'Tis Beautiful (as the Cornish would say!)

Golly, hasn't the weather taken a turn for the better.  We have been blessed with stunning sunshine since last Thursday.  It is amazing the difference a little bit of sunshine makes to the spirits.  Guests have been soaking up the sun on their patios and every night the smell of barbeques engulfs Tregongeeves.

As we worked the weekend we get a day off in the week and yesterday we took advantage of the glorious weather and headed over to Mawgan Porth on the North Coast.  Just a 20 minute drive away the coast line is quite different to the south coast.  The tide was well and truely out, but the cooling water was well worth the walk.  We set up camp for the afternoon and settled down for an evening barbeque.  Sausages taste so much nicer with the waves crashing in the background!

If you are heading to Cornwall for a bit for relaxation, why not try your hand at something a little bit different.  There are plenty of opportunities to hire a surf board, go out kayaking, try a bit of coasteering or simply hire some bikes from down at River Valley Holiday Park.

Looking ahead, we still have a few bookings available in September - our money is on an Indian Summer so why not pop down for a break when the schools have gone back and it is a little bit quieter?

More additions to the flock!

Hello there,

Just went I thought we were full to the brim we acquire a few more animals for the petting corner!  Today Judith has come home from shopping with some new black chickens.  I am not sure of the exact breed but have been told they are very pretty!  We will take some pictures as soon as they have settled in.

Rosie and Jim no longer look like little lambs anymore.  They are in the front paddock with the donkeys and Alice the Shetland.  They still act very much like puppies though and will come when you call them.  If you are visiting then don't forget to give Declan plenty of attention too...he may be a little bit older, but he was also bottle fed so loves the human attention.  Wilma and Betty are slightly more shy.

I am sure you have seen on the news and experienced the monsoon season that seems to be the UK summer.  Depsite the weather warnings that have been issued for the South West it really hasn't been that bad - and we are not just saying that!  We have had lots of rain, don't get me wrong, but it seems to come in bursts and over night.  In fact as I type this I would say that it is very hot and the sun is breaking through.  On Sunday night we actually had our tea on the beach, after I got quite sunburnt in the day (lesson learnt!), I am pictured walking along Pentewan Sands.

Cornwall will now start to get quite busy, the local schools break up this week and lots of people are entering holiday season, which means there is loads happening right on our door step.  In a few weeks the Charlestown Regatta will take place from the 28th July to 3rd August with lots of live entertainment, music and fun to be had by the family.  Slightly later in the month is the highly acclaimed Fowey Regatta taking place 19th to 25th August.  The Red Arrows display across the harbour really is worth seeing.

In you fancy a little a bit of culture why not visit one of the many outdoor theatres that spring up in Cornwall throughout the summer.  One of our favourites is the Miracle Theatre Company - they are hugely enteraining and are performing at The Lost Gardens of Heligan on 1st August.  Or you could venture further afield to the highly popular Minack Theatre, which is worth  visit in the day time to admire the views or to see a show in the evening.

"Ba ba black sheep (or white sheep) have you any wool...?"

In the case of Wilma, Betty and Declan the answer is no!  Finally our three sheep got shorn yesterday - although now the temperatures have reduced slightly I bet they wish they still had their winter coats on.  I am pleased to report all three were well behaved for the sheep shearer and now look very smart and fresh.

I am pleased to report the donkeys seem to be back to their usual selves and are happily wandering around the field.  However we are having to keep an eye on Alice; she is a very old lady and recently has been showing her age a lot.  Judith is giving her some extra TLC to put the spring back into her trot.

I would be exaggerating if I said we had been blessed with back to back sunshine this week, but the rain does seem to have come over night and in the morning and cleared by mid morning - which seems to work quite nicely for getting out and exploring Cornwall.

If you are looking for things to do on damper days there is plenty to do in Cornwall, for example, the more energtic amongst us could try your hand at surfing - it is one of the many things Cornwall is famed for after all! Or why not explore the Helford River by canoes (I fancy doing this!).  You could always wrap up and go food foraging - the in thing with food and countryside lovers.

Or if you fancy a more sedate and relaxed rainy day activity why not take a trip on a real steam engine at Bodmin - keep an eye out for themed days.  You could combine a shopping trip in Truro with a wander around the impressive Truro Cathedral, situated in the heart of the county town.  There is also Lanhydroch House, an impressive National Trust property that has one of the best upstairs down stairs layouts we have seen.  They have lots of activities on throughout the year for all the family.

"There's no such thing as bad weather...

...just bad choice of clothes" so a Cornishman once said.  Hopefully someone mentioned that to the Queen on Sunday, and it is worth keeping in mind this week!  In contrast from my last blog, I can confirm that Cornwall is slightly on the damp side right now, along with the rest of the country.

However, we are British (or Cornish as Richard would state), so we will make the most of the weather.  Ironically blowy wet days like today are a fantastic time to head to the beach in my opinion.  Let's face it you will get damp from the sea anyway, so why not wrap up warm, pack the swim suit (if you are VERY brave) and fill a flask with tea.  At least you know the beach will not be busy!  Cornwall boasts some truely stunning beaches, locally we have Porthpean; a small bech great for families.  Or a short drive away their is Caerhays, Porthscatho, Par Beach or Polkerris.  Polkerris is especially good as it has a pub and Sam's on the Beach - which is a fantastic little food place.

If you fancy visiting one of the many attractions locally why not pop to the Eden Project.  Don't be fooled into thinking it is all indoors however - about a 1/3 of it is undercover in the Biomes and various buildings on site.  Having spent last summer working there I recommend you go as early as you can, start in the Rainforest Biomes (the one on the left as you look at it and is the hottest) and then stroll into the Med Biomes - that way you can cool down nicely.  Then visit the Core Building and enjoy the gardens.  The gardens are my favourite bit - especially the Myths and Legends area.  It is worth checking out the website before you go to see what extra activities are going on - they are usually including in the ticket price.  Talking of ticket price it is worth booking in advance.  Right now I found a good offer on Buy a Gift website saving you 40%, or you can get tickets 10% and 15% cheaper on the Eden website.

I am afraid we have some sad animal news.  Blossom, one of much loved donkeys was taken ill last week and sadly had to be put to sleep on 1st June.  The other donkeys are like lost souls at the moment looking for her, but she was very old and had been with us for many years.

On a lighter note Rosie and Jim are getting fatter by the day and are now down to one feed in the morning.  They are such characters tha just love meeting new people!

Wow, it is HOT, HOT, HOT

Like the rest of the country we have been blessed with wonderful weather for the last few days.  A heavy storm over night has refreshed everything beautifully and sun is out again in full glory.

The poor sheep - Declan, Wilma and Betty are struggling in the heat and appreciated the rain over night as they still have their winter coats on - the same as you and and I walking round in this weather with a big coat on!  They are booked for a hair cut next week to help cool them down.

Rosie and Jim are now down to just morning bottle feeds now, so you have to get up early if you want to watch them race to see who can finish their milk first.

The bank holiday Monday sees the River Valley Holiday Park Duck Race, organised by John's rotary and raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.  I decided it would be a good idea to get a picture for the paper with our ducks and the ducks we will race...well I now know why they say you should never work with animals.  Opposite is the best of an hours worth of attempting to get the perfect duck picture!

Judith and I are off to the Hidden Hut today, which I mentioned in the last blog.  They have started a new Tapas menu so we thought we would try it out.

Rosie & Jim plus lots of chicks

Hello

Apologies I have not blogged for a couple of weeks, we have been on holiday and are rather busy ourselves as Judith will be having a new edition in the form of a Grandchild in July so as you can imagine we have been frantically trying to prepare rooms etc before the busy holiday season takes over!

Rosie and Jim are doing very well.  They even managed to weather a night in a horse box when we were hit with really bad weather a few weeks back and there really was 'no room at the inn' with all animals having to come inside - the only space we had left was the horse box!

They really are a comedy pair, leaping around and nudging anyone near by to see if you have a bottle.  Pictured is Rosie and Jim having their bottle feed - they LOVE being feed and meeting new willing feeders!  If you stay and get any pictures of the animals we would love to see them, sometimes we forget our camera when we are carrying eggs, bottles, feed etc!  You can post them on our Facebook page or email them to Judith.

As if Judith was not busy enough, along came a brood of chicks!  The little feathered friends are doing well and growing by the day - although they are quite hard work making sure they have enough food and water.

We are very excited about the thought of food at the moment, with lots of local events taking place.  Caethays Castle, set in a secluded bay in stunning grounds are offering the chance of a Lakeside Supper on 14th June (we already have our tickets).  Simon is famed for his food at The Hidden Hut, which is well worth a visit.  The Hut really is hidden but the food is amazing and warming if the wind is blowing in off the sea.

Locally we are also big fans of The Kingswood, which is in London Apprentice.  Having recently been taken over by  a talanted it is a becoming a very busy place - booking is esstential.  Or just a walk (if you like hills) or a short drive away from Tregongeeves is The Polgooth.  A traditional village pub wih hearty portions.

Feeding time at the zoo!

Rosie and Jim are growing up so fast.  They have loved having lots of new faces to help feed them, Jim is now catching Rosie in the race of who can guzzle their milk the fastest!  After feeding time, they terrorise the chickens, who are getting used to being chased after the eggs have been collected.  The are lovely little characters who leap around the field and are getting braver by the day.

Today Judith and I had a rare day off so popped over to the Tregothan Estate which has it's open day.  It only opens it's gates twice a year, as it is still a family home.  The substantial home is stunning, although like we pointed out if you lost your keys you would struggle to find them!

There are many more private estates open over the coming months.  Of note is Caerhays Castle which offers tours until June, and is set on the edge of a stunning beach.  Just outside Bodmin you will find Pencarrow House, which has been in the same family for generation.  Slightly further afield is Pentillie Castle which has a soft spot with Richard and I, a potential wedding venue when we were hunting for venues, we got to know the family who kindly open the gardens and house.  It is a stunning house in beautiful grounds, which, similar to Heligan were lost for 30 years and only recently found.