Here is the view from the window of the hairdresser’s in Looe where F and I both had a cut. I sent it to my children to indicate how we are getting on…..that such a mundane thing as having your hair cut could be such a pleasure. We got a nice cup of tea, and the best ever cuts to boot. Not bad for £31 for the two of us. I am a little worried that I am not doing so much reading at the moment, but on the other hand we are working hard at our boxes and having a fantastic time. I also plead the ptrygium I have which makes reading a pain (literally) sometimes.

We decided to explore along the coast and go to the twin towns of Cawsand and Kingsand. A warm summer’s day yet again (remember this is supposed to be March!) meant the whole trip was idyllic, and the two towns themselves were a veritable revelation…pretty as a picture, full of interesting old cottages, splendid pubs, three small beaches, views in the bay of yachts and large freighters (presumably waiting their turn to enter the Plymouth docks), and also, as I found out later, a Dutch frigate, a German frigate and a US Fleet supply ship….Having parked in Cawsand we walked through to Kingsand and exiting that via the beach we entered Mount Edgcumbe Park, sat on a bench to admire a bank behind us full of daffodils in bloom and the bay spread out in front of us, and walked towards two large birds of prey ensconced in the trees above us…now, having got home, clearly identified as buzzards, always a magnificent sight. We hit very lucky for lunch as we ignored the cafes with sea views (fine though they looked) and decided on The Old Bakery. We couldn’t rate it more highly…lovely toasted sandwiches with the most amazing sourdough bread. The bread itself had all sold out otherwise we would have stocked up, and although Monday night is artisan pizza night, we couldn’t stay til 5.30pm ( but can’t wait for when we can ). We took the minor coastal road on the way back and stopped at Downderry where we had a wander on the beach doing a bit of beach combing, another lovely place worth a re-visit…the places to revisit are coming in thick and fast!

Bus to Hannafore Point which is just beyond Looe – a lovely little place in itself and a super walk back into Looe with sea and estuary views all the way. More fresh fish….this time a whole lemon sole (which we had as an old-fashioned ‘sole meunier’ and was absolutely delicious (altho F didn’t like the capers), and two large steaks of Conger Eel which we have never eaten before….this one must have been a truly ferocious fish. Not quite so nice…will give it a miss in future….On the way back into Looe you see a statue of ‘Nelson’ a one-eyed seal who used to be almost a permanent resident in the harbour….a nice touch!

We decided to visit Exeter today being as it has the only John Lewis in these parts and we wanted to source various things. Once at the city, we travelled in on the excellent Park and Ride (free for us) and had a quick look around the outside of the magnificent cathedral, which we have visited before, being amazed again by the stupendous West Front. Here is what the official cathedral site says….”The West Front Image Screen of Exeter Cathedral is one of the great architectural features of Medieval England.  The addition of the image screen around 1340 marked the completion the re‑building of the cathedral in the Gothic style.  Work continued on the screen with the additional top tier completed about 1470. Behind the screen, to the right of the Great West Door is the burial chapel of John Grandisson who died in 1369 after more than 40 years as Bishop of Exeter. The screen is covered in a wealth of carving, dominated by three rows of statues in niches.  At the bottom are angels appearing to support all the figures above.  Most of the figures of the middle row represent Kings of Judah. In the upper row, to right of centre, is a representation of God.  On His right hand would have been a seated figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Her image was destroyed in the Reformation and, later, mistakenly replaced by King Richard II.  Also in the upper row are figures of the Apostles, the Evangelists and Old Testament Prophets. Dozens of figures also peer out from the battlements above and the whole screen is decorated with plants and animals. Originally, the image screen was entirely coloured and must have made a convincing vision of heaven.”

Having lunched in the top floor restaurant at JLP looking out over the city roof tops and being over-warmed by the splendid sun, and having shopped, we then had a look round the rest of the central shopping area.We found everything we wanted and noted the excellent use of many historic buildings. Exeter deserves a medal for the way it has really looked after its historic centre…busy but unspoilt and full of character. Very reminiscent of Chester. We look forward to a return visit.

We’ve been having absolutely incredible weather for March – sunny and warm. So today we did what we said we would do more of when we moved down to Cornwall, and used our old persons’ bus passes to jump on the bus in St Keyne and take it to Polperro which we hadn’t visited since before we were married (so that’s quite a long time ago). The bus journey was really lovely…..the first bit of countryside from here to Looe was all ups and downs, deep gorges heavily wooded and with beautiful views (which I could enjoy since I wasn’t driving). We then followed the river into Looe as it broadened into an estuary. This was the first time we had come along this road with the tide in, so instead of mud flats we had mediterranean blue-green sea sparkling in the sunshine. In Looe we crossed over the medieval bridge and then went along the seaward side of West Looe to Hannafore Point, an exceptionally nice route, before we doubled back and climbed out of the town to the Polperro road. In 15 minutes we disembarked at the Crumplehorn inn and walked into the village (when we were here in an earlier life we remember driving in in our little Mini, but you can’t use the car beyond the inn nowadays). Polperro is not only picturesque, but a proper Cornish fishing village, a working port as well as a great tourist attraction. Because Easter is at hand everyone seemed very busy painting and tittyfying ready for the influx, and many shops and cafes were closed. Having walked to the harbour across the Roman bridge (must look that up), we proceeded up the cliff path to the old Net Loft and sat in various locations, the best being the Net Loft itself a white hut which had attracted the sunlight so much it was actually warming…sitting there in the sun with a view of nothing but the sea was so nice.

As a reward for the continuing work on boxes (sound like a Government Minister….), we decided to do the half hour drive over to Fowey. Magnificent weather yet again. We parked in Readymoney cove (free till next week!) and explored the little beach ( above), and then walked into Fowey past a series of wonderful houses, all in tip-top condition making us think this was another of those places referred to as Kensington-on-sea. As we came into town we were caught by a menu board for ‘The Fat Cap and Brisket’, so we went in for a light lunch. We were really glad we did, a wonderful experience. Caring staff, terrific menu, bargain prices, view of the sea…what more could anyone ask? It has only been open 3 weeks apparently, according to one of the owners, but we will be returning with family as soon as we can. It is really satisfying when you find a restaurant you like and can undoubtedly rely on. Fowey is what some people might regards as twee, but like Dartmouth where we used to live it is in my opinion ‘improved’, and I like it a lot. In many ways it is similar to Dartmouth, location pretty as a picture, views across to an equally pretty town on the other side of the creek, ferry services, historic buildings, nice independent shops, good cafes and restaurants, spectacular walks…..really what more could you ask for?

Having been here a week now, we decided we must go into Looe to buy some fresh fish. The day was lovely so we strolled through town and walked along the beach. Looe is a lot nicer than I remember, not as twee as St Ives or Fowey (both of which I like very much), but having pretty much everything…..lovely train run into town from Liskeard along the river, shops enough, harbour, beach and walks. Oh yes shopping….we went to Pengelleys, and looked at the enticing fresh fish display and chose a lovely large haddock fillet and a whole gurnard, both of which proved excellent choices for main meals over the next couple of days. The gurnard I baked in foil in the oven with a few herbs and lemon, and it was very meaty and quite delicious. Ugly fish, though!

As you can see from the picture of Looe it sits on a tidal estuary and there is quite a different feel as to whether the tide is in or out. On a Summer’s day the blue-green water extends far up the valley (our valley!) and the views are pretty as a picture. When there is just mud, the impression is one of almost abandonment. When we first came to Cornwall and walked around the Helford river and up Frenchman’s Creek, I thought the mud flats were quite depressing and had a sad aspect as if the locations themselves were dying. I came fairly quickly to appreciate that low tide gave tremendous atmosphere…mystery, nostalgia for something lost. So now I really appreciate Looe and the twin valleys of East and West Looe in all its moods.

Having unpacked around half of our boxes (the rest floor to ceiling in the garage), we went for our first walk from St Keyne today. A steep descent down a lane to St Keyne’s well (made famous in a poem ‘The Well of St Keyne’ by Keats , and indeed turned into a mini opera) and the river valley, followed by a rather gentler ascent with the banks full of Spring primroses and daffodils, it was quite a delight. Such hilly country. Very reminiscent of Devon where we lived once. This area is quite unlike other areas of Cornwall, and we think we are lucky to have ‘found’ it.

The last book started and finished in our old home was ‘The Killing’ by David Hewson…..so-called Scandi-Noir, and one of the best Crime stories I have read in a long, long time. Politics, crime and the usual personal life of the chief detective all come into play, all utterly believable, and a range of suspects keep you hooked until the very end. Highly recommended. I moved from that onto ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ which most of us will have seen on TV with Gregory Peck. I had a lovely Folio edition so it was pure joy to hold and read. I was quite surprised that the action in court was only a small part of the plot (the movie being based around that). However, the way in which we became involved with all three members of the Finch family as well as assorted in-laws etc was masterly. As was the portrayal of just what it meant to be poor in the deep South (whether White or Black). In fact that is what I take away from this great novel more than anything…astonishing. I have to say that for one of the greats I did think the ending was highly anti-climatic, but then that applies to 95% of novels, does it not?

Over the course of the last few weeks I have also been reading Nigel Slater’s ‘Kitchen Diaries II’ Once started impossible to put down, a very readable cookery book indeed. And all the recipes we have tried have been absolutely wonderful (and economic). Reading it is like being with Nigel at home for a while. Interesting, soothing, pleasurable….
Daphne Du Maurier’s ‘Castle Dor’ was started in Binley Woods and finished in our new house in Cornwall – very appropriate really as the book is set in and around the Fowey estuary, and we are now living very nearby. Well we will be ‘living’ when we get on top of a few more boxes. About 220 boxes and most of them full of books. Still it’s a real joy to put them out, and remember them. The delivery men asked if I had read them all, and I did say yes (a bit of a porky, but I must have read 90% of the collection). So, ‘Castle Dor’. An unusual novel as it was started by the famous ‘Q’ (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch), and his daughter asked Daphne to finish it when he died half way through the writing. You can just about see the join. One of those books which was quite hard to get into but in this case only for the first half dozen or so pages, it tells the story of Tristan and Isolde but transplanted to South-East Cornwall of the nineteenth century….a chance encounter between a Breton onion seller, Amyot Trestane, and the recently married wife of a publican Linnet Lewarne, leads to fated love. It intertwines present day with past legends and is well told and sustaining throughout. Not untypical of any of Du Maurier’s novels. For a description of the ‘real’ Castle Dor Iron Age site see…..the Access To Monuments site…

The last couple of weeks have been spent tidying up the sale of our house and the purchase of our house in St Keyne Cornwall, that plus packing loads of boxes. The daily walks continue, albeit we are getting bored by the same old routine, and we are very much looking forward to doing new things in Cornwall. Reading has continued and for me has been mainly the re-reading of the marvellous ‘The Sunne In Splendour’ by Sharon Penman. I finished this yesterday and it was a marathon read as the book is 1240 pages long. However every page is a delight. It must be good as I hardly ever re-read a book, and having finished this for the second time I would happily start all over again! Basically it’s the story of Richard III, the locations are always real, the events are nearly always real, but the dialogues are of course made-up. It is the Yorkist version of History and very interesting for being that, particularly if you feel the conventional Tudor spin on things might not reveal quite all the truth. The times were momentous and so it has everything…family relationships and quarrels, love stories, politicking, battles galore……..the pace is relentless. At the front is a kind of Dramatis Personae to which you have to refer constantly because of the plethora of family members with the same name, that and the fact that personnel keep changing sides so you want to see whose battles they should be fighting! The book was 12 years in the writing, and I can only wonder at the amount of background research that underlies it…I have huge admiration for the author. But not only is it a fantastic read in its own right, it makes you want to explore the period even more. So I have immediately pulled one of my so-far unread Folio books off the shelf…’The Wars of The Roses’ by medievalist Desmond Seward. Rather good so far. In fact, having finished it….very good. Unbelievably it was almost like revisiting ‘The Sunne In Splendour’ again. It is really well researched, balanced, and zips along at a cracking pace. Plus its approach, which is to concentrate on five of the main characters, and tell the story of the Wars through them, is highly enjoyable, particularly as at least two of the people are not whom you might expect…..one a political ecclesiastic, Dr John Morton, and the other Jane Shore, mistress of Edward IV, then of his friend William Hastings (another one of the five) and then of his stepson the Marquess of Dorset….a remarkable woman and according to Seward ‘the first ordinary Englishwoman recognisable as a human being from contemporary sources (actually Sir Thomas More’s ‘King Richard’). Using all these people in this way does make the wars very immediate, and you realise how much impact they had on the extended families of everyone involved. Btw the upper pic is of the ‘Sun In Splendour’ at Tewkesbury Abbey.…