News and views November 2019

Introduce Cornwall into your interior

The Art of Cornwall provides arts and crafts enthused from one of the most popular, picturesque regions in the country: Cornwall.

It’s the 24/7 ‘go-to’ place to purchase all forms of Cornish based and affiliated creative expressions, at affordable prices, delivered straight to your door; wherever you are in the world.

The Art of Cornwall has just launched and will offer a wide variety of products, from limited editions, fine giclée art, ceramics, pottery, jewellery, scarves, clothing and much more.

Embrace Cornwall’s heritage and bring the beautiful landscapes and designs indoors – be it your own living space, to uplift the office environment or simply to bring a Cornish ambience to any interior design scheme.

Click here to watch an insight into the art of Bill Brandson.

For more information visit www.theartofcornwall.co.uk

Keeping the Christmas tree tradition alive

Set in the heart of Cornwall, overlooking the Looe valley, you will find Santa Trees Liskeard, a family owned and run ‘choose and cut’ Christmas tree farm. Ivor Dungey started growing Christmas trees over 60 years ago and now has over 27,000 trees to choose from. Customers are invited to wander around the pathed farm, choose the tree they would like, and watch it being cut and wrapped ready to take home – providing a truly festive experience.

After choosing your tree you can visit the Christmas Shoppe, where stands are sold along with wreaths and a wide selection of gifts, many of which are handmade by Ivor’s daughter Helen. Voted ‘Best British Christmas Tree Grower 2003’, if you’d like to deck your halls with a tree grown here in the Duchy, be sure to pay Ivor and the Santa Trees team a visit this festive season.

For more information call 07809 874096 or visit Santa Trees Liskeard on Facebook

Experience a Country House Christmas

The impressive country house of Trevince stands in gorgeous grounds, woods and parkland. The current owners Richard and Trish Stone are the 26th generation to run the estate; ordinarily their private home, the couple will open Trevince’s doors for the fourth Country House Christmas event.

This is a wonderful opportunity for customers to wander through the downstairs rooms, filled with luxury gifts and hand-picked artisans selling lavish hand-made products. From the upstairs hallway gallery, and also outside, local musicians, singers and choirs will showcase themselves.

Taking place from 29th November to 1st December, then again the following weekend from 6th to 8th December, doors open from 10am until 4pm on all  days. With free parking and a £2 entry fee, a warm welcome and a fantastic time awaits everyone at Trevince.

For more information call 01209 822725 or visit www.trevince.co.uk

Light up your Christmas

Cornish charity, ShelterBox, puts solar lanterns in its famous green boxes which are sent to survivors of natural disasters. Solar lanterns help people get family life back to normal; kids can do homework again, family dinners can be enjoyed, and everyone feels more secure after dark.

The LuminAid lanterns are also a great Christmas gift idea for anyone who loves evenings on the beach, camping, festivals and outdoors living – you can even charge your phone from some models. LuminAids are available at the ShelterBox Visitor Centre in Truro along with Christmas cards and other unique gift ideas.
All profits go towards vital disaster relief work. The visitor centre is open Monday to Saturday in the run up to Christmas.

For more information call 01872 302600 or visit www.shelterbox.org

You deserve to  treat yourself better!

Modern lifestyles are fast and getting faster. It’s easy to get swept along with hectic schedules, consuming stuff and striving to imitate the charade of what we read about other people’s perfect lives. Living in Cornwall we have amazing access to some
of the most life enhancing scenery, food and communities. Let’s make the most of it.

If you want to feel happier, healthier and more active – or if you want to get your family’s lifestyle back on track; Lifestyledoc can help. Cornish GP, Dr Mark Crouse and Health Coach, Zoe Crouse, have set up Lifestyledoc, a private Lifestyle Medicine practice. They invest time and expertise to deliver personalised, pragmatic solutions by focusing on diet, sleep, exercise and mental wellbeing. Contact them today to arrange a free assessment and start treating yourself better.

For more information call 01872 272866 or visit www.lifestyledoc.co.uk

Make the most of autumn with Kernow Springs

Through the recent months, many of us here in Cornwall have spent warm summer evenings in the sanctuary of our gardens, and as the cooler nights draw in, there’s no reason why your outdoor revelling can’t continue. This is why we recommend making the most of the autumn evenings with your very own wood-fired hot tub or sauna installation from Kernow Springs. The benefits are endless; there’s no need for electricity and they look completely at one with the great outdoors, making them the perfect addition to your garden this season. It couldn’t be a better time to buy and with the autumn sale giving you 10% off, with savings of between £300 and £1,300, just head to the showroom at Trevisker Garden Centre in Padstow. But act fast because the discount is only available during November, and it’s certainly not an opportunity to miss with winter on the horizon!

For more information  call 07779 374017 or visit www.kernowsprings.co.uk

Trevena Cross does Christmas

For four weekends from 30th November, Trevena Cross, between Helston and Penzance, will be taking plants out of the spotlight and instead, rocking Christmas with bells on as the garden centre transforms in a festive winter wonderland!

Complementing everything the shop has to offer, from beautiful decorations to a magnificent light tunnel, will be a large undercover Christmas food and craft market, taking place each weekend – Saturday and Sunday – from 30th November to 21st December, 10am to 4pm.

Bringing together around 50 passionate, quality local traders, visitors will have the perfect opportunity to pick up a selection of irresistible and unusual Christmas gifts with every visit. When hunger strikes, mouth-watering cuisine from some of the best street food traders around will also be ready to tempt you, as live musical entertainment creates a wonderfully festive atmosphere.

Alongside the market, Trevena Cross will once again be hosting the biggest Santa’s Grotto in west Cornwall, from which all proceeds will be donated to local nominated charities and community groups. Supported once again by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard, Trevena’s Christmas Weekends are set to be truly magical – a memorable experience for the whole family.

But that’s not all! Santa will also be working the twilight hours on the first three Thursdays of December! Between 3pm and 8pm, he’ll take up residence in his grotto to welcome families, offering the perfect opportunity for little ones with additional or specific needs to meet Father Christmas.

After all the festive excitement, the only thing left to think about is choosing the perfect Christmas tree. Fortunately, Trevena Cross will have a huge selection of UK grown trees to choose from, including Nordmann fir trees, up to six feet tall!

For more information visit www.trevenacross.co.uk or TrevenaCross on Facebook.

Holiday home tips

In an ongoing series of holiday home tips, George at Cornish Traditional Cottages highlights how to welcome guests to your property.

As the owner of a Cornish holiday let, one of your main objectives is to ensure your guests have such a great stay that they want to return and recommend it to their friends. The key, George tells us, lies in the welcome.

When preparing your holiday home make sure to provide the basics. “Stock the cupboards with supplies of tea, coffee, salt, sugar and cooking oil, as well as some washing-up liquid, hand soap, dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent and kitchen roll.” This means guests already have the means to get comfortable and have a cup of tea when they arrive as well as providing the incentive to keep the place clean and tidy as well.

George continues: “If the holiday let has a barbeque, make sure there’s a sack of charcoal for guests’ use. Similarly, if you have a
woodburner make sure the log basket is full and provide matches in one of the kitchen drawers.” Small touches like this will make all the difference to your guests, allowing them to avoid a rush to the supermarket for the essentials.

For more information call 01208 893980 or visit www.corncott.com

Get your applications in at Truro & Penwith College!

2020 applications are now being taken for a range of 18+ university level courses at the TEF Gold-rated Truro and Penwith College. If you’re ready for the next challenge or want to boost your career prospects while staying and studying in the place you love, then why not check out the website to discover more?

Whether you want a career in Teaching, Health and Fitness, Social Care or want to study a more specialist subject such as Cyber Security or Silversmithing and Jewellery, there is a course for everyone delivered on a full or part-time basis. 

With a timetable covering just two days a week and smaller class sizes allowing for plenty of opportunity for one-to-one support, Truro and Penwith College’s University Centre was rated the top in Devon and Cornwall in 2019 for student satisfaction for the second year in a row!

For more information call 01872267000 or visit: www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/university

Christmas and New Year at Harbour Hotels

Christmas and New Year is fast approaching, and this year it’s going to be bigger and better than ever at Harbour Hotels. Why go to all the trouble yourself? This year, why not treat you and the family and book in for your festive dinner, New Year celebration, or team dinner, and allow the team to make this year’s festive holiday one to remember.

Their newly acquired, newly renovated luxury boutique hotels at Padstow and Fowey have fantastic value packages on offer this year, but they’re booking up fast and there are only a few remaining spots. If you’ve not arranged anything as yet, now’s the time…

The Padstow Harbour Hotel sits on the hill above Padstow Harbour, a minute’s walk from the charismatic harbour, with panoramic views out over the Camel Estuary. The start of the famous Camel Trail is around the corner.

The beautiful Fowey Harbour Hotel perches on the hillside of the postcard perfect Fowey Estuary, with sweeping views up and down the stunning landscape.

Both properties are the newest additions to the exciting and fast growing Harbour Hotels group. To find out more or to make a booking, be sure to give the friendly team a call.

For more information call 01841 532 486 or visit www.harbourhotels.co.uk/padstow/christmas

For Fowey, call 01726 832 551 or visit www.harbourhotels.co.uk/fowey/christmas

Get 2020 off to a dream start

If you’d like to start fresh next year with new look in your kitchen, you may be surprised the learn that achieving your desired look, at a time where most of us are tightening the purse strings to cope with the Christmas pinch, could be a whole lot cheaper – and easier – than you think. Indeed, you’d be amazed at how much difference just replacing your cabinet doors can make to the heart of your home!

Dream Doors owner, Matt Jones, explains: “Our UK manufactured doors are made to measure,” something that really sets this company apart. What this means, Matt continues, is that “you can get new doors to fit your existing units and inject a new lease of life into your current kitchen.”

To find out more, pop into the Truro showroom and discover a massive range of styles to choose from!

For more information call 01872 240650 or visit www.dreamdoors.co.uk

Looking for local trees and green gifts?

The extent and choice of Christmas trees at Bodmin Nursery is a sight to behold! All the trees are grown in Cornwall and Devon, are fully on display and are freshly cut in the run up to the big day. There are non-drops and traditional spruce in a good selection of sizes, and the nursery can quickly wrap them for easy transportation home.

As well as having the perfect centrepiece tree, this traditional nursery has a wealth of gift ideas for the gardener in your life, such as unusual houseplants and cacti, terrariums, potted festive favourites such as Hyacinths and Narcissi, seasonal shrubs, plus tools, vouchers and much, much more.

The Mill Café – at the heart of the nursery – is open every day for warming soups, light lunches and drinks. Why not combine a visit with its popular Farmers’ Market on Saturday 21st December, 10am to 2pm – your chance to pick up some local goodies for your Cornish Christmas.

For more information call 01208 72837 or visit www.bodminnursery.co.uk

Escape to festive Fowey

For anyone hoping to soak up Cornwall’s Christmas spirit, Fowey is a must-visit. The annual Fowey Christmas Market alone, from 6th to 8th December, is well worth the trip, and the independent shops, restaurants and galleries that line the streets of Fowey are an attraction all year round.

If you’re looking for a place to stay, where better than the Fowey Hall Hotel? Perched in a prime position overlooking the Fowey estuary, the hotel’s two and three-night ‘Pre-Christmas Celebration’ packages both include breakfast, a festive candlelit dinner each evening plus mulled wine and mince pies on arrival. Starting at £329 for two nights or £459 for three; available from 1st to 20th December, if you’d like to experience the fabulous festive atmosphere in Fowey, be sure to book your stay at the Fowey Hall Hotel.

For more information call 01726 833866 or visit www.foweyhallhotel.co.uk

Cornish charity is making a difference

Cornwall Hospice Care’s ‘Our Impact’ report shares with its supporters information about the charity’s finances, future plans and the difference they make to patients and their families and carers.

With a theme of ‘This is what it takes’, the latest report was produced in conjunction with Leven Media Group and contains articles about the differing aspects of the charity that come together to support a range of expanding services.

Chief Executive, Paul Brinsley tells us: “This is an exciting time as we are opening more beds and developing our range of community services. We want people to understand how we fund our specialist care, how we raise the money needed and the difference we can then make.” Our Impact also reflects on 2020, the year in which Cornwall Hospice Care will celebrate 40 years of providing end of life care to adults in Cornwall. To order a copy or to read it online, head to the website.

For more information call 01726 839156 or visit www.cornwallhospicecare.co.uk

From this day forward and forever more

Weddings at The Park Cornwall – an exclusive five-star holiday park in Cornwall – are weddings to remember, for all the right reasons.

Whether it’s an intimate ceremony with friends or an unconventional wedding in the Yurt Village, The Park Cornwall team is on hand to make it a truly memorable experience.

Licensed for civil ceremonies, naming ceremonies and renewal of marriage vows – in the magical Yurt Village, the on-site restaurant (The Kitchen by the Beach), and in one of the three Eco Lodges with stunning balcony views – there’s a venue to suit all tastes.

Imagine the fairytale Yurt Village with its communal lounge area where you can have up to 25 guests and chill around the fit pit and clay oven while sipping sundowners under the stars. If it’s a larger wedding, the on-site restaurant, The Kitchen by the Beach, can accommodate up to 50 guests with its contemporary design and friendly atmosphere. Or, if you want a small intimate family occasion, one of the three Eco Lodges will take up to 25 guests, and you can even stand on the balcony while you say ‘I do’.

The Park Cornwall venues can indeed deliver a quirky and charmingly unique wedding experience. So, whatever your dream wedding, the dedicated team will help make it come true!

PS, if it’s a bare-foot wedding on the beach or renewal of your vows that you’re after, then The Park will put you in touch with the Cornish Celebrants, who will happily guide you through what you need to do.

For more information call 01637 860322, email hello@theparkcornwall.com or visit www.theparkcornwall.co.uk

MEDfacials can help you look your best this Christmas

Achieve a winter glow with MEDfacials, allowing you to look your best for Christmas parties and events. We hear from Dr Joachim Stolte who tells us: “We do a great treatment called Profhilo which would be ideal for Christmas, plus clients will get a free Fire and Ice facial – usually £79 – if they mention Cornwall Living.”

The Profhilo treatment allows you to remodel your skin in minutes. It works by stimulating four different types of collagen and elastin, and it’s this stimulation that results in significant improvement of tissue quality. It helps reduce the appearance of lines and makes your skin look fuller and healthier – allowing you to achieve a winter glow and look radiant for Christmas festivities.

For more information call 01872 463140 or visit www.medfacials.com

Be rewarded with a caring career!

Statistics show that those who consciously help others are happier and healthier than those who don’t, so helping other people can benefit you both mentally and physically. Choosing a career in care is a lifestyle choice for many who feel ready for a change.

At Bluebird Care the team help and support one another every day. The company provides full training and welcomes those with no care experience who instead bring a lifetime of knowledge to help them empathise and build relationships with clients, ensuring they’re fully skilled and feeling confident to gain the most satisfaction and enjoyment in their new career.

Daily care and support for clients enables them to stay in the comfort of their own homes, and making someone smile, or holding their hand when they’re upset – giving the support they need to live day-to-day – allows you to see the results of your hard work. Each day you’ll leave work feeling satisfied that you’ve done your best to help others, and if you love the wide variety, deep satisfaction and fulfilling achievements of caring for others – making a real difference in people’s lives – then join the growing and well-rewarded team of Cornish carers and make a contribution to the Cornish community all year round.

For more information call 01872 276006 or email midcornwall@bluebirdcare.co.uk

Style in seclusion

This gorgeous, secluded wood cabin on Cornwall’s north coast is the result of an exciting project recently completed by Good Life Joinery. Built in a remote location, Good Life owner Stuart explains that it had its challenges, but that his expert team were able to work around them to create a truly beautiful building that has since become a fully-fledged holiday let, available through Unique Home Stays.

As well as working around the location, Stuart and his team also had the brief for the building to be moveable, so it’s built on a steel frame chassis with wheels. “It was an interesting build to say the least,” says Stuart, but it stands testament to Good Life Joinery’s ability to work to extremely high standards with careful craftsmanship and attention to detail; to create beautiful buildings that stand out from the crowd.

For more information call 01566 781704 or visit www.goodlife-joinery.co.uk

Keeping hungry hounds happy

Based on Water-Ma-Trout industrial estate in Helston, Hog House Animal Feeds is an independent family run shop that specialises in the sale of animal food of any kind. Whether you’re buying for pets, equine, birds or farm animals, you’ll find it all at Hog House!

But it’s not just food. The team also sell other products including bedding, accessories and gifts, stocking everything you need to keep your hound happy, all with a friendly and knowledgeable approach to customer service from the staff who simply cannot do enough to help. Don’t just take our word for it though – head online and check out this Cornish business’ sterling Google and Facebook reviews for yourself. With customers praising the Hog House team for their “excellent stock” and the “friendly and extremely helpful owner and staff”, describing it as a “great shop” where “nothing is too much trouble”, and with “well-priced” products that “on most occasions match or are cheaper than online” – if you need to pick up supplies to keep your furriest of friends happy, Hog House Animal Feeds in Helston is the place to go!

For more information call 01326 564433 or email sales@hoghouse.co.uk

Get Christmas all wrapped up

Your local Apple expert, Stormfront has a three-year guarantee included at no extra cost on all Apple devices, plus available trade-in and finance options, so you can be sure to leave the perfect present under the tree.

This year’s ultimate Christmas gift: the iPhone 11, featuring an all-new dual camera system with Ultra Wide, night mode and stunning video quality, plus water and dust resistance and all-day battery life. It’s available in six stunning colours and, not only is it the perfect gift, it will also allow you capture those magical Christmas moments in 4K! Available at Stormfront from £729.

Alternatively, for those always on the move, get them a watch that can do more with the incredible new Apple Watch Series 5. With a display that’s always on, showing time and important information, it can even help navigate with the built-in compass. It monitors heart rate with the ECG app, tracks workouts and activity, and makes it easy to connect with people and information they care about, right from their wrist! Available from £399.

Or perhaps you’re looking for a gift to bring the family together? If so, Apple TV 4K is the perfect choice, allowing you to watch films and programmes in amazing 4K HDR, and it now completes the picture with immersive sound from Dolby Atmos! So, if you’ve been stuck for gift ideas, be sure to head online or visit the Stormfront Truro team in-store.

For more information call 01872 222624  or visit www.stormfront.co.uk

Christmas and New Year by the sea

A stay in the Polurrian on the Lizard’s clifftop location at this time of year is truly magical, with lots of family activities taking place for you all to enjoy. From festive feasts and films, carol singing, mocktail masterclasses, live entertainment and Christmas pizza making, to festive afternoon teas, family quizzes, Christmas party games and, of course, the Polurrian Family Winter Olympic Games, there’s plenty to keep everybody entertained!

With plenty of stay offers to choose from, from Festive, to Recharger, to New Year, if you’d like to escape to the coast this Christmas and enjoy fine food, spa treatments and family fun in spades, why not do so at the Polurrian?

For more information call 01326 240421 or visit www.polurrianhotel.com

Get organised with Kewniek

Overwhelmed with cupboards and wardrobes that need de-cluttering and sorting? Fed up with too much paperwork without a system? Worried about having too much stuff for your house move? This is where Kewniek comes in.

The Kewniek team are professional organisers – their clients are not hoarders, but people who have busy lifestyles or who are simply overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Ensuring yours is an enjoyable experience, Kewniek know that everybody is different, spending time with you to find out what works for you and your lifestyle. Whether it’s sorting your paperwork into a filing system that works for you; organising your kitchen, playroom, spare rooms or wardrobes; or helping you to de-clutter before a house move – with Kewniek, organising is not about getting rid of your belongings – it’s about helping to control them and streamline how you use your space, so that it works for and not against you.

For more information call 07889 923291 or visit www.kewniek.com

Inspired by Cornwall – an all-new gift experience from Whistlefish

From its sparkling harbourside villages dotted with bobbing boats and gorse-smothered coastlines illuminated with bright dollops of sea pinks, to its warm buttery pasties, rich crumbly fudge and world-class wines, it’s easy to recognise why Whistlefish have selected Cornwall as the leading inspiration for their new collection of luxury hampers.

Whistlefish was first conceived in 1996 by artist, Lyn Thompson and since, it has grown to number 12 stylish galleries across Cornwall and Devon, with a state-of-the-art website running alongside. It’s the go-to destination to buy some classic Cornish art and a must-visit if you’ve yet to tick the lovers of Cornwall off of your Christmas list.

Celebrating the very best of the county’s tipples and produce, brimming with homeware delights from their bespoke gift range and beautifully tucked into an embellished keepsake box, the Whistlefish’s new hampers promise to perfect the art of Cornish indulgence and exude Whistlefish flair. Even the boxes promise to dazzle their recipients with style and elegance – sure to become keepsakes in their own right!

There’s no better excuse to charge your forks and glasses and dive into a carefully curated hamper, packed to bursting with a generous bounty of Cornwall’s finest fare and Whistlefish magic – the perfect indulgent gift for even the trickiest of recipients!

For more information visit www.whistlefish.com

A window for Cornish producers

A Gift From Cornwall is packed full of brilliant Cornish items, including teas, jams, biscuits, salt and pottery – available individually or as part of a hamper. Owners Jackie and Robert want to fill the window with Cornish producers, such as: Natalie Bonney Pottery with its wonderful colours; Kernow Spa and the pleasing scent of its locally made products; Hannah Beech’s delightfully coloured pictures of Swanpool, Penryn and Falmouth; Dynamite Valley’s great local beer and matching biscuits; and the Cornish Larder with its exciting relishes and jam.

All of the above can be provided for you in person at the shop or delivered to your door as a hamper or a unique standalone gift – just the ticket for hard-to-buy-for friends and relatives this Christmas!

For more information call 01326 210600 or visit www.agiftfromcornwall.co.uk