Expedition to the Fern Pit Cafe

 

There is a side to Newquay that few visitors bother to explore: the tidal estuary of the River Gannel. On the northern side, houses and gardens jostle for position down the steep sided slopes all the way to the shoreline, but the southern side is just fields and woods, quiet lanes and wild meadows.

Mum and I set off at low tide to walk the length of the estuary from the muddy banks upriver all the way down to Crantock Beach and the sea. Wild honeysuckle grows abundantly along the shoreline.

A sandy beach with a swing and ropes to swing on...... a place for children to be wild again away from modern technology.

Glasswort covers the muddy banks, and the skeletal branches of bleached trees reach their fingers into the water.

There is wild dog rose and elderflower.

Another secret, hidden place for children to play, and wild meadows full of butterflies and bees.

As we approach Crantock Beach we can see that the tide is still covering the little bridge over to the other side where the Fern Pit Cafe stands squarely at the top of its steeply sloping garden. We shall have to catch the attention of the ferry boatman to take us across.

 

Up till now the rain has just about held off, but as we reach Fern Pit Cafe at the top of the steep flights of steps it starts spitting, so we head indoors for our crab sandwich lunchtime treat.

The misty murky conditions are not the best for showing you the fantastic view back up-river!

The tide is still covering the footbridge so it's back on the ferry to the other side to walk back home again. A fun expedition all in all, I'm sure you'll agree!

Lovely days.....

 This dry warm weather is just lovely at the moment. I took one of my favourite walks yesterday to Towan Beach and followed the headland round to Porthbeor, taking in the views along the way.

 

The hedgerows are brimming with frothy cow parsley, red campions, bluebells, buttercups and stitchwort. I've been picking jugfuls of cow parsley to set outside the shop; it matches the delicate green and white upholstery on this chair perfectly!

 I have quite a selection of dyed French linen smocks for sale, and Patsy has been making beautiful pieces too, like this blouse made from 1950's pink seersucker using a vintage pattern. She has put delicate white piping around the Peter Pan collar and down the button front.

 An old baby dress that I've dyed dusky pink, and one of Wendy's little baby bonnets with a hand-stitched boat on the side.......

Vitamin Sea

What a tonic to have a whole day of glorious sunshine! I headed off up to Chapel Porth for a good dose of vitamin sea...

The strong easterly wind was whipping the waves into a frenzy of blown spume

each receding wave left whirls of foam

and the sun glinted off ripples in the sand.

The famous Towanroath engine house stands sentinel on the cliff edge just a short walk from Chapel Porth. It pumped water from the 600 ft deep shaft of the Wheal Coates Mine.

Where the seawater had collected in deep pools around the rocks it was the most amazing shades of turquoise and green.

I left feeling very wind-blown but refreshed.

We are not experiencing the same heatwave temperatures that some of you in the east are having, but the sunshine is so welcome all the same!

xxx

 Since Christmas I have been doing lots of dying; lots and lots of it! Bits of lace trim, Broderie Anglaise, Suffolk Puffs, Irish crochet, linen sheets, pieces of quilted bedcover, silk ribbons, old tablecloths, French linen smocks, petticoats; you name it, it's all got thrown in together.

The clothes, tablecloths and some of the larger linen pieces will be sold as they are, but with all of the smaller offcuts, ribbons, and lace trims etc I have been putting together little selection bundles......

 Priced between £5 and £15 pounds they make a lovely gift for any textile enthusiast who loves to sew little projects.

This afternoon I will be re-arranging the shop ready for Easter, with new Spring cushions,

 lovely linens,

and pretty pearl jewellery.

Upstairs I have created a comfortable dressing area where you can try on our ever-expanding range of interesting clothes; a mixture of second-hand pieces, dyed French linen smocks, vintage petticoats and hand-printed Indian indigo cottons.

Snowy Lane

 The snow we had a couple of weeks ago was blizzard-like and not at all pleasant to be out in, but today the snow came floating down in huge flakes and coated everything with an icing so perfect, it was a fairytale.

 I took a walk down the lane where I live, and looked over the gates into fields of whiteness.

 Such a lovely feeling came over me as I walked and marvelled at the beauty of it all; every leaf and branch coated in its own little blanket of snowflakes.