Seas & greetings

With its renowned eateries, charming harbour, wonderful shops and galleries, Padstow is a beautiful place to visit all year round. Christmas time, however, is particularly special in this captivating waterside town.

On the first weekend of December, Padstow will hold its annual Christmas Festival, showcasing the town at its very best. The event brings together chefs, local food producers and crafts-folk to celebrate and add to the magic of the Christmas season. More than 100 local producers will be selling unique, handcrafted gifts and products in a traditional Christmas market, from pies and paintings to jewellery and jams.

“Better still, Ann’s Cottage is open 364 days a year, only closing on Christmas day

Set around the harbour, the two cookery demonstration theatres will be packed with some of the country’s finest chefs, including Rick Stein, Nathan Outlaw and Paul Ainsworth. Ales and ciders from Cornwall’s favourite breweries will also be on offer, including beers from the festival’s headline sponsor, Sharp’s. There will be fireworks, live music, carol concerts, a lantern parade and a visit from the man himself: Father Christmas.

If you’re in Padstow for the festival, or just doing a bit of Christmas shopping and taking in the winter air, at the heart of the town you’ll find Ann’s Cottage Surf Shops, retailer of surf and lifestyle clothing as well as surf equipment ranging from wetsuits, boards and accessories – pop into the warmth and have a look around! Inspired by the sea and waves, life on the beach and passion for travel, the team at Ann’s Cottage take pride in their friendly customer service. You’ll be welcomed, guided in any technical aspects of your visit, and offered only the best, first-hand advice.

Ann’s Cottage stocks a range of well-known brands, including Animal, Superdry, Roxy, Quiksilver, Billabong, Rip Curl and O’Neil, together with new and inspiring brands Brixton, Passenger and Ridgemont. It’s a time of year for getting wrapped up and you’ll find plenty of winter warmers, such as Barts hats and accessories, UGG and Sorel boots. Add to the mix the extremely popular brand Hype and there truly is something for everyone – and all under one roof!

In addition to the two Ann’s Cottage stores in Padstow, there is a further store in Bude, two in Falmouth, two at Fistral Beach, one in Polzeath, one in Wadebridge, a flagship store in St Columb Major, known as Cornwall Surf Centre, and a clearance store directly opposite. Both St Columb Major stores are open from 9am until 8pm, Monday through to Sunday, with the exception of January and February when they close at 6pm on Sundays. Cornwall Surf Centre is renowned for being one of the largest surf and lifestyle stores in Europe; it’s a shopper’s paradise, offering a large range of new season collections.

Better still, Ann’s Cottage is open 364 days a year, only closing on Christmas day, and hosts late night shopping across most of its stores throughout December – catering for both planned and last minute Christmas shopping trips! During the Padstow Festival weekend, the town’s retailers will be joining in with the festivities and offering some fantastic special offers, with the two Ann’s Cottage stores offering a massive 20% off selected full price items!

Ann’s Cottage also has an excellent loyalty card programme, where customers earn points on every purchase made through the website or in store, working out at two points for every £1 spent. 100 points earns you £1 and you can spend your loyalty points or save for something special. You’ll have access to loyalty cardholder exclusive offers, receive invitations to exclusive secret sales, and enjoy automatic entry to fantastic competitions where the only proviso is that you have a registered loyalty card.

So, whether you’d like to wrap them up in woolly jumpers, hats and scarves; boot them in sheepskin; dress them in surf and lifestyle brands; or kit them out with a winter wetsuit and new board, the Ann’s Cottage website and stores have the perfect gifts for your friends and family, young and old. And once the Christmas season is over and you’ve racked up some pounds on your loyalty card, what’s to stop you from treating yourself to a little something?