The Cornwall Blog

Cornwall’s first home and garden show looks to be a sell out with just a few stands still remaining for Cornish home and garden specialist businesses The Cornwall Home Show 2011 will bring together Cornwall’s best home and garden design businesses all under one roof at Kingsley Village, Fraddon, for two days on Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May. Tweet This is the first time that an event like this has been planned for Cornwall. With so many high quality independent, specialist home suppliers based in the county The Cornwall Home Show looks set to offer something very special to visitors and exhibitors alike. The show has companies from right across the country, from Wadebridge to Penzance, booked to demonstrate their products and services. Visitors to the show will also be able to see beautiful artwork by local Cornish artists, Alexandra Dickens and Rob Braybrook, who will be taking a stands at the show. Visitors to the show will be able to find out about energy saving solutions and...

A group of 8 members of Friends of Par Beach managed to dodge the rain on Sunday to enjoy an informal photography event at Par Beach and the Bird Lake. Tweet Bob Rawlings and George Collings, from St Austell Camera Club, gave lots of advice and encouragement, whose cameras ranged from compact to digital SLR. Amongst the techniques group learned were composition of the photo, depth of field, aperture priority and, in view of the weather, photography in poor light. Lots of photos were taken of birds, people and the landscape. There will be another photo event on Sunday 10th April 2011 with Tim and Janie Bullen. Full details on our website along with other forthcoming events. At the end of a most informative session thanks were given to Bob & George of St Austell Camera Club, John Page and Michelle O’Shea, Friends of Par Beach, for organising the event and for providing most welcome tea and biscuits at the end.

At Steppes Farm Holiday Cottages and Livery Yard, their new 45m x 25m sand and rubber floodlit Riding Arena is ready for action, and it looks impressive! Steppes Farm is based in beautiful countryside and provide holiday cottages in Camelford. You can see from the photographs of the arena that the views are spectacular. They are based on the edge of Bodmin Moor, and get snowfalls in the Winter months. The Arena can be hired for private use and/or Dressage and Show Jumping Competitions, Training, Showing, Lecture Demos and Dog Training etc.. Lessons for children and adults can also be arranged with their Trainer. Children and adults can join the Sunday Club and come to learn about Stable Management as well as the actual riding. The perfect preparation for owning your own horse or pony! Their philosophy is to give confidence and pleasure, this applies to young and old, beginners or experienced riders. They can be contacted on 01840 212214.

A new exhibition showcasing the work of Falmouth-based photographer Oliver Raymond-Barker will be taking place at The Poly, Falmouth, from 1-7 March 2011. This is his first solo show and has been enabled by a development grant from the arts organisation Creative Skills Cornwall. Through the medium of photography and print Raymond-Barker explores his connection with the natural and built environment. The wild coast of Cornwall provides a wealth of inspiration, as does his work as an architectural photographer. His images seek to transcend the original subject and create a new vision, communicating the energy and essence of locations as he sees them. Raymond-Barker graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in 2002 with an honours degree in Photography. Following his degree, he worked as studio assistant and later digital manager for Sanctuary Studios in London before deciding to go freelance two years later. He has spent the last five years working in the outdoor adventu...

EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE HELP FOR HENRY WALK On the 6th November 2010 a group of family and friends completed a sponsored twenty mile walk from Helland to Padstow and then back to Wadebridge along the Camel Trail. Tweet 7.30AM IN WADEBRIDGE Starting at 8am in Helland, the thirteen walkers set off through the autumnal woods after having been given a pep talk by Henry's granddad, Norman, who had organised the event. BACON BAPS IN WADEBRIDGE There was a short break in Wadebridge for bacon baps, another for goodies in Padstow, and then a massive homemade curry waiting at home in Wadebridge. Henry's grandmother and aunty, along with his mum, made sure that the walkers were well looked after, and there was even champagne waiting at 2.30pm when everyone finished! HENRY'S MUM AND GRANDDAD, WALK ORGANISER, NORMAN Everyone was clearly noticeable thanks to T-shirts provided by Jim O'Gorman of JOG Safety, showing the logo designed by Emma of Pickle Design from Henry's mum's...

Hot on the heels of their Falmouth Fish & Chip restaurant being hailed as one of the most exciting UK openings of 2010, Rick and Jill Stein’s Seafood Restaurant has been named as one of the Top 50 UK Restaurants. The Sunday Times launched it’s Food List last week, in conjunction with the prestigious Harden’s Restaurant guide, and named the Padstow restaurant at number 50 in it’s top 100 eateries. The list, based upon diner’s feedback to the Harden’s guide, proclaimed the Seafood to be “better than ever after the refurbishment” and is often applauded by reporters for “the best seafood anywhere”. “I am so pleased about the listing, I think that it is testament to the great work that our Head Chef, Stephane Delourme and Restaurant Manager, Ed Rafferty, and their teams have put in during the last twelve months” says Rick Stein. The Seafood Restaurant was the only Cornish restaurant to be listed in the top 100, although the Devon based restaurateur Michael Caines claimed top spot...

The Seafood Restaurant will be marking its 35th anniversary during November and December with a celebratory £28.50 3-course lunch menu. Rick and Jill Stein are marking the anniversary with a special lunch menu built around prime Cornish seafood inclusive of dishes from the original 1975 Seafood Restaurant menu such as seafood thermidor, baked crab, moules marinière and thunder and lightening dessert. The menu will run from Monday 1st November through to Friday 24th December 2010, seven days a week from 12pm until 2.30pm. Rick Stein comments: “Little did Jill and I know when we opened a small seafood bistro on the harbourside in Padstow in 1975 with red checked tablecloths and candles in Verdicchio bottles that the business would grow into six restaurants, 40 bedrooms, four shops, a cookery school and a pub. We didn’t have a masterplan. It just happened.” When the restaurant opened in 1975 it employed just five staff, with Rick leading a kitchen team of two and Jill heading up ...