A visit to Cornwall, pre Winter Solstice celebrations, to visit some friends and take in the seasonal festivities.
Padstow is an ancient coastal town in Cornwall UK, it is recorded in the Domesday Book, of 1086. At that time it consisted of 24 acres of land, housing five feudal tenants and six small holders, who between them owned two ploughs!
It became a busy fishing port and the town prospered through trade, ships plying their trade between Ireland and the local ports of both England and Wales along the Bristol Channel
As time moved on Padstow grew and became a port involved in import and export, mainly of Cornish tin, copper and lead, as well as the importing of timber from Scandinavia, wine from France, iron and jute from Russia.
During the 19th century it was a significant port of embarcation for emigrants, particular those bound for Canada and the US.
What tales these compact streets and tangled narrow alleyways around the harbour could tell, A harbour and haven for pirates and smugglers. With punitive taxes ever increasing, to fund the imperialist expansion of the English it is little wonder that places like Padstow thrived in illicit goods. Landed in places like Pepper Cove, Hell’s Mouth and Ralph’s Cupboard.
What was a quaint traditional fishing port, is now a gentrified haven, most of the properties are either second homes or rentals for tourists. With prices, for example a 3 bed 1 bath terraced house just off the harbour for sale at just under £1.5 million what chance to the locals have of buying a home?
Rick Stein, a humble cook? nah with an empire and a bank balance of over £35 million, homes in Australia, London and....yes Padstow, owning numerous properties and businesses in the town, Padstein seems quite an apt nickname.
Having looked at the style over substance over priced lunchtime menu at the above cafe, ( £20 for a small lunchtime curry anyone). Fuck that! was the phrase of choice.....
...and ended up here, it seemed more natural and less pretentious
....not sure if the menu appealed here either
Ah! that's better, ham egg and chips positevely comfort food, a bonus was the chips were not deep fried frozen things but proper hand cut ones. A pint of Rattler, please barman, I shall pass on the bottom sniffer.
Just a couple of the many local artisanal distilleries that have popped up due to Padstein being " a place for foodies". I think I shall start a petition to get a Macadees.
The building of Alms houses goes back to the 11th Century, these were constructed in 1875.
8 properties remain under charitable control and are specific for housing poor people aged 50+, who are also existing Padstow parish residents only
All you could ever wish for merry bloody christmas everyone.
Padstow, to be frank, lacks the authenticity of a fishing town such as Newlyn or the charm of Mevagissey and to be honest the place seemed to be full of snobs and dogs, plenty of bottom sniffing going on and the dogs were misbehaving too.
"Oh look at me Dahling, lunch at Rick Stein's, then pop into his souvenir craft shop, must get a bag with his name on to look above average when I get back to civilisation (anywhere north of the Tamar)"
Padstein in all its greedy glory wants your spondoolies; you must give it - in return you get a lovely paper bag with whatever tat you have just brought from there contained within, and do not expect to get seaside rock, that is just too down market.
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