A little bit of Devon followed by stays in Falmouth & St Ives 24/08 to 13/09 2024
We had planned a holiday with our 2 Grandkids for 6 nights in Falmouth, Cornwall, during the school holidays, so when it turned out they would be with us from the Friday night I then booked an apartment in Topsham, Devon, for 2 nights above the Globe Hotel.
Saturday 24/08
To avoid the Bank Holiday weekend queues at the motorway service stations I had found a pub (on Whatpub) to have lunch in, just off the M5 in Tewkesbury. It opened at 12am & we were in the door about 12.05.
This was The Canterbury, we got served food & drinks straightaway in the empty pub.
Only 1 Real Ale available Belhaven Scorcher 4.0%, in reasonable nick. Then slowly onwards to Devon, quite bad traffic-jams from North of Bristol down to about Taunton then steady away through to Exeter.
We checked in and unloaded the car (no parking outside / 1 way street) our apartment was above the pub - 2 bedrooms / kitchen / bathroom / dining room & a big lounge upstairs above all that. Perfect.
The sun was shining so downstairs to the pub's beer garden for a pint of St. Austell Tribute 4.0% (the Globe is a St. Austell brewery tied house) 4 Real Ales on including Proper Job.
After a stroll round the town centre shops we had a rest upstairs, I'd booked a table at The Lighter Inn down on the quayside at 6pm.
A Badger brewery tied house I opted for a pint of Tanglefoot. The meal was decent, main meals ranged in price from £14 up to about £18.
I had moved the car to the Quay car park earlier, Blue Badge holders can park free with no time limit - I wouldn't be able to do that tomorrow though as we'd dropped onto Topsham Founders day which would be on Sunday, with stalls all along the street we were staying on & a Kayleigh was being held in the evening in a marquee on the Quay car park.
My wife & 2 Grandkids returned to the digs to either watch soaps (her) or play computer games (them), I myself ventured out to try all of Topshams pubs - I'd only ever drank in the famous Bridge Inn before & the last time I did that was in about 1993!
A quick look on WhatPub & the map suggested that the Bridge Inn was furthest away so an 8min walk later (including an official shortcut across the railway line) & I was approaching the pub.
It's been run by members of the same family since 1879 and seems to have changed little in all that time! The husband of the latest family member to run the pub was telling me of this & he was very surprised to find out that I'd last visited over 30 years ago. All the Beers are served by gravity straight from the barrel and this evening the cellar doors were open to serve customers in the beer garden.
All the Beers are served by gravity straight from the barrel
I started with a pint of Hanlons brewery Citra 4.0% a nice session beer while I sat outside, most of the beer garden tables were busy with customers. I decided to stay on the Hanlons for a 2nd pint. I finished with the 5.9% Island Street Porter by Salcombe brewery - that's strong for a Porter! That's a pint for each decade of the 30 years since I'd last visited the pub.
It was good to see the old place doing as well as ever & still VERY real.
Time to take in the rest of the pubs I'd not yet done in this small town. Only a short walk and I was outside the Nelson where a DJ was in situ, I had a pint of Butcombe Original 4%. Then a walk to the Passage House, down by the river, where St. Austell Proper Job went off after I'd ordered it so I had to opt for Tribute 4.0% which wasn't ideal as I needed something stronger by now. Good seating area outside right by the water.
Last but not least The Old Fire Station, mainly Keg but 1 Real Ale, American Pale Ale 4.2 by local Crossed Anchors brewery. I think beer prices would average out at about £4.80 a pint in Topsham.
Sunday 25/08
We had planned a day on Exmouth beach today, however a sewage spillage by the local water company meant the 2 mile sandy beach had been deemed unfit to swim from, so I drove to Dawlish Warren instead. I have to say for a beach where dogs are banned there seemed to be an awful lot of them running about!
Lunchtime came, I took some of the beach gear we weren't using back to the car then a quick half of Devon Amber 3.8% by Salcombe brewery in the Warren Bridge Inn opposite the carpark. I then found the shack where I was ordering toasties from, right outside the Boathouse Bar where I managed a half of Exeter brewery Avocet 3.9% while I waited for my food order to be cooked.
We went back to Topsham for 3pm so we could look around the stalls of their Founders day celebrations.
I would have to work a 12 hour shift online tonight from the lounge at the top of our apartment (a shift I just couldn't get anyone else to work) so we ate in the Globe after I'd had a nap - best food of the trip so far.
Monday 26/08
We'd had a word at reception and they'd kindly agreed to a midday check out so that I'd had chance to get enough sleep for the drive down to Falmouth. We had all enjoyed our time in Topsham.
The in-car satnav took us via Plymouth (we later worked out the A30 throughout would have been a better bet) although we still arrived at our guest house for the next 6 nights, Cotswold House, before official check-in time.
Liz, who runs the guest house, stuck her head out of the laundry room & told us we could check in now - this allowed us to unpack the car into our 2 rooms (Grandkids getting their own twin room is always popular with them!) which were opposite each other. Then a 5min walk to Gyllyngvase beach where we were hoping to spend most of our time this week (weather permitting).
We had been checking menus online and had compiled a list of pubs/bars where me might eat, forgetting that it was a Bank Holiday we had decided to try The Lemon Arms in nearby Mylor Bridge this evening, every table was reserved but we arrived at 5.45 & food starts at 6pm so we were soon sent to a table that was available to 7.45.
There were a couple of pubs in nearby villages, like the Lemon, which were all cheaper than eating in Falmouth - it just meant I'd not be drinking during the day, no problem if we were on the beach.
An extensive menu, plus a few specials (starters/mains & desserts) on the board. We were to find this board got fuller & fuller as the week went on!
I opted for Hand Carved Cornish Ham, free range eggs & chips (£11.95) - this might well have been the nicest ham I've ever eaten.
The Lemon prides itself on using fresh local ingredients wherever possible & a long list of it's suppliers are on their www.lemonarms.co.uk website.
To drink I had a pint of Hicks Strong Ale 5% (the Lemon is St. Austell brewery pub) & for dessert I had Homemade Chocolate Mousse with Cornish whipped cream, a steal at £5.95 and was superb.
Only a 15min drive back to the digs, once everyone was settled in the rooms I ventured out to explore the pubs of Falmouth.
Only about a 7min walk to the nearest Real Ale establishment, the Windjammer bar. 2 to choose from I opted for a pint of Skinners brewery Lushingtons 4.2%, I sat outside to see the sights & sounds of Falmouth harbour.
Whilst drinking I checked the WhatPub map, loads of establishments in this part of town to try I decided on the multi Camra award winning "The 'Front" but couldn't find it (I was about 2 feet from their front door at one point but didn't realise it) so ended up in The Chain Locker where a pint of St. Austell brewery Anthem cost £5.10, no sooner had I sat down outside than I spotted The 'Front & realised I'd had my back to it a few minutes ago!
No guessing where I went next, The 'Front of course where no less than 9 Real Ales were lined up along the bar. What to try first?
Unusually I opted for a "Real" Lager, which was on one of the handpumps this being Atlantic brewery Elderflower Helles 4.0%.
I suddenly realised that I was being stared at by a woman at the far end of the room, I gave her a wave when I realised it was the former Landlady of the Rose & Crown, Hoylandswaine, which I visited a couple of times when I first moved to Barnsley about 20 years ago when I was going round trying all the local pubs out.
More recently she's been running the Pot House Hamlet Restaurant/Cafe in Silkestone so I see her there from time to time. She said it was the 1st day of their holiday in Falmouth - SNAP! it's mine too. "Where's your wife, isn't she coming out for a drink?" no she's more interested in the Soaps on TV was my reply.
They left about 10mins later & I ordered another pint of Elderflower Helles.
I walked down Arwenack street to the Grapes Alehouse, well it had 2 Real ales on so I had a pint of St. Austell brewery Proper Job 4.5%. "£3.10 please" so I asked if it was Happy Hour? "No - it's always £3.10"!
Next a visit to the much hyped Beerwolf Books. About 6 Real Ales on & once the Landlord could understand what I was asking for, a pint of Treen's brewery Sunbeam 4.8% was sat in front of me. I'm not sure if it was just me but I didn't find drinking in the Beerwolf anywhere near as good as the 'Front earlier.
To finish the evening I walked from the Moor up the 109 steep steps of Jacob's ladder, puffing away by the time I got to the top, to try the aptly named Jacobs Ladder pub.
We were thinking of eating here & attending their Open Mic night 2moro so a bit of a recce, didn't look to be our sort of place. I had a pint of Sharps brewery Atlantic 4.2%, on enquiring about the Open Mic night they no longer do one. (I later found out it had changed hand's about 3 months ago & no-one is quite sure which way the new owners are going with it.)
A walk back to our digs via a route on my phone, it involved a long back-alley footpath, I couldn't tell you how to find it but it brought me out not 2 mins from the Guest House.
Tuesday 27/08
We had our own table set up in the breakfast room, we chose the latest time you could which was 8.45am. The Grandkids don't normally get up at this time when off school but the food lured them down!
Grandad duties first, unloading all beach related items from the car & then inflating the boy's big Beach Ring, which they'd bought with their holiday money last year when we were in Lyme Regis.
3 of us were allotted beach chairs, towels, body suits & the big windbreak to carry, Colleen just had to get herself & 1 beach bag down as she walks with a stick. It was still only a 5min walk & downhill.
The water was pretty calm, even though it wasn't as warm as the previous day the grandkids still spent much of the time in the water. They of course returned for snacks, then lunch (bought at the beach cafe) & finally ice creams, which Colleen bought for everyone. I did manage to join them in the water between lunch & the ice creams!
By about 3pm the sun decided to retreat behind thick cloud cover so we packed up & made our way, slower as uphill, back to the digs. A shower and a couple of hours rest.
Where to go for tea? The Lemon Arms won that hands down. Again we arrived 5.45pm, all the tables were reserved but again we got a table booked for someone later.
More specials on the board, Colleen went for Seafood Linguine (£16.95) it didn't disappoint with 4 massive King Prawns arranged on top & what turned out to be a fantastic cream sauce in the pasta mixed with all the other seafood items. Oliver stepped up to shell the squeamish Grandma's prawns for her, a task he'd never done before.
I could tell from the Grandkids faces that they both wished they'd ordered this!
I'm allergic to seafood (the allergy sprang upon me aged 48) so I had Steak & Ale pie, a pint of St Austell Cornish Best 3.4% and just had to finish with the homemade Chocolate Mousse again!
You've read this before: Only a 15min drive back to the digs, once everyone was settled in the rooms I ventured out to explore the pubs of Falmouth.
Only about a 7min walk to the nearest Real Ale establishment, uphill this time to the Oddfellows Arms for a pint of Tintagel brewery Pendragon 4.5%. Decent "Boozer" but the pub dog didn't seem to like me & had to be dissuaded from barking at me by being offered a treat then taken to another room. Obviously doesn't like Poodles.
Up even higher to my next port of call, the aptly named Seaview Inn. 4 Real Ales on the bar, I went for Penzance brewery Potion No9 4.0%, another good Boozer this with fine views out over Falmouth, the harbour & the river estuary.
Time to head down Jacob's Ladder to the Severn Stars, the pub is Grade II listed and Cornwall's only 3 star entry in the Camra National Inventory of Historic pub interiors.
Never mind that - all Real Ales are served from gravity straight from the barrel. A pint of Penzance brewery WOB 4.7% please!
Nice pint & a top pub but you know how it is - too many pubs / too little time!
I was walking to the Boathouse (up another hill!) when I passed a yard with 2 trendy bars, neither shown on WhatPub as selling Real Ale but I popped in & a winner from an unheard of brewery (for me anyway)
Utopian (Bow Devon) brewery Mystic Sun 3.4%. The venue was Bar Chintz.
I like to support new venues for Real Ale, even if it's only a quick drink like this, onwards & upwards to the Boathouse.
Wish I'd stayed in the Chintz as my choice of beer Dynamite Valley brewery Gold Rush 4.0% was Flat, not exciting - & £5.20! Still another winner pub, don't expect to see me in here again!
Back down the hill to the Prince of Wales, turned out to be shut & both handpumps pump-clips were turned round so no beer anyway. I crossed the road to Finn McCouls (a pub I hadn't intended to visit all week) further misery when I ordered a Sea Fury & it ran out - I'm DOOMED as Doom Bar 4.0% was the only alternative. A unintended winner pub though.
After that brief interlude of no or not so good beer just time to hot foot it to the 'Front for sanity & last orders!
So I had a Lager! no probs it was the "Real" Atlantic brewery Elderflower Helles 4.0% from last night which had reached nectar status after my recent tribulations. Hic - "home" to bed.
Wednesday 28/08
The weather was iffy this morning so in the car to Truro to look round it's many shops, a very nice place which we'd never visited before, with lots of little quirky shops down little quirky passages.
Both Oliver & Colleen ended up buying vintage Ray Ban sunglasses (£10 a pair) in a vintage shop at the top of the main shopping area.
The weather cleared so an afternoon on the beach. We again had a break in the room then got ready for this evenings meal. We were actually eating in Falmouth, at the Harbour Chip-shop & restaurant (above the 'Front pub).
The food was not bad (though not Lemon Arms standard) but the room was very noisy. The Grandkids had come into some extra holiday money from their Uncle, so indulged with a big milkshake each instead of the usual 1/2 a fizzy drink.
Open Mic night in the Moth & Moon tonight, me & Oliver were attending.
We walked as far as the Arwenack Club, only 1 beer on - Sea Fury and you've guessed it the barrel went serving the bloke in front of me. A new barrel was pulled thru & the beer was "good to go" apparently. It's a light & airy place with sea views & I still couldn't see my fingers thru my pint of sludge.
I told Oli to sit in the far corner so I could leave my beer once I'd drank 1/2 of it so I could at least count the pub.
Redemption at the Moth & Moon I think 5 Real Ales on the bar. Tintagel brewery Castle Gold 3.8% to start then several pints of Treen's brewery Sunbeam 4.8% while we listened to the varied performers, some of whom were very good & the last singer was excellent. Oli had to make do with several 1/2's of Coke of course.
Thursday 29/08
This was explore the shops of Falmouth morning, the Grandkids would rather have gone straight to the beach of course, we managed to drag them around town until they both bought some new swimming goggles, then we loaded up with 4 Poundland meal deals, (sandwiches, snacks & drinks) before heading back to the digs & changing for the beach. Lunchtime onwards on the sand or in the sea.
Where to go for tea? The Lemon Arms won that hands down again. Again we arrived 5.45pm, all the tables were reserved but again we got a table booked for someone later.
The grandkids were in business - 2 Seafood linguine's off the specials board please!
Both grandkids were accompanying me to Open Mic night at the 'Front tonight, I had a pint of Treen's Essential 3.8%. At 8pm they had just started setting up for the music event, which should have started about then, so I was persuaded by the grandkids that the new Pool table at The Marine Bar across the road was a better idea.
Only 50p a frame (very good for a new table) but only Doom Bar 4.0% to drink, still a winner pub though. Neither had really played Pool before, I became Instructor for the 4 frames we played. Sam won 3 of the 4 frames - he made sure Grandma knew about it when we got back!
Friday 30/08
This would be the hottest & sunniest day of the week so it was Beach, Beach & more Beach!
Yes I did get burnt but not enough to worry about.
We were again eating in Falmouth, this time at The Windjammer. I had a pint of Padstow brewery Windjammer 4.3%. 2 lots of Nacho's & 2 lots of Mac & Cheese, food here better than the Harbour chip restaurant the other night. I upgraded the kids drinks to mocktails - they'd drank enough pop this week.
We then just HAD to go back to the Marine Bar to show Grandma our Pool skills, it seemed Sam was now the nominated instructor on all things Pool related (even though he'd only started playing last night)!
I took everyone back to the digs then legged it to Falmouth Town railway station (luckily all downhill) & made the train by about a minute - I had run out of new pubs to do in Falmouth, time to try the next town of Penryn. Only a 7min train journey & 3 new pubs to cane in.
Hold on, Penryn turned out to be even hillier than Falmouth & most of it's streets are narrow & twisting! First port of call (down a dark & steeply downhill unlit alley opposite the station car park) then along one of said twisty streets was the Thirsty Scholar, a pint of St Ives brewery Meor 4.8% sampled.
From here a walk along the main street, take a right down a steep hill with terraced houses right up to the road on both sides (had to get out of the way when a car came down) at the bottom in a preservation area is the Famous Barrel. Cracking inside, red moquette booths & bar stools, nice Beer garden outside.
A pint of Treen's Sunbeam 4.8% in a largely quiet pub, that is until everyone in the beer garden decided it was getting a bit chilly & all came inside. I would have like a 2nd pint in this top pub but the 2 hills between me & the station put me off so I walked up to the Seven Stars instead.
The Seven Stars brew their own Real Ale in their "Hidden" brewery in a shed behind the pub (you can see it from the beer garden though!) 2 handpumps both with their beer on as booked.
It took me 2 attempts to find the unlit steeply uphill footpath back to the station but I'd given myself plenty of time - it doesn't do to miss the last train back!
Saturday 31/08
The last full day in Falmouth and the weather was distinctly grey & cloudy. We went into town & got tickets for the first ferry of the day at 10.15am to St Mawes. An interesting crossing, a group of older gents on their way to drink and/or sing shanties in a few pubs - we got renditions of 2 of their songs on route. On arrival there are a sprinkling of shops (the Grandkids keen to use up any remaining holiday money burning holes in their pockets) & more than a few art gallery's.
We meandered around some of these then I announced "I'm going for a pint in a winner pub" (after all it was turned 11am), Grandma was displeased by this but Grandkids enthused that I deserved it & that they'd take her round the remaining shops.
I went to the Rising Sun, where although people were already sat outside with either breakfast or beer, I found it hard to get the attention of the bar staff - they were too busy organising a party who were going on a drinking cruise. Once they'd been sent in the right direction my request for a pint of Proper Job seemed a surprise to the barperson.
I did get my pint of St Austell Proper Job 4.5% but it was far from the best I'd had this week, still I got sat outside as the sun had broken through. Sam joined me with an ice cream he'd used his last money on, Oli took Colleen round a gallery & small shopping arcade.
We were back on the quay in plenty of time for the next boat back, hopefully the improved weather this side of the estuary would reach Falmouth soon. If not I would drive us round to Swanpool beach for lunch at the beach cafe & a round of crazy golf which had been on the cards all week if we hit non-beach weather.
No break in the weather yet so in the car to Swanpool. Lunch sat outside the beach cafe (no indoor seating here) was hot & tasty, 3 various panini's & 1 jacket spud.
I won't go into too much detail re the Crazy Golf, I will just mention that I got the only Hole in One & beat both the grandkids by at least 20 shots - they still enjoyed it.
The weather had improved enough to head back to Gyllyngvase beach for a final time, however the sea was too rough for the inflatable ring & the wind was taking it down the beach so I had to walk back to the car with it. While I was away various people, including the grandkids, had been jumping thru the waves when they all got bowled over by a big one (the Lifeguards were stood at the waters edge just in case) and Oli got scrapes on his knee & hands.
The next thing we know the 2 of them announce it's too rough so they are retiring to the digs! Us Grandparents were left on the beach, Colleen couldn't believe it.
When we got back to the Cotswold House I popped into their room and announced I'd booked us a table somewhere we've never been before and a cry of "Lemon Arms!" went up. Correct. 4 nights out of 6!
Everyone enjoyed their last meal of the holiday, they all finished with a scoop of the clotted cream & blackcurrant ice cream, I just had to end the week with the homemade Chocolate Mousse again!
As I was driving all the way back to South Yorkshire in the morning I just walked down to the 'Front, where I had a pint of Cameron's brewery Lions Pride 4.3%, a new blonde ale for me, I then had a pint of Cove brewery Stippy Stappy 5.5%. I'd promised to have an early night so was back in the digs for 10pm.
Sunday 01/09
The sat nav gave a journey time home of 6hrs 15min, we left at 9.30am with the intention of driving to the City of Wells (England's smallest city) for lunch & a break, a 3hr 15min run.
We'd taken breaks in Wells before so knew where we'd probably eat. I had intended to go via Honiton to avoid the M5 north of Exeter but somehow didn't, the traffic worsened so I came off at Taunton and headed towards Wells via Langdale, Somerton & Street.
"I wonder if there's a Carvery in Wells" she said. "Look it up on your phone, if there is give me a postcode for the sat nav" was my response.
"It says there's a very good one in a pub called the Pheasant in Wookey - head there" ok Luv I have my orders..... the sat nav took us via some very narrow lanes (you know the ones with blind bends & grass growing down the middle) "take the next left" blimey we are here!
I entered the main bar room, only 1 person sat at the bar - no sign of said Carvery! Meanwhile Colleen was talking to the barman in the room to the right. He said no carvery but they are doing Sunday Roasts, quite a surprise to me with no customers to be seen.
Then all became clear, the scourge of England's pub-going drinkers were waiting for their dinners in a back room - Morris Dancers!
They'd been asked to "perform" in the pubs extensive beer garden but no Punters had turned up to see this "spectacle", not only that they'd been promised free dinners in payment for said hanky waving.
We were advised there would be a longer wait than normal as the 15 of them were in front of us.
We ordered 2 turkey & 2 beef. The only real ale on was Butcombe brewery Original 4.0% so I settled down with that.
The Morris Dancers were getting a bit bolshy as no sign of their food yet, this also added to our wait.
Once they'd got their food we knew it probably wouldn't be long before we got ours, we had been waiting at least 45minutes though. In these situations you always fear the worse!
I'm glad to say our fears were misguided - quite simply the best Sunday Roast dinner I can ever remember having in a pub! Colleen and even the Morris Dancers were impressed...
Everyone piled back into the car, we were all in good spirits after the top nosh. It started to rain as we made our way via Glastonbury to re-join the M5, all was well until just North of Bristol then an enormous thunderstorm broke, unleashing a monsoon onto the motorway. You soon couldn't see anything, just a wall of water trying to wash the car away & it had got very dark between the lightning bolts.
I decided that with the wife & 2 grandkids in the car I was getting off the motorway, I did and although even the surrounding local roads were like rivers at first, some being completely under water, we made the next village, then after stopping in a side street I found a route to take us to Stroud - from here I would work out a route home.
I headed to McDonalds in Stroud, a couple of us used the toilets & Oli got a drink to take in the car.
I worked out we could take the A436 to pick up the Fosse Way via Stow-on-the-Wold all the way up to Coventry, a great driving road through nice countryside the Fosse Way too. After that onto the M69 & M1 home. The entire journey (with breaks) took 11 hours instead of the expected 8!
And Relax - no as now we needed to get all our washing done, only 2 days off followed by 2 days at work then me & Colleen would be heading back down to Cornwall to stay in St Ives!
Friday 06/09
We were going down to Cornwall by train, she wanted me to have a rest from driving.
A long journey not helped by our 07:52 from Sheffield to Plymouth rolling in with only 4 carriages instead of the usual 8 or 9! Busy all the way down but especially so Bristol to Exeter. We grabbed a coffee & snack while changing trains at Plymouth, plenty of room on this to St Erth where you change for St Ives.
No lifts here (as being rebuilt) so a bus is laid on to take disabled & elderly passengers from one side of the station to the other. This involves several sharp bends and a roundabout, Colleen had to use her stick & a leg to stop everyone's luggage ending up all over the bus - the Driver offered to go round the roundabout again to see if she could keep it up!
It's only a 10 minute run on the local train to St Ives, our base for the next week was a downstairs apartment, almost directly behind the main church, an excellent location to explore St Ives on foot from - we really couldn't have picked better.
We had again been looking at menus online, she had picked out West Greek overlooking Porthmeor beach. This was probably our longest walk of the week. Only draft lager so I had a pint of St Austell brewery Korev 4.8% to wash down the rather top chicken gyros & fries in pitta.
Later in the evening I ventured out for a constitutional walk - to a few pubs. With only 9 establishments purporting to be selling Real Ale to visit all week, the pressure wasn't on.
I started with the Hain Line (Wetherspoons) where I was pleased to find Ringwood brewery Forty Niner 4.9% for the princely sum of £1.99. In a town where only 1 other pub charges under a fiver for a pint (£4.80 at that) you'd think it would be busy but it never was any of the times I walked past.
I decided to walk down to the Harbour to have my only pint of the week in The Sloop, although 4 Real Ales on it was the eyewatering price of £6.25 for my pint of St Ives brewery Alba 5.2% that saw to that. A pity it's such a tourist trap these days as it's still a top pub building.
Next along the harbour side & up a dubious alleyway to the Pilchard Press Alehouse, a small micro where they can only fit casks in Nines or Pins, all served from gravity!
I had a pint of Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout 4.5% - all the beers here are sold at £4.80 a pint.
Little was I to know at this point but I would be spending most evenings for the next week in the Pilchard! I'm sure I had a 2nd pint but as there is no phone or wi-fi signal in here (or any windows!) I haven't recorded it.
Saturday 07/09
This weeks weather forecast was not only 5 degrees C cooler than our previous week in Falmouth but with a fair amount of rainy days to boot. So we took the opportunity to spend a few hours on the Harbour Beach (in front of the Sloop).
The weather wasn't as good as expected so after lunch we spent our time around the shops.
Out for the evening meal later, a couple of pints of Sharps Sea Fury 5.0% (£5.10) in The Castle where this beer was in top form - unlike all my attempts to drink it in Falmouth last week.
We ate in The Union next door, food in St Ives generally being a couple of quid cheaper than in Falmouth, a pity for me that the Beer prices are dearer though. The food was good but only Tribute or Doom Bar on the bar. I was doomed again - this time at over £5 a pint!
After Colleen was back in the apartment I went to the Golden Lion, only 2mins from the apartment where the back bar was very lively & I again had a pint of Sharps Sea Fury 5.0%.
Then I made my way to the Kettle "N" Wink bar (under the Western Hotel), where it was Open Mic night so I listened to a couple of songs while I drank my pint of St Austell brewery Proper Job 4.5%.
I also got our names down for the Western's Sunday Carvery tomorrow evening.
I then went across the road to The Three Ferrets where there is 1 handpump, fortunately a beer was on but again no phone signal & I didn't record what it was (although it was defo a Bitter & about 4.0%).
I had a pint of Proper Job 4.5% in The Lifeboat Inn, this was the 2nd most expensive pint in St Ives (£5.75 I think).
I finished the night back in the Pilchard Press, the Milk Stout had finished and I'm sure I had pints of 2 Firebrand brewery beers, the fist being Patchwork 4.0%.
Sunday 08/09
We had decided, as the worse weather of the week was forecast today, to visit the Tate St Ives this morning. We had a 50% discount voucher from our apartment letting agency, for both here & the Hepworth museum & gardens. Neither of us were overly keen on the current art displays, the highlight of our visit was probably the Tate's shop!
We went for lunch then spent a bit more time browsing around some more of St Ives shops & Art gallerys. I took some of our purchases back to the digs, then popped into the St Ives brewery Tap & shop, keg only unfortunately, I had a pint of their Zennor Oatmeal Stout 5.2%.
We took a break in Tides tapas & cocktail bar overlooking the harbour and did a bit of people watching, I had a bottle of St Ives brewery Meor IPA 4.8%.
Our "slot" for the Western Hotel Carvery was 5.45pm, a decent if not spectacular meal, washed down with another pint of Proper Job 4.5%, although not in as good condition as in the downstairs bar last night.
Next I went into The Queens, a St Austell brewery pub where the Proper Job 4.5% was back to form
(& £5.10)
The night wouldn't be complete without finishing at the Pilchard Press, several pints of Skinners brewery Betty Stoggs 4.0%. I was talking about the resurrection of this brewery with the manager, Jim.
Monday 09/09
We could see Porthminster beach while we were sat on the Harbour beach on Saturday, the weather forecast was decent so we thought we'd give it a try. Again only 5 mins or so along the Warren from the Apartment, lots of nice sand but a strongish wind.
We lasted until after we'd shared fish & chips from the beach fish & chip shop for lunch.
It was nice out of the wind, we went into an exhibition of local artists in a gallery on our way back along the Warren. We really liked one original painting, so much so Colleen bought it the next day - it'll be my Xmas present this year.
We visited the Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture park this afternoon, much better than the Tate in our opinion with over 40 pieces of her sculpture on show it is well worth a visit.
I'd decided to go a bit further afield now that I'd done all available pubs in St Ives. I caught the 1803 train, change at St Erth, to Penzance.
I then checked return train times & found the 2100 departure is the last you can actually do, back in St Ives at 2130. That's a lot earlier than I was hoping, better get on with it then!
Hot foot about 5 minutes walk to The Crown, the Cornish Crown brewery Tap. 2 of their own on the bar, I opted for a pint of SPA 4.8% (£4.50). I sat outside as it was still pleasant enough, a good start to the evening.
A walk of another 8mins, mainly uphill on back streets, bought me to the Fountain.
The beer range here was much better than suggested on WhatPub, 2 Penzance brewery beers & 2 guests. I was just about to order one of the Penzance beers when I realised I didn't recognise the brewery on 1 of the other clips. Glad I did as the pint of Nuttycombe brewery Snow Leopard 4.9% turned out to be the nicest pint of these last couple of weeks!
I didn't want to leave after just the 1 pint but my lack of time forced me just down the hill a little to The Farmers Arms where a 1/2 of Dark Star brewing Hophead 3.4% had to suffice.
The pub is at the top end of Penzance's main shopping street, downhill then to the sea front & Penzance Promenade ( I didn't know they had one!) & The Navy pub.
I walked in, just me & the Landlord it is then. I ordered a pint of Exeter brewery Lighterman 3.5%.
The beer was spot on, in just the time it took me to drink it myself & the Landlord had put the world of pubs and pub going to rights. Proper pub, proper Landlord.
Along the "Prom" to the Art Deco pub the Yacht Inn. I was surprised to find Bass on hand-pull here, the Barman said it'd been on here for 50 years. Bass brewers Bass Premium Ale 4.4%, unfortunately it tasted like it had been the same barrel for all 50 years. Time to move on!
Only time for one more pub, The Dock Inn being on the way back towards the railway station. A good pint of Penzance brewery Potion No9 4.0% was had here, another good pub.
Due to my enforced early return to St Ives I walked round to the Pilchard Press for a few beers before they closed at 11pm. Jim was behind the bar again, I'm sure I had plenty to say about my evening.
Tuesday 10/09
We had agreed to go shopping in Penzance today, again changing trains in St Erth. We had breakfast in a basic café on the high street, decent food with good prices, then continued to look around the shops.
Not as much to look around as we'd hoped so by lunchtime I suggested a sit down in a pub or two?
We tried the Union Hotel first, only one real on and the St Austell Cornish Best 3.4% tasted like pipe cleaner. "Why don't you take it back?" she said - why bother as they didn't have anything else.
I managed to drink half then we went further down the street to the Admiral Benbow, all fitted out like the inside of a Galleon back in the day.
My day went further downhill here as while pulling my pint of Treen's Essential 3.8% the barman announced the barrel had gone, I asked for a pint of their Sunbeam instead but he insisted on going down & changing the barrel, then he'd bring me my point of Essential. It of course wasn't very good...
Next we went to a café where we had lunch with a Fawlty Towers type of rude waitress who spent most of her time complaining "well you'll have a long wait cos you've all come in at once" to anyone who came thru the door!
To top it all it had started raining and we hadn't brought coats, it was forecast for later so we'd assumed we'd be back before it started. A soggy return walk to catch a train back.
We dried off back at our digs in St Ives, it was bucketing down by now. When it got to just before 4pm I announced I was going to the Pilchard Press for an hour before tea.
The pub opens at 4pm and is always busy from then til about 6pm when people leave to go for something to eat, then it usually fills up again from about 7.30pm. Jim told me they try to turn every barrel around (ie sell it all) in 2 days, which shows what a good turnover they have day to day.
Anyway on entering there were 2 beers on neither of which I was keen on, I was just about to order one when Jim said hold on, he took a small taster glass to a pin on the rack and poured some for me to try - "what do you think?", spot on I said so he put the barrel on. It turned out to be a new beer for myself & the pub, Penzance brewery S.P.A 4.8%. They'd been given a fresh batch of Penzance glasses too so my pint came in one. This new beer was fantastic.
My hour in the pub got extended a bit as I got talking to someone who lives in Sheffield (so we were talking about Kelham Island pubs) who had also once lived in Caversham, Reading as I'd once done - so we started talking about Reading pubs back in the day!
I went back to the grumbling wife, well I was cooking tea in the apartment which was now running a bit late. She didn't want to go back out in the rain, so as soon as we finished eating I was away on my toes back to the Pilchard for another couple of pints, promising to return to watch Emmerdale & Corrie with her after. A couple more points of the top S.P.A. and I told Jim I would see him tomorrow.
Corrie finished at 9pm & she said she was going to read in bed - "why don't you go back to the Pub?" music to my ears I was off!
Jim was of course surprised to see me "Back again!", of course straight back onto the Penzance S.P.A.
I was talking to Jim a some of the regulars, this included Clare who was sat on the next barstool to me. When she asked my name I just gave her my railway nickname of Poodle, it took her a few mins to get her head around it.
After about an hour it had thinned out to just us 3, Jim locked the door about 10.20pm and we carried on talking & drinking to about 11.45pm. Another lock-in for me, Colleen always asks how I can get lock-ins in pubs I don't usually go to - it's called being sociable!
Wednesday 11/09
We decided to walk round to Porthgwidden beach this morning, the only one we'd not seen this week.
On the way there we came across a street that goes against my way of life!
We got a hot drink each at the beach café, sat watching the waves breaking, I think it's the most natural of the 4 St.Ives beaches.
While we were sat we suddenly spotted a grey seals head, quite close to the shore, in amongst the 4 or 5 people swimming in the sea there. I walked round to the end of the rocks to the left of the beach and after a couple of minutes I could see 3 grey seals, in the sea quite close to me.
Brilliant - saves us spending £25 each on a boat trip to Seal Island to see some!
On leaving the beach we came across an Arts & Crafts Fare (Weds & Sundays only) and no less than 4 Art Galleries that we'd not seen before.
We had decided to give Peppers Italian restaurant a try, although a struggle for Colleen to get up the stairs to it the lunchtime menu looked good, with decent prices for St Ives too.
She chose the Filet Steak sandwich with St Ives bakery focaccia & fries (£10.99) I had chicken tarragon tagliatelle off the main menu (£13.50). I also ordered a pint of their draft Italian lager, it was one I'd never heard of before.
The better half was doubting the fact that her filet sandwich could possibly be done for that price when it arrived - wedged full of layers of filet steak chunks! My meal was great too, several chunks of filet kept landing on my plate too as she couldn't eat it all. Not only that the focaccia was the lightest she'd ever had. She told the Manager it was the best Steak sandwich she'd ever had!
Praise indeed by someone who won't go back anywhere she's had a bad meal in the past - even if it was 30 years ago & has changed hands several times!
I finished with their Tiramisu, everything was just perfect with that and probably beats the best I've ever had before, which was in Verona.
I'm not sure what we did this afternoon, I know I was in the Pilchard for a pint around 4.30 as I got the last pint of Penzance S.P.A. I also informed Jim that Colleen would be visiting the pub this evening.
When we headed out about 6pm we fully intended to get fish & chips from the Balancing Eel chippy/restaurant and sit on a bench down by the harbour to share them (seagulls permitting).
However as we walked past Peppers I suggested we ate in there again - so we did. Just a starter for Colleen with a side order of local bread, I had a Carbonara with another pint of Birra Murano.
We had a Tiramisu to share this time.
Then those familiar words "off to the Pilchard" but this time with Colleen in tow.
I was sure she would think the Pilchard was a dark & dirty dive, a description she's used to describe many of my favourite drinking spots both in the UK & around Europe over the years - but no she said she really liked it!
No sooner had we got drinks and sat down at a corner table than Jim was over with another sample for me to try "what do you think, it's going on next?" - "Spot on again Jim" was my reply.
After a couple of pints I took her back to the apartment, then went back to the pub until closing time.
Thursday 12/09
We had a walk up to Porthminster beach during the morning, just sat on a bench enjoying the sunshine for an hour. I know we then revisited Emjems a very good rock, crystal & jewellery shop round the corner from our digs.
Lunchtime again saw us in Peppers Italian!
I had a couple of pints in the Pilchard when it first opened, no Jim today as he was off for his birthday.
Later in the evening I revisited the Queens for another pint of Proper Job, then got a surprise in the Three Ferrets as Brew York Calmer Chameleon Pale 4.1% was on - that's a long way from home!
I had a pint and it was spot on too.
Another surprise, on this my last night, came when I popped my head into Beer & Bird and for the first time all week they actually had a Real Ale on one of their 3 handpumps!
A last winner pub in St Ives and a new beer for me too, a pint of Verdant brewery Lamanva 4.0%.
So back for the final time to the Pilchard Press where I found Clare to be in residence so a good chat with her until last orders, a good end to a great week.
Friday 13/09
We were sat on the 09:02am train in St Ives station, on a nice sunny morning, when Colleen pronounced "I don't want to leave St Ives!", maybe it was just the thought of the long journey home to South Yorkshire.
What she didn't know was that we wouldn't be going home as she thought - I had a surprise lined up for her in London. Oh.....but that's another story!
Cheers Richard Mann (Poodle)
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