Sunday 23 June 2013

Hidden Gem

Sometimes you discover a place that is so fab, that you immediately want to rush out and tell everyone about it. Then you stop, and wonder whether that will spoil its very special 'hidden gem' quality.



Well, I'll let you in on the secret......




There is a beautiful garden tucked away in the south west corner of Cornwall that if you are lucky enough to stumble upon will make you feel as though it's your very own.




Potager Garden and Glasshouse Cafe is a firm favourite with our family and we often hold birthday parties here come rain or shine. The garden was rescued from an overgrown nursery and lovingly brought back to vim and vigour, it features soft drifts of flowers, natural pathways, games of boule and badminton.




The Glasshouse Cafe is run by a lovely couple called Arwen and Tanya who use the freshest produce straight from the garden itself. We treated ourselves to a delicious tagine, decorated with colourful flowers. 



We left with full tummies and smiles, the perfect antidote to stress.


Saturday 15 June 2013

Summer fair

Today the sun shone and we all headed off to a traditional country fair in Mawgan. The fair is part of Feast Week, where everyday for a week this small Cornish community pulls out all the stops and puts on a variety of different events and entertainments. 


There was a bouncy castle, face painting, hook a duck, coconut shy, hoopla and the slightly bizarre 'bowl for a chicken' which was hotly contested by some local professionals. We had a go on most things, strolled around the car boot sale, bought a raffle ticket (and won a book on the local 'Pirates' rugby team), ate pasties and devoured cream teas. I even got to ride a beautiful Shire horse.



We got our beloved Morris Minor car into the vintage section, it's there on the left next to the rather stylish Lee Francis.


Finally, the day was made complete with a tub of famous Roskilly's ice cream - delicious!

Wednesday 12 June 2013

Messing about on the river


I'm no sailor, but I love messing about in a canoe on the nearby Helford River. Our family shares a Canadian canoe which is pretty sturdy. Although I did embarrass myself once in front of a group of friends, by falling out of it just as we came ashore. Let's just say it wasn't my greatest moment!




The Helford is a stunning river estuary south of Falmouth that runs from Gweek in the east to the open sea. It is totally unspoilt and feels like stepping back in time with thickly wooded banks, small hidden coves and wading birds looking for treasure in the mud.



It is home to a wide range of wildlife, both on land and under the water including little egrets, bass, eelgrass beds, and the famous Helford oyster. Oysters have been harvested here since the 3rd century BC and are said to have been a favourite of Turkish pirates!




Here was my favourite find of the day - what a whopper!