An ex-resident's view of Cornwall

All rooms have colour TV and tea/coffee making facilities and are comfortably furnished.

The accommodation is owned by Mr and Mrs Moore, he being a full-time fisherman whilst Mrs Moore runs the B & B. Parking is available on site (a rarity for the village), although this does mean you have to negotiate the very tight "road" down towards the harbour before turning very sharp right into the lane.

You are but a 3-minute walk from the harbour and restaurants and it is certainly lovely to wake in the morning to the cries of seagulls and the clock tower bell rather than traffic and bustle.

The breakfast has to be seen to be believed and will set you up for the most active of days.

The welcome is genuine and although I no longer reside in Polperro, I stay here whenever business takes me back down to Cornwall. All of this will cost you £30 per person (the breakfast is worth at least half of that!).

Although my first visit was on a blustery, winter's evening, I was greeted heartily as I walked in (even though I appeared to be the sole diner).

"Neville" ushered me to a small table whilst his lovely daughter provided me with the menu. I had been warne" not to take a starter as the portions were gigantic but I was so hungry, I ignored the advice and plumped for the French Onion soup. Silly me - I should have listened; a huge warmed bowl was presented to me with what must've been a pint of steaming soup, replete with croutons and a swirl of fresh cream. By the time I'd finished this I was full, with the main course to come!!

Meat and Fish are orders of the day here - all the fish having been caught either by the local fishermen or brought in from the larger markets in Plymouth. Choose from Sea Bass, Lemon Sole, Haddock, Monkfish, etc., all prepared freshly in a variety of sauces as well as Crab, Lobster, Shellfish and a wonderful Fruits de Mer.

Every conceivable type of steak is on offer, as well as Pork, Lamb, Chicken and Offal dishes such as Liver and Bacon.

Service is fast and with a smile, and you're not left staring at your empty plates after a course is finished.

My main course of whole Lemon Sole was too good to leave so I struggled but had to admit defeat with maybe half a dozen mouthfuls left. Neville then had the audacity to ask me if I wanted a dessert!! This I couldn't have managed for a million pounds.

All this was washed down with a couple of pints of local brew. There was no rush to vacate my table, even though the place had filled up since my arrival and the bill for this feast came to under £20.

The restaurant itself is very cozy with low beams; seats around 30 people when full.

Neville's is a must if visiting Polperro, but be warned, you need to be starving!

Charlestown however could not compete volume-wse with the huge tonnages being shipped out from Fowey and Par and, around 15 years ago, ceased to be a working port.

It has now however revived its fortunes on two counts.

Firstly, Charlestown is in demand as a "location" for many types of TV dramatisations. Although no longer a working port, it has been left pretty much as it was and this lends itself admirably to the critical gaze of film producers. Recent productions filmed at least partly here include Daphne du Maurier's "Frenchman's Creek" and the TV series "A Respectable Trade" starring Warren Clarke as a 19th century slave trader.

Charlestown's second stroke of good fortune is that several "full rigger" training ships now use the facilities at the harbour for everything from cleaning down to replacing masts and re-rigging. You will probably be fortunate to find at least one ship in dock here at any one time and it is possible to go aboard with the captain's consent. Readers will remember the ill -fated "Maria Assumpta" that was based here which tragically foundered and broke up on rocks (off Portugal I believe) only days after a full refit here and was widely reported in the news.

You can see all Charlestown has to offer in half a day including the Lifeboat Museum, situated at the top end of the harbour.

The two towns of East and West Looe straddle the Looe River, which flows down through the town into the harbour mouth.

East Looe is the flamboyant half of the town; here you will find the majority of the pubs, bars, restaurants and trinket shops along with of course its lovely golden beach. One of East Looe's landmarks is the "Banjo Pier" which at high tide juts out into the sea for around 100 yards.

This side is also where the fishing fleet is based, although it is somewhat depleted compared to several years ago before rigid EU quotas were enforced.

Rather like Polperro, the lie of the land dictates that most of the properties cling on to the hill sides with very few being at "sea level" where all the businesses are competing with each other and space is at a premium.

The Shark Angling Club of Great Britain has its HQ here and I recall many years ago seeing a very large specimen being landed on the quay after what must've been a titanic struggle. Nowadays, all sharks are tagged and then released, giving us a much better understanding of their habits and meanderings.

West Looe on the other hand is rather quieter; here you will still find a couple of pubs and a handful of small B & B's but by and large, the peaceful life reigns on this side of the river. If you drive or walk along the west coast road, you will come to the area known as "Hannafore", just off of which is the tiny but inhabited "Looe Island". I believe that two elderly sisters reside on the island and depend upon regular small boats to provide all their supplies. Even though the island is only a few hundred yards from shore, fierce winter storms can often cut them off for weeks at a time. Hannafore offers a more relaxed time with many expensive residences built around the area.

Good pubs to enjoy are the "Bullers Arms", "The Salutation" and "The Fishermans Arms" on the east side and "Tom Sawyers", "The Harbour Moon" and "The Portbyan" over on the west.

Looe can be a bit brash especially in high season but it has never lost its essential "Cornish-ness" which will be evident for all visitors to see.

The north coast of Cornwall is rugged but has arguably the best of the beaches. The best on this coast are to be found around Newquay, Perranporth and Holywell Bay, all three locations within a few miles of each other. Newquay is a brash resort, teeming in summer, but has several beaches where it is possible to surf, weather permitting. Perranporth, just down the coast, has one long stretch of sand, with the Atlantic rollers again making surfing possible.

Holywell Bay is a delightful spot - the beach is a fair walk from the nearest car access - but is well worth the effort as you meander through the dunes until suddenly the beautiful golden beach confronts you.

Further on down is probably the best beach in the UK, if not Europe, this being Hayle Sands, a broad expanse of clean, yellow sand that stretches for around 5 miles, almost round to Carbis Bay, near St. Ives, again backed onto by large sand dunes, held in place by lush, green coarse grass.

Further west of here and the landscape becomes quite forbidding as you approach St. Just, Cape Cornwall and ultimately Land’s End.

Rounding the coast, the next worthwhile stop will be Praa Sands near Helston, again, a broad expanse of lovely sand stretching for miles towards Falmouth, which, like Newquay, boasts several beaches, the most famous being Gyllyngvase.

Continuing east now, you approach the bustling town of St. Austell, which, whilst not having any beaches to call its own, is nevertheless close to several lovely examples at Par Sands, Pentewan and Porthpean, all with clean, fine sand and safe bathing. From St. Austell, you will next encounter Polperro and Looe. Polperro has a tiny beach, only accessible at low tide, but Looe's is superb, again, long and wide with gently shelving water. The landscape begins to change again as you approach the Devon border, but there are still lovely beaches at Kingsand, Cawsand and Seaton, although some of these require a scramble down rocky paths.

It is still possible to find "your own beach" in Cornwall if you're prepared to look carefully, but with so much on offer, you will rarely need to exercise this option unless you seek total solitude.

The huge building is constructed along a vertical spiral basis, with the visitor beginning at the top and gradually working their way down, thus after paying, you are whisked to the top of the building on a large escalator to begin your experience.

The entire aquarium is divided into theme areas, documenting the entire water cycle from rainy heartland and moors to the streams, rivers, estuaries, coastal waters, deep sea waters, tropical oceans and reefs, each area displaying wonderful creatures in massive display pools that recreate precisely their natural environment.

Star of the show has to be the "Reef" area, where the public can view sharks, rays and other creatures through a reinforced plastic "window", 40 feet wide and stretching from the floor thirty feet high, just a couple of inches separating you from the sharks.

There are many interactive displays at each level along with written information for the visitor to digest and the aquarium is evolving with new additions every year.

It is situated at Sutton Docks in Plymouth, parking can be a problem as there are no "set aside" parking areas. Entrance charges were (in 2001) £12 per adult and £7 per child with a family ticket (2 + 2) for about £32.

After seeing this, you will NEVER pay a couple of pounds again to enter a traditional aquarium.

Once my own teenage years dictated that I would no longer accompany my parents, I always maintained a special feeling for Cornwall and strangely, never doubted that I would return on a permanent basis, however that may occur.

When I was 23, I had the sudden opportunity to move to Cornwall, to take on a role within the company I was working for, and, needless to say, required no second asking.

The house was sold and I moved in with friends in Plymouth whilst I looked for a place to live, preferably on the Cornish side of the Tamar to alleviate daily travel congestion as I would be responsible for looking after all of the county.

Polperro was a place that I could only dream of moving to, or so I thought, but upon seeing a very reasonably priced property just outside the village, made enquiries and, although work would be needed, it felt as though the house and I would be "one".

The deal was struck, and in spring 1980, I took up residency in "Carey Park", at the top of the hill overlooking the village, in a small area known as Killigarth.

Hence, the Cornish language developed from earliest times without the influence of the Romans, this very evident in most of the place names and many of the local surnames.

Polperro's fortunes were based upon two forms of income, one legal, the other highly illegal. The "legal" income was derived from fishing and although these days, there are but a handful of boats working from the village, back in the 17th - mid 20th centuries, a large fleet of pilchard netters were based there, with the corresponding industry that that was supported such as packing factories and so on. This industry has declined almost beyond the point of no return; EU regulations now severely limit the catches plus the humble pilchard is no longer in favour with the British gourmet or restauranteur.

The second form of income, the "illegal" one, was of course smuggling and to this day, it is easy to spot the well-worn steps chiselled out of the cliffs where once large quantities of contraband were brought in under the cover of a moonless night to elude the attentions of the Excise men.

Naturally, times continue to change and today, Polperro is almost entirely dependant upon the tourist trade, this reflected in the number of guest houses, B & B's, restaurants, pubs and ice cream stalls. The village has fortunately managed to retain it's atmospheric feel and many of the pubs and private dwellings reputedly play host to ghosts of pirates, smugglers and no doubt the revenue men who pursued them so diligently.

This is mainly due to the village's location, which prevents any real development from taking place. It is positioned at the foot of a steep, winding ravine through which flows the River Pol, at places narrow enough to step over.

Most of the buildings cling precariously to the hillsides of the ravine and spread out somewhat as you approach the tiny harbour, around which they huddle comfortably. The harbour mouth is narrow enough that whenever a south westerly gale threatens, a large, solid gate can be swung across the entrance, protecting both the fishing boats and the local dwellings and businesses from high seas.

As you enter the village from the central car park, the first establishment you see is "The Crumplehorn Mill". This, as its name suggests, is an old mill with the water wheel still in service. It is a very cosy, picturesque pub with excellent food and accommodation and, for Polperro, the all-important car park. It is a free house and offers a good range of cask ales.

Follow the lane down into the village and your next offering is "The Mill House". Cross the little bridge over the river by the 'phone box opposite "The Claremont Hotel" to find this warm, lively pub, recently acquired by new owners from Yorkshire. It too is a free house with real ales on offer from St Austell Brewery. It offers accommodation and has a rustic feel about the place, which makes it one of the favourites with the holidaymaker.

Next stop, back on the main lane is "The Ship", an Ushers house. I have to say, my personal experiences of this place are not wonderful, if your face fits then you're ok, if not, then the service and welcome tend to be nonexistent. Enough said.

Follow on now and turn sharp right by the sweetshop, past "Nelsons" restaurant on the left, then turn left towards the harbour.

On the left you will see "The Noughts & Crosses", another Ushers house situated in an old bakery down three stone steps.

Closed during the winter months but quite busy in summer, it offers good value food and a small range of ales, all of which can be consumed in their riverside beer garden.

Walk on for a further 100 yards or so and next on the right is "The Three Pilchards", yet another Ushers pub but with regularly changing guest ales, particularly from Wadworths. This is a very friendly place, for adults, kids and dogs with a wide menu and daily fish specials, many of which will have been caught by "Bob", the genial landlord. Low beams, lots of paraphernalia and a very cosy atmosphere.

Last, but certainly not least, my favourite, right down on the quayside, situated up a flight of 9 or 10 stone steps is "The Blue Peter", run by Steve and Caroline Steadman. Very low ceiling, lots of nautical stuff, open fire in winter, laid back blues on the stereo, bare wooden floor, dog-friendly, superb lunchtime menu, lots of interesting locals, great range of 5 or 6 real ales, mainly Sharps, great welcome, live music on Sunday lunchtimes and a large bay window in the front where you can sit and watch the breakers crashing over the rocks whilst you chill out. A perfect pub.

Their own language was known in Cornish as "Kernewek" and was related to other Celtic tongues such as Manx, Breton, Gaelic, and Welsh, although all were fundamentally different. Cornish first appeared around the 9-10th centuries, with many religious plays being composed in the language in the 15th and 16th centuries. After this time, the written word becomes scarce with the language mainly utilized for folk tales and verses. What is left of the old language though, can be seen to have definite links with other tongues such as French in words such as "eglys" meaning "church" (eglise in French). The language is however still very evident today in the vast number of place names and surnames although the last native born speaker, Dolly Pentreath died in 1777. Many places in Cornwall are named after saints, e.g. St Ives, St Tudy, St Just and St Mawgan, with hundreds more beginning with the prefixes Pen, Pol, Porth and Tre, house, pool, harbour and farmstead respectively.

Local surnames are colourful, e.g Pengelly, Trevaskis, Skentleberry and many families can trace their ancestry back for hundreds of years without a break or gap. These days, there is a distinct and very concerted effort to revive the language, with some folk demanding that Cornwall (Kernow) be given it's independence from Britain. These people have adopted the black and white cross of St Piran's flag as their symbol, St Piran being the patron saint of miners.

It is however inevitable that these attempts at revival will be clouded by the vast number of English language words now required to bring the language up-to-date, e.g. Dolly Pentreath would never have had a word for "aeroplane" or "postman".

Despite this, large numbers of books and Kernewek-English dictionaries are becoming available and many people are now aware that Cornwall has more to offer the traveler than just it's scenery, with it's own language that has been in existence for around 1100 years.