Saturday 28 February 2009

Lelant to St Ives, Cornwall ... 1200s to the modern day ...


Dear Mr Postman .. oh excellent another positive story .. we'll enjoy reading and chatting about the contents and have some laughter along the way as we recall things ..

Amazing ... two things ... my mother was happy today .. thankgoodness & seemed in good spirits .. she was 'on her way to Cornwall' (where she used to live and really calls 'home') and I had found an article, through the auspices of this magic machine of a lap top through the interconnected airwaves, on exactly the part of the world she'd been a part of for 88 years ...

We read the lot - 9 pages of quite big print .. with a number of evocative photos .. all of which resonated with my Ma. Isn't that great?! I'll summarise parts of it .. I was really interested in the historical aspects - how they meted out punishment in those days - the 1200s ... will be in the next instalment.

Briefly - there's branch line that was finished in 1877 from St Erth on the main line to St Ives, the picturesque fishing village, now a tourist attraction and artists' colony; fortunately the branch line has been retained .. and the 4 mile train ride is fantastic along Lelant Saltings, past St Euny church, between West Cornwall Golf Club and the dunes, through the hazel nut grove, over tiny sparkling streams, through the wooded valleys, linking settlements scattered over the downs until we reached St Ives.

The area of our holidays and my mother's roots .. so we had lots to discuss and she remembered many of the names without prompting .. a two way process - which is such a pleasure for me - and we both learned so much .. she'll enjoy hearing these stories again: murder, permanent exile, "tithings", a theatrical impresario, historical aspects - a potted history of the changes occurring in the demographics, cultural and modernisation of a tiny part of west Penwith .. the westerly tip of Cornwall.

There's a 3 min YouTube video of the train trip .. only showing the bay side, and unfortunately it's a gloomy English! day .. so if you feel like a real train trip .. please enjoy the short journey .. and the article's details are also here .. and of course Wikipedia gives further information on the Bay and on St Ives itself ...



St Ives Bay Scenic Railway ride ...

Thank you Mr Postman .. have you been on this magical train ride? .. it's so glorious and brings back so many memories for us .. thank you ..

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