The Cornwall Blog

Breakfast news has yet again highlighted the benefits of holidaying in the UK this year. This time focusing on Bournemouth, but the point still applies to Cornwall. Take a look at the video clip to see what they had to say, for anyone interested in taking a holiday in Cornwall, or providing accommodation, it is interesting viewing. See the clip ... So, we are going to see even more visitors to the South West this season, the question is, will we as a county take advantage of the influx or be unprepared? There will be a marked rise in foreign and UK based tourists, so now is the time to make plans to ensure they enjoy themselves, come back again, and do not just view us as a cut price alternative!

Many West Country hotels and B&Bs still receiving analogue, in fact, two-thirds of tourism businesses in the West Country have televisions that risk going blank when the region switches to digital later this year – at the height of the summer tourist season. Latest research from Digital UK, the independent switchover body, reveals that only 40% of hoteliers and B&B owners across the region have fully converted televisions in all guest rooms – up from 27% in January 2007. A quarter of the respondents (25%) had partly switched to digital and more than a third had analogue only. The research in the West Country region also found that: • However, 44% of those surveyed in the West Country believe they are fully prepared for switchover or have upgrading to digital well underway. • Only 12% have yet to make any plans. • Holiday lets were the most likely to be fully converted and holiday and caravan parks the least likely to have taken steps. Bill Taylor, South West Regional Manager fo

If you were watching the breakfast news on the BBC this morning, you would have seen the clip included above; very positive news for those in Cornwall, and especially B&B owners. It is rarely good news when we hear that the Pound is weak against the Euro, but it has caused a flood of Europeans to visit their island neighbours. Cornwall will benefit a great deal from the foreign visitors - with much of the economy based in the tourist trade - and along with those from across the seas, many are choosing to stay in the UK for their holidays. All of the accommodation owners I have spoken to have mentioned that their bookings are up, with many visitors choosing to stay for two weeks instead of one as they previously had. The news report also mentioned the advantage of web based advertising to reach these visitors. Having a website for your business is now considered essential, the greater majority of consumers look for a business online first, even if only for contact details. In th

The Rutherford Group has recently been featured on the BBC news, their managing director, Ian Rutherford, interviewed regarding the new requirement for door attendants to have passed an exam. Although based in Cornwall, they offer security training and services nationwide, covering all of the UK. BBC News Interview They have also launched a new website recently, focusing on their security training Cornwall. This will feature up to date information on what is happening in the company, and also give visitors an idea of what to expect.

Visitors from far and wide winter in and around the estuary that stretches from Wadebridge to Padstow. They can be seen all along the well known Camel Trail, and if you want a close, clear, colourful view of these valued visitors, the best time is at low tide with the mid-afternoon sun at your back. They of course are waders, wildfowl, gulls and an array of other exotic species that we are privileged to have an acquaintance with at this time of year. Above you can see a shot of a Little Egret that I took on a journey to the waterside last Winter. My last visit was rewarded with a spectacular view of a kingfisher. It flew diagonally across the estuary, straight towards me and my wife, and suddenly stopped mid-air and hovered, like a Kestrel at the side of a motorway. We've often seen this little wonder but usually as it flashed by. This time with the sun behind us and in a hovering position he/she lit up like a rainbow. What a wonderful moment! There are many rewarding moments along

Stella Artois has found that up to 83% of us will get frustrated when trying to get home after a night out, due to not planning our journeys home in advance. They are encouraging people to make a plan to ‘get home safe’, which builds upon Stella Artois’ commitment to responsible drinking. This initiative is lead by former Olympic rower and gold medalist James Cracknell. James is certainly a man who all too well understands the importance of planning, especially as he is about to set off on a race to the South Pole with Ben Fogle. “From my experiences I know the importance of making a plan and getting home safe so I was really excited when I was asked to lead the Stella Artois campaign. It doesn’t matter if you are heading to the South Pole or East Finchley this Christmas everyone should make a plan to get home safe.” Gender seems to play a big role. 45% of men as opposed to 25% women will find themselves caught short with no way of knowing how they will get home. This is because,

New Book by Contemporary British Artist John O’Carroll. Title: ‘John O’Carroll Art Works 1998 - 2008’ ‘John O’Carroll has parallel careers as an archaeological illustrator with the Dakhleh Oasis Project, Western Desert, Egypt (an archaeological and environmental study) and in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, as a contemporary artist working in the desert and by the Cornish coast. This book brings together a body of work united by an interest in time and place in landscape and the elements that shape it. It reveals a preoccupation with processes of change and interchange, illuminating a correlation between micro and macro systems. Although ostensibly impressionistic, the works are often rich in metaphoric potential. Through their treatment of the abstract and transient, they pursue what is essential and universal. A key constituent of this is the sourcing of natural pigments, resins and waxes for use in the work. Followed by their meticulous, almost alchemical, preparation and subs