uiring high te perature processing ost of which is undertaken in hina using fossil fuels adds ere y ur focus in ornwall is to e tract lithiu in the ost ethical and environ entally sustainable way very tonne that we provide do estically is one tonne less that the needs to i port and cuts the carbon footprint of the country s battery anufacturing industry ecure do estic supplies of critical etals are considered crucial to the success of the overn ent s ndustrial trategy as the nation oves towards net ero

understood the intrinsic natural capital of the granite batholith that e tends fro the sles of cilly to art oor and envisioned a progressive business that could accelerate this green revolution re uvenate ornwall s year ining heritage and reinvigorate econo ic growth in a region that had seen better days he first step was to dig deep into dusty ining archives and negotiate with land owners to secure ineral rights across the county so that we had a portfolio of per issions in place to enable us to e plore e plains ornish ithiu s ounder and ecutive hair an ere y rathall he ne t stage was to digitise thousands of books historic docu ents and e uisitely hand drawn ining aps and translate the infor ation they contained into three di ensional geological odels utilising the latest digital technology to prepare for our first e ploration borehole with the long ter ai of e tracting lithiu fro rofessor iller s hot springs or geother al waters as we describe the in a low carbon low i pact anner

o that end ornish ithiu established its first pilot plant at nited owns in where nu erous irect ithiu traction technologies have been e tensively trialled and evaluated in order to establish the opti al ethod for e tracting lithiu fro geother al waters in ornwall in the ost responsible way he chosen process can be likened to a water purification syste ineral rich water is pu ped fro appro i ately etres below the surface via a borehole and then passed through colu ns where the lithiu is e tracted nce the lithiu has been re oved the water is then returned underground via a second borehole

n the first e ploration borehole at nited owns confir ed that lithiu could indeed be found dissolved in the geother al waters that circulate naturally at depth beneath ornwall est results indicated co ercial grades of lithiu with very low levels of i purities signifying the potential high value of this ornish resource co pared to lithiu found in geother al brines elsewhere in the world ost of the world s lithiu is produced fro rock in ustralia and brine in hile

ur geother al e traction sites are of odest proportions and far less intrusive than traditional ining operations says ere y he etre co ercial boreholes used to reach lithiu enriched waters are under c wide and high tech

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Ian Kingsnorth

Ian Kingsnorth

Ian Kingsnorth

TOP he relavour ard ock ro ect creates high skill career opportunities in ornwall

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A B OV E he relavour it in china clay country

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Ian Kingsnorth Ian Kingsnorth

Ian Kingsnorth

Ian Kingsnorth Ian Kingsnorth

TOP odern

ineral e traction in action

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ithiu

A B OV E can be found in ornish granite

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processing e uip ent is acco odated in a facility that is s aller than a rugby pitch t is our intention to develop a portfolio of such geother al pro ects in ornwall responsibly with a view to producing tonnes per year across it his is odern ineral e traction in action odular eat lean nobtrusive bout people place and protecting its ende ic ecology bout self su ciency sustainability and resilience

s e tracting battery grade lithiu fro granite rock is co ple the co pany has established a de onstration plant near t ennis to test and refine new and innovative processing technology which reduces carbon e issions co pared to the conventional ethods adopted globally y the relavour e onstration lant will lead the way for a fully operational co ercial plant on site

lanning consent has recently been granted by ornwall ouncil for ornish ithiu to establish the s first co ercial geother al lithiu production facility at the co pany s ross anes ro ect near hacewater his will include a de onstration plant phase to enable ultiple stages of testing and refine ent with the long ter ai of achieving full co ercial production at the site

perated by a tea of skilled engineers and lab technicians and located ust one kilo etre fro the relavour it this plant can produce battery grade lithiu hydro ide at a single location without the need for it to be shipped and processed elsewhere his arks a a or step towards a greener future for ornwall and the nation as a whole co ents ere y t is esti ated that our relavour ard ock ro ect alone could generate illion of local econo ic activity over its e pected year ine life n recognition of this pro ect s scale and i portance given its potential to drive econo ic growth through the e traction of a strategically i portant critical ineral the overn ent has deter ined that the relavour ard ock ro ect should be treated as nationally significant a first for a ining pro ect in the UK.

ut the scale of ornish ithiu s a bition doesn t end there n another historic ining district to the east of the county ornish ithiu established the s first lithiu hydro ide de onstration plant at its relavour ard ock ro ect near t ustell in ollowing e ploratory drilling at this for er china clay site in the relavour it has now been repurposed e isting power road and rail infrastructure is being reutilised and the co pany plans to produce tonnes per year of battery grade lithiu hydro ide ornish ithiu therefore plans to produce appro i ately of the s annual needs fro its hard rock and geother al pro ects overall

lanning will be strea lined and deter ined through a unified consenting process whilst ensuring enhanced consultation with co unities and other

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statutory consultees pro ect s develop ent

throughout

activity groups in its pro ect areas through the ornish ithiu o unity und eat fro geother al waters is e pected also to provide safe clean renewable energy for factories greenhouses leisure centres and low carbon housing develop ents and the opportunity to utilise this valuable by product to support ornwall s residents and businesses is being e plored

the

he relavour e onstration lant has been funded by a group of leading institutional investors led by the ational ealth und alongside he nergy inerals roup and ech et he hydro etallurgical section of this facility has also been partially funded via a grant fro the overn ent via the uto otive ransfor ation und cale up eadiness alidation progra e he co pany is already creating highly skilled well paid careers in ornwall and intends to grow its tea to by t will also o er training progra es to e power local people to up skill for this i portant new industry

he recent appoint ent of energy sector leader a ie irnes as hief ecutive cer bolsters our senior tea and the business can now ove at pace fro research and develop ent towards full scale operations and seek to recruit the hundreds of e ployees we will re uire to bring the relavour ard ock ro ect into co ercial production concludes ere y his is a pivotal o ent in the co pany s history which began as a start up in and is now a nationally recognised leader in critical ineral e traction e believe that our lithiu products will facilitate a sustainable battery supply chain in the and play a vital role in the energy transition away fro fossil fuels e can now focus on accelerating the develop ent of a do estic supply of this critical etal for the nation for the benefit of ornwall t has been an e citing ourney so far and we are keen to ove on to the ne t chapter

n ornwall we have the right geology the right inerals a developing infrastructure the support of the overn ent and institutional investors and ornish co unities whose pride in the county s rich ining heritage runs deep within their a r s ere y onnecting with consulting and listening to local people underscores the co pany s success so far ts co it ent to proactive co unity engage ent is i pressive t supports charities and initiatives by sponsoring events and environ ental causes and awards grants to clubs and

cornishlithium.com

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Ian Kingsnorth Cornish Lithium

TOP ornwall has the right geology and inerals

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A B OV E ornish ithiu s eil illia s istoric ata anager surveys an original ining ap

07/05/2025 15:36

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Rooted in

RENEWAL WO R D S B Y H A N N A H TA P P I N G

Where others see waste, Cornwall, along with SUEZ, sees possibility. Together, they’re building a legacy for Cornwall, by forging a steady path to a waste-free future.

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across Cornwall stay on track and comply with the reforms. And this impact is visible too, in small yet powerful ways. Across SUEZ’s re-use shops in Truro, St Austell, Falmouth, Launceston and United Mines, pre-loved belongings are being given a second life. This isn’t just about objects – it’s about people. These shops are creating local jobs, supporting families and helping Cornwall’s student community access a ordable essentials

n Cornwall, a quiet groundswell is gathering momentum. Guided by a common goal and purpose, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, a leader in circular economy and sustainable solutions in resource and waste management, and Cornwall Council are working together to reshape the story of waste across the county. It’s a story not just of bins and trucks but of energy owing back into thousands of local homes, compost feeding new life into land and resources carefully kept in use instead of being buried out of sight.

he i pact is tangible n ust five months, over 52 tonnes of once-forgotten items have found new meaning and over 100,000 households now have access to these community-led hubs. But beyond the numbers, it’s the growing sense of collective pride that stands out and the connection between people, place and purpose. Combining global expertise and local heart, SUEZ and Cornish communities are turning today’s waste into tomorrow’s resources.

From the energy recovery facility at Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre, where non-recyclable waste is transformed into electricity to composting centres where green waste is turned into rich soil for local use, Cornwall’s waste is being given a new chapter. Materials that once would have been lost to landfill now play a role in Cornwall’s circular economy, creating value where it was once overlooked.

To learn more about how SUEZ is supporting Cornwall’s journey towards a circular economy, visit suez.co.uk or contact 01209 202000.

With Simpler Recycling now in place for workplaces with ten or more employees, bringing clear rules for recycling – including food waste and glass – SUEZ is helping businesses, schools and hospitals

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TOP SUEZ St Austell

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A B OV E SUEZ Truro

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L A ST

WO R D

Eventide WORDS BY ROSS JACKSON-HICKS

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experiences with others very powerful, so I naturally wanted to share that with others.

ale suicide is at an alarming rate here in the U.K., especially in Cornwall. 75% of all suicides are male. 82 men a week take their own lives here in the U.K. That’s on average 12 men a day. Cornwall, unfortunately, has the third-largest suicide rate in the country. There are lots of possible reasons behind this shocking statistic – isolation, low wages and increased poverty.

In 2018, I founded Man Down, a men’s ental health support group e o er en a safe non udg ental and confidential space to talk, share and connect with others on a much deeper level.

We actively break down the shame and stigma that’s associated with men’s mental health.

As a teenager, I started to think di erently about myself, and my mental health was becoming ore and ore di cult to manage. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 13 years old, and I spent most of my teenage years being distracted, disruptive and anxious, along with being very, very hyperactive. I found alcohol and drugs as a gateway to escaping my troubled mind, and unfortunately, developed a destructive relationship with both for many years.

We run events and social activities for our members to encourage them to feel like a part of society. To help them build social skills and resilience. To claim back their identity.

Our meetings are free to attend, no booking is required and no forms to fill out once you re there We now have over 25 groups in Cornwall and over 45 groups nationwide.

We have a fantastic group of volunteers, over 80 in fact, with some incredible people working on all the behind-the-scenes projects, along with our board of directors, who are at the helm of our growth and development.

I found myself in a deep, dark place eventually. Not really wanting to do this life thing any longer, I felt like everyone would be better o without e here But, at the age of 36, I decided to change my direction and become sober. Life improved dramatically for the better. I threw myself into personal growth and development.

I found talking about my mental health INSET Ross Jackson-Hicks, founding director & brand ambassador at Man Down CIC

s a non profit organisation we rely heavily on donations and fundraising events. mandown.org

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