After moving ‘up country’ I eventually met my now fiancée in a picture framers, near Marlborough Wiltshire. She was working there as a picture framer believe it or not and I as a photographer walked through the door one day and several months later we became an item. Becky would have a Cornish holiday most years with her family and would generally stay near Mevagissey, Gorran Haven or Portmellon having a traditional seaside holiday. They would come down and eat FISH, ‘cos they couldn’t get it up there so fresh they tell me. There I am having my saffron bun stolen from the fishmongers every week as a child and poor Becky is having to have fish fingers for supper. Well that’s a bit of an exaggeration and I know my future in-laws fed Becky much better than that but when you live near the coast you do not know how lucky you are with all the wonderful fresh fish available daily.
Well, I digress, Mevagissey, Gorran Haven and places like that were like going abroad for me, you had to cross the river Fal! My parents would take me out every Sunday afternoon with my favourite tape playing in the car, generally Paul Simon or Peter Gabriel with me singing inappropriately incorrect (and rude) lyrics before my mum telling me ‘I don’t think you mean to be singing that my love’. Anyhow, my point is we would rarely go across to St Mawes, Portscatho, Mevagissey and the Roseland Peninsula as you had to catch the King Harry Ferry or drive all the way around the Fal via Truro which made it a long drive. We would often go either to the North Coast or West towards Penzance.
So when Becky and I got together I had the joy of having a holiday in Portmellon with her family and it was…well like being on holiday for me! We now try to get to Cornwall a few times a year and will now generally stay with my folks near Falmouth and we always have a lovely time.
So, last year it was about time I got around to popping the question to Becky. Due to work we had to travel to Cornwall separately with me travelling a few days before. So, eventually (10 minutes before Becky’s train arrived at Truro station) I plucked up the courage to call Becky’s Dad to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Without any trepidation he said ‘of course!’. Phew!
Becky arrived at the station and off we went to Falmouth, me with a little twinkle in my eye. Some days later after not getting around to popping the question we headed off toward
s the Lizard on a Cornish Lads whistle-stop tour of the Lizard Peninsula with a packed lunch including homemade fresh crab sandwiches. So eventually after visiting various villages and coves that morning we got to Cadgwith Cove for lunch. Out came the crisps and the sandwiches, Beckys busy chatting away, my heart is racing but it was now or err… now. Will you marry me i whispered in her ear? Her eyes welled up, ‘whats you answer’ I asked? ‘Yes’ Becky replied.
I had a good appetite since getting that one off my chest and Becky couldn’t eat a thing, so after finding a telephone box as there is no signal down in them parts of Cornwall Becky relayed the news to her delighted Mum and of course Dad already knew! Shortly after that our whistle-stop tour returned to Falmouth to tell my parents the good news.
And those crab sandwiches were delicious…. happy days!
Cadgwith and us after the crab sandwich!
My Saffron Bun 