North or South? Weather conditions prevail ..

When we holidayed in the west of Cornwall we had the luxury of deciding which coast we'd visit to play on the beach .. to keep out of the wind. So as children we never knew what sort of beach day we'd be having .. we loved the beach and being able to play and paddle in the water or jump around the rocks.

St Michael's Mount - the island 400 yards off the coast of Penzance - was really exciting to visit .. we could walk through the water on the manmade causeway and come back in a skiff or dingy, if the tide had come in too far. We could roam around the gardens up to the actual Castle, which is still a private residence of Lord St Levan.

Marazion, the Cornish village opposite St Michael's Mount, was a flourishing town owing its prosperity to the pilgrims flocking to worship on the Mount. At low tide there's a lovely long beach where we be able to run up and down, eat our sandwiches, munch our apples, dash up the strand and buy luxury ice lollies - a new treat for post war babies. So if the wind was coming from the north .. this is where we came .. so we vacated our bed and breakfast lodgings for the day .. a very good cheap British standby for parents with young children.

If the wind blew from the south then we drove round St Ives Bay past the coastal branch railway line to Godrevy .. where in those days we clambered haphazardly down the heath topped cliffs on to the beach. It was magical .. there were granite covered pebbles, shells, some brightly coloured - getting some of their colour from the red river ... the river flowing down from the tin workings above; we were able to jump from rock to rock - quite high ones which made it more exciting for us as we got older - with the waves crashing around underneath us.

We'd eat lunch .. homemade pasties, biscuits, oranges to suck on to quench our thirst .. sometimes with a sugar cube in .. delicious!! .. tucked into the cliff face keeping out of the wind sitting on a couple of rugs, beach towels round our shoulders .. keeping our eyes out for the numerous birds (gulls in their 100s, cormorants, guillemot, razor bills (wonderful shells for youngsters!), as well as grey seals, if we crept out over the rocks onto the point & if the water spouts weren't pounding up.

We'd watch the waves crash around Godrevy Lighthouse about 300 yards off the shore - knowing that it was protecting ships from the mile long submerged reef known as 'the Stones' a hazard to the life blood of the bay when fishing was the mainstay of the local communities.

On our journey home we'd be able to stop off and have fish and chips, with salt and vinegar .. served out of newspaper .. and a bottle of pop ... possibly cherryade - eaten out of the wind in the car! Wonderful days of youth .. so simple, but so pleasureable and teaching us so much about life ..

Dear Mr Postman - this letter has meant so much .. bringing her reminders of our holidays and times in Cornwall growing up, also bringing her own childhood memories back too.

My mother has been so pleased to have this letter and while she's in hospital she'll be able to have memory-dreams of times her children were growing up, or as often happens .. muddle her own childhood into ours .. - we learn some interesting snippets from her .. - this has been a good positive letter to bring her today .. thank you ...

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters