Cornwall, Recipes, Stories, Places to visit, Food and Drink, History, Photography,
With 101 ‘likes’ in the first six months, over 6000 hits I would like to thank everyone for following My Saffron Bun. My followers are now 123 people and rising so please keep spreading the special recipe of My Saffron Bun to your friends and family. Thank You!
I have been having a look at a few pictures taken from a recent trip to Falmouth and see that once again I have several pictures of the coast! What’s lovely about them is the way the different colours conjure up different moods of the sea.
View of Pendennis headland from the St Mawes ferry
Red sky at night, photographers delight!
Sunset From Pendennis Point, Falmouth
Finally, not a picture postcard photograph but one of my favourites reminding me of some of my photography heroes such as Joel Meyerowitz and his images taken around Cape Cod and also the work of American legend William Eggleston for his excellent use of colour within his photographs. Anyhow, here is my effort of the glamorously named Gasworks car park, Falmouth.
A misty Gasworks car park, Falmouth
Today I would like to introduce to you Catherine Lucktaylor, an artist who relocated to Cornwall 3 years ago. Here is her story…
I have been a practicing artist for over 20 years and three years ago I took the plunge and relocated to Cornwall. I now live in West Cornwall surrounded by the sea, ancient stone circles and sacred wells.
My love of Cornwall began about 12 years ago when I put my bicycle and camping gear on the train and headed to Penzance. I spent a week exploring West Penwith and fell in love with the wildness of the land, the beautiful turquoise sea and stunning cliffs. The people I met were very friendly, helpful and welcoming. I particularly loved the Mermaid of Zennor, which is a beautiful carving of a mermaid on a pew in the church at Zennor. I created a mixed media piece inspired by the carving and have been making mermaids ever since.
My creations include beautiful and sensuous ceramic sculptures, pots and jewellery. I take inspiration from the ancient myths and legends of Cornwall which I blend with the sacred art and earth based spirituality of my West African heritage. My elegant sculptures and ceramics are designed to create an aura of magic and ethereal beauty to enhance any home or garden.
I always hand build my sculptures, pots and jewellery individually, so each piece is unique. I have recently been making raku fired ceramics. Raku is an ancient Japanese technique which has been adapted to modern times. The pieces are fired to around 900 degrees centigrade in a specially made gas fired kiln. They are removed from the kiln when they are red hot and plunged into sawdust. This dramatic process gives the beautiful effects unique to raku. The thermal shock causes the glaze to craze and enables the smoke to penetrate the clay body.
I am especially pleased with my latest ‘rock pool bowls’ and ‘landscape pots’ and I am currently working on a private commission for a mermaid garden sculpture.
To see more of Catherine’s magical artwork visit www.catherinelucktaylor.com
People are up in arms on the south side of the Tamar as those in charge of the country namely the The Chancellor of the Exchequer in his 2012 Budget has announced that VAT will be added to hot food. This means the Cornish Pasty will incur an additional 20% VAT to its price. This increase will dramatically damage the Cornish economy and could potentially damage employment in Cornwall too.
Boo… Mr Osborne, surely Mr Cameron is not happy with this decision for all the holidays he has in the county! Another 40p on top of a £2 pasty, whatever next? 5p if you want it in a bag!
The pasty is a staple diet for the Cornish and a popular attraction for visitors. Pasties are expensive enough as they are without putting the cost of them up.
Well, followers of My Saffron Bun please have your say and sign the e-petition on the HM Government website here.
Mother's pasties - you will not be putting VAT on these beauties Mr Osborne!
After much debate created with a previous post about scones and what should be on top I though it was about time we had a little survey.
Don't let this tasty little treat influence your decision...
So please spread the word and lets get as many votes as possible on this matter and clear it up once and for all!
The Cornish would put jam on first then cream whilst some of those from over the Tamar would put the cream on first and then jam. Why I will never know as the jam would slip off the cream on a hot day but lets get you the audience to decide on this one.
So….
Ok, let’s get this blog a bit interactive with a bit of audience participation!
Whether you live in the county as several of my followers do, holiday down there or like myself are Cornish and live outside of the county – this post is for you! Do you have a fond memory of Cornwall, from your childhood or maybe more recently? It could be something life changing or something silly but when you think of it makes you feel great and gets the Kernow blood pumping though your veins.
So, please send them in, with a photo if you like and I will post them on My Saffron Bun. If you wish to remain anonymous that’s fine, just let me know.
Please send your fond memories to mysaffronbun@gmail.com
Go on – you know you want to! Thanks 🙂 Here’s my effort…
Who said men can't multi task?
This is a photo of Becky and I on a bicycle made for two (mainly pedaled by one!) on the Camel Trail, Padstow. We always go from Wadebridge to Padstow and hire bikes from Bridge Bike Hire who are good chaps and always supply decent bikes, well ones that will get you to Padstow and back. The scenery is stunning all the way and its an easy 7 miles each way although it doesn’t feel that far, well maybe on the way back!
When we get to Padstow its got to be Rick Steins Fish and Chips for lunch, eat in or on the quay. If it’s a nice day I’d do the quay option, you will be served quicker and the views are better!
Have a great weekend, whatever you get up to?
Turning Leaf Ring
Riptide Studs
Turning Leaf Earrings
Riptide Bracelet
Turning Leaf Bangle
Double Drops Pendant
” I take all my photos on the beach which is just at the end of the lane where I live and couldn’t wish for a better photography studio”. All images © Marsha Drew
If you are visiting Rock, Polzeath and the North Cornwall coast then you must pop into The Winter Gallery at Polzeath to see Marsha’s work and other Cornish artists work.
A quick review of the The Fisherman’s Apprentice
Marine biologist Monty Halls is down in Cadgwith working in one of the toughest professions in the country , fishing. With fish stocks depleting and various quotas put on the fishermen, fishing is a dying trade and is getting harder and harder to make a living. With fishing being taken over by the big trawlers and their nets trawling the sea beds the fishermen of Cadgwith are still fishing in the traditional way with small boats using lines, small nets and pots to catch their wares. Monty is being taught by local fisherman Nigel Legge a seasoned Cornish fisherman who has fished from Cadgwith all his life. Monty has been lent Nigel’s boat Razorbill and is left to go to sea with his pots to catch crab and lobsters. On his 3rd day in Cadgwith and on his first trip Monty caught just 5kg of crabs, whilst on a good day a fisherman could catch 500kg. Monty’s 4th day in the fishing cove and the weather is too bad to go out so he catches up with Tonks one of the local fishermen working in his workshop. The fishermen may find themselves shorebound for up to four months a year due to bad weather, however that’s the way it is which they accept and gives the fish stock time to breed.
The following day Monty brings in 16kg of crab, just enough to be sold to the fish trader who collects their catches. With a smile on his face Monty has to prepare for a day out with Tonks on a larger boat to do some larger scale fishing. Half a tonne of crab from hundreds of pots and a hard day at sea the crew return. Monty decides it’s not for him and he would rather try and catch the more lucrative lobster further inshore, so he head out in Razoebill to sets his pots and leaves them for a day or two. Next day, with little rest Monty’s out with another local chap Danny; out with the big boys catching real fish, the Monkfish. After a few hours and I can only empathise with Monty, he is spewing up over board and useless to the skipper. With a boat getting filled up with top quality ‘Monk’ Danny would not turning back. Monty’s day got worse when he became unconscious and started choking on his sick, we’ve all been there! 😮 Five and a half hours later and with a green crew man the boat returns. Monty, delighted to be back on dry land and ready to get out on his little boat the next day to check his lobster pots. With a good catch under his belt he at last feels like a proper fisherman having made a decent wage from the sale of his lobster.
Another great programme of lovely Cadgwith showing the difficult lives of the Cornish fisherman. With another 4 episodes on Wednesdays 8pm make sure you don’t miss out on this eye opening series.
Missed it? Catch it here on BBC iPlayer
And the big question is where is Rueben?
Following on from the St Piran’s day celebrations I thought it would be an appropriate post to show some images that I took of the closure of South Crofty mine back in 1998. I was at college and had got myself a NUJ (National Union of Journalists) press pass for a few years which was a fabulous thing and got me into some situations that the man on the street would struggle to get into – sometimes maybe for the best! A quick flash of the pass at the gates of South Crofty and with a large black camera sporting the letters N I K O N and I was in! With a lot of press in the area I was being pushed from side to side by the big boys of Fleet Street. But with some Cornish determination I got a few pictures that day that I was pleased with. Here are a few work prints I have found in my boxes. All shot on Kodak’s lovely Tri -X film!
A proud Cornishman supporting the miners on the last day of the mine being open
The derelict looking landscape surrounding South Crofty in 1998
The tag board showing the few miners underground on the last shift
Local well wishers whom have sent letters and donations to support the miners, even one from over the Tamar!
Two of the last miners to come out of the mine from their final shift
Thankfully South Crofty has reopened and the future is looking bright, well not underground – that’s pretty dark still but the future of South Crofty is bright and its providing jobs for locals again!
…..and finally the PRESS pass
should have gone to SpecSavers! ( I think I did!)
My Saffron Bun 