Golden Guernsey Goats were saved from extinction by a brave woman in WWII. A small number were saved from German slaughter by Miss Miriam Milbourne, who hid them in caves. We learn this fascinating fact during our visit to The Lost Gardens of Heligan near Mevagissey, Cornwall, where we see some of these wonderful creatures! Sir Tim Smit of Eden Project fame has jointly helped to restore over 200 acres here, creating a mesmerising landscape. We’re introduced to plants from all over the world, as well as the environmentally important concept of regenerative farming, which is so much better for the land. There are three extremely well-groomed, happy donkeys, as well as colourful dahlias. Such a large landscape can be a challenge for little legs. “Why have you brought me to another garden?” moans Henry (aged 9), “I’m bored.” However, all this is quickly forgotten when he sees the giant pillows in the play area, and happily spends the rest of the afternoon jumping about while Caroline and I sit down and enjoy a rest.
The history theme continues at Trebah Gardens near Falmouth, where we learn that in 1944, seven-and-a-half thousand US servicemen departed from the private beach for Normandy. As we sit on this tranquil pebble beach on a glorious sunny afternoon, we contemplate world events and are so grateful for our privileged life – our freedom. Whenever we visit a pebble beach, Henry likes to try his hand at skimming. “The most I’ve got is four and I want to beat that,” he says. So we try, each managing three, which I’m quite satisfied with. And then a man walks up to the water’s edge and nonchalantly skims with perfection. I haven’t seen such excellent Olympic-standard skimming before – his stone bounces off the water, far away into the distance. “How on earth do you do that?” I question, and he shows us. It’s all about selecting the right stones; it helps if they have indents in them, and they don’t have to be flat, as I had previously thought. “I’ve spent a long time mastering this,” he admits. After our skimming school training academy, we definitely improve, Henry the most – he manages five skims, which is impressive! Having a skill like this is certainly a talking point.
Trebah Gardens is breathtaking. There are so many exquisite plants; many colourful Hydrangeas. We see Gunneras and learn that these giant rhubarb-like plants come from Brazil; these have always fascinated me. At the entrance, there is an exquisite wooden sort of compendium, which introduces you to Trebah Gardens. It’s extremely clever, with dials and bits and pieces that stimulate interaction. This helps to grab Henry’s attention. Its construction is really inspiring, especially for Harriett (aged 14), who is studying resistant materials. Tarzan Camp really appeals to the children, who love throwing themselves about on the rope net that’s attached to the trees. What fun!
We stay in an exclusive Stargazer lodge with its own hot tub at Away Resorts’ St Ives Bay Beach Resort in Hayle. There’s a skylight above the bunkbed that Henry has picked, above the girls’ beds – they’re all in one room. He likes to lie down looking at the night sky. They eventually get down to sleep. “Can we watch the tele?” they ask in the morning. This self-catering lodge, with its delightful bath and copious amounts of hot water (which Caroline loves) and shower room, is on a large site where there are bookable facilities, including a swimming pool. There is easy access to a three-mile-long sandy beach, complete with sand dunes that the children love throwing themselves down. There’s a sea view from the lodge, too. During our stay, Cornwall has quite dull mornings which give way to light sunny afternoons, and it’s enjoyable watching this weather change. One night, we even see a red sky! Harriett and Heidi especially, are delighted to see all the little brown rabbits on site. We all enjoy slouching around catching up on our favourite TV programmes – but not too much, because there’s so much to see and do. You’ll never be bored in Cornwall.
We must visit the Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. Here, we’re introduced to native artist Alfred Wallis (1855 to 1942), who produced enjoyably simple works of boats and houses from his kitchen table in Madron, Cornwall. I wonder whether fellow painter Fred Yates, who lived in Cornwall for a time, was inspired by him. In fact, we spy a small Fred Yates for sale in Porthminster Gallery. Henry struggles with walking around galleries, but I must say he does admirably, because he starts to hunt out the things that interest him. This is really good to see. Ignoring those boring pictures on the wall, he discovers sculptures in dark spaces through nothing more than the flaps that you might normally find in a supermarket. He does enjoy this, and in one room he finds that he can make his own art by using his hands to create shadows on the walls. We’re in the Liliane Lijn: Arise Alive exhibition, and in another room, we find large glass plates with balls on them going round, similar to those found in a microwave. These portray the planets and promote thinking. The children have been given booklets and pencils to sketch in and Harriett and Heidi enjoy doing this, particularly in a spot overlooking Porthmeor Beach. It’s a very inspiring gallery. “My favourite artist is Patrick Heron,” says Henry, who appreciates his large, brightly coloured abstract paintings.
We leave to sit on a bench a bit nearer the beach to people watch and have a bag of crisps. It’s then time to stroll down the road to the Barbara Hepworth Museum. Mingling amongst foreign tourists from Germany, France, Holland, and China, we make our way through the streets of St Ives. Who needs to travel abroad? Our ears are pricked for foreign conversation, and there’s plenty. We do enjoy Barbara Hepworth’s abstract sculptures, and Harriett is inspired by these as she mulls over her resistant materials project for Year 10. Seeing a garden with such large sculptures is awe-inspiring, as is her studio with its hammers, chisels and various sizes of stone ready to be worked.
Cornwall offers a host of eateries and, of course, is world-renowned for its pasties, cider and ale. At Reef and Beef in St Ives, a leisurely dining experience can be found, where both children and adults are well catered for. We always worry whether our picky little Henry will find what he’s looking for (namely Sausage, Chips and Coca Cola), and phew, it’s on the menu. He gets three sausages, too, so he’s happy! This Romanian-owned restaurant, with its pristine marble floors and comfortable, brightly coloured chairs, is run by Petrica Constantin (who trained staff for Harbour Hotels) at the front of house, and chefs Vasile and Serge. They pride themselves on using locally sourced produce. With its fifteen staff, it will handle 100 covers, and during our visit, the restaurant is fully booked for the evening, and customers are turned away. Harriett’s Beef Burger “is the best I have ever had”. The girls have Elderflower and Apple drinks, and to eat, Caroline has a Carbonara, while Heidi has a Tomato Pasta. My Crab Paccheri, made with creamy lobster sauce and hand-picked white crab meat, is a good choice for a light lunch. Sharp’s Pale Ale provides a pleasant accompaniment to my dish. Ice Cream for dessert ensures that Henry is a very happy little boy. Sorbet and Brûlée is the girls’ choice. They enjoy this dish, not least because their rabbits share the same names. My Baked Alaska is tasty.
We love mooching around St Ives and visiting the many independent shops and galleries, and particularly enjoyed looking at Jin Eui Kim’s precise ceramics in the New Craftsman Gallery.
I’m always on the lookout for a decent shirt (that does not show my stomach!) and, to my surprise, I find this at Blueberry, which I discover actually makes small, limited runs of shirts and blouses, as well as leather goods here in England. I’m really pleased to find this, when usually, clothes are made abroad.
On the way home, we stop off at the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth, where we learn of the excellent work this charity does for mistreated donkeys all over the world.
For more information:
www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives/barbara-hepworth-museum-and-sculpture-garden
www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/visit-us/sidmouth
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