Monthly Archives: November 2022

Cornwall

Fish and Ships!

Newlyn is our favourite harbour. It may be an Icelandic gull or a black redstart that draws us, but it is the turnstones at the harbourmaster’s office that enchant us, dashing about avoiding the comings and goings of vehicles instead of waves, as they monitor the sandwich situation within and without the office.

Seems to me that in recent years the fishing fleet is looking smarter and younger. But then, I find that’s true of most things!

But there are still old friends —

and ropes to trip over

potentially propelling me into the green depths and alarming the old seal lolling in the harbour waiting for the tide to rise high enough for him to snatch the discarded crabs.

The bright young boats are hung with clusters of fenders like boat-eggs, tended by fishermen.

Notice the threatening weather which reminds us of the rigours of their chosen occupation.

The best thing about visiting an active fishing port is the evening meal.

Brill for dinner — filleted, this monster landed the night before, just fitted into the largest available pan. Fried in butter… delicious!
But there are two fishmongers behind the fish market at Newlyn and others in the town — it is impossible to pass without buying in both so there will be a starter of crab!
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Uncategorized

Large, detached family home!

One careful resident, since refurbishment in 1603 — the Sackville family, who still live there though it is now owned by the nation and managed by the National Trust. Literary note: yes, Vita Sackville-West lived here for a time and was visited by her lover, Virginia Woolf, who wrote about the house in Orlando (1928).

NT Information board picture displayed by the cafe.

It was always said to be a Calendar House, with 365 rooms, 52 staircases, 12 entrances and 7 courtyards, P G Wodehouse added that it also had [only] 20 bathrooms! Modernisation has removed some staircases and added some yards, but it is certainly substantial — the footprint is 4 acres!

Before the dissolution of the monasteries, it was home to a series of archbishops of Canterbury, here is the tithe barn. Henry VIII put pressure on the last one, Archbishop Cranmer, to swap his splendid archbishop’s palace at Knole for various abbeys and monasteries between Canterbury and Dover. One wonders if the fine deer park was a factor — they say not.
A survivor of the hunting, but still uneasy.

Some of you know my preoccupation with drains and plumbing generally. One of the things that impressed me at Knole was the Jacobean leadwork — the magnificent ornamental rainwater heads with turrets and fretwork. Other examples have initials, dates, chequers, stars, chevrons and bartizans.

Thomas Sackville set his order of the garter from ERI on the pipe collars
Arms of Sir Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset KG. Rs-nourse — own work CC BY-SA 3.0
Thomas, 1st Earl of Dorset
Lead Cistern in one of the courtyards. Initials LD, the arms of the order of the garter and half a date 17… Lionel Sackville received his in 1714. Became 1st Duke of Dorset in 1720…

But wait — I’ve found another photo.

1749 — what happened then? Can’t find out — maybe they just renovated the plumbing! Does anybody know?

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History, Rememberance

For the Fallen

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun

and in the morning

We will remember them. extract from For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon

And today we think of all those who have perished in Ukraine and will die tomorrow and in the days to come — another wasted generation, their families and their unborn children.

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Books

Fowl!

Ideal gift for a football crazy grandchild.

A charming story written by Shaun McMahon, a Northamptonshire school teacher, suitable from about 6 years of age, younger if read to, and an equally good read for the adult reader. Suspend your preconceptions and go with the flow as Bert, a likeable young chicken follows his dream to be a footballer, aided and abetted by an eccentric farmer and his good mate Harry, a Shetland pony. Lots of challenges along the way with each chapter just right for a bedtime story. Made me think that we might have found the successor to Dick King-Smith.

Well written and deserves to do well — can’t wait for the film!

Fowl by Shaun McMahon, published by Matador ISBN 9 781838 595166 £7.99

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