Out and about again.

Anne got very excited this last week as Mayday approached. Mayday in Padstow is a truly wonderful day with the very old and famous pagan fertility celebration- 'Obby Oss.



The night of April 30th sees the town transformed - the maypole is put up in the centre of the square and decorated with sycamore branches, bluebells, cowslips and brightly coloured ribbons and flags of all colours festoon the streets. Doorways are decorated with huge sycamore branches Just before midnight the local people seem to appear from nowhere to gather outside the Golden Lion pub. This is the stable of Padstow red 'oss, the oldest and original 'oss. A special song is sung as midnight rings out, welcoming the start of summer.








Celebrations start very early the next morning with the appearence of the childrens' 'oss. Mayday is so special to the people of Padstow and all the family are involved. Tiny babies and teenagers alike are dressed in white with ribbon sashes of either red or blue depending of which 'oss they follow - family tradition dictates this. The procession winds it way around the tiny streets of the town and then to the maypole, accompanied by numerous accordian players and drummers playing the traditional maysong.




The origin of the Padstow ’Obby ’Oss lies in the mists of antiquity. It is probably one of the oldest survivals in the country, if not in Europe. There is reason to believe that the ancient British people had a settlement near the harbour mouth at Padstow and that the ’Obby ’Oss is a link with them and their times - four thousand years ago.
This Custom will never be allowed to die out in Padstow.






Hats. drums and accordians are all beautifully decorated with spring flowers.









There are two main parties, Old Oss and Blue Ribbon, with more than one junior Oss. During the day accordians and drums accompany the respective parties around the Town. After the Oss's are stabled until the following year, the musicians and dancers attend some of the inns, finalising the day at midnight around the Maypole.






This is the red or old 'oss.



Each 'oss has a 'teaser' who dances a special dance in front of it - the dance is taught to the children in school and both men and women take the part of 'teaser.' It is said that if a young lady gets caught under the skirt of the 'oss she will be pregnant within the year!

Everyone is involved!

This is the blue 'oss - unlike the red 'oss he has a beard.

The music and dancing is quite hypnotic and rings out in your head for hours afterwards.

Just one of the many tiny streets and the pub called the 'London Inn'- this is very much a locals pub and opens at 7am on 'Obby 'oss day! By mid-afternoon it's packed with singers and musicians and the cornish national anthem 'Trelawny' rings out.


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After a busy Mayday I was ready for a nice quiet day on Saturday but Anne was up out of bed early, dressed and ready for the off again. I got up to see dreaded OS map out on the table- my worst nightmare!

Just a short walk along the river and through the woods to see the spring flowers was how it was sold to me. We set off on the short journey towards Lanhydrock, about 15 minutes drive from home. The cornish hedges are full of flowers at the moment and even I have to say - very pretty.

As we parked the car at Respryn bridge I checked my watch and said that 20 minutes was the limit on the walk. Anne just smiled, I knew I was on a loser again.

The bridge dates back to the 1300's but has been added to several times. It played an important part in the civil war because it lies between two major estates, lanhydrock and Boconnoc. One of them parliamentarian and the other royalist. King Charlesrode over the bridge in 1644.

We walked along the river Fowey and I found a good spot for a bit of fishing!

Norman the Gnome or is it the ugly troll from under the bridge!



The woods are just carpeted with bluebells everywhere you look.

This is wild garlic and the smell is wonderful.

After a good 45 minute walk we returned to the car- great I thought, back in time for the Spurs game, but no, Anne had other ideas. we were just dropping off her jacket in the car. ' Let's just have a stroll up the Lanhydrock driveway, I haven't been up this way before.'

Well the drive must be getting on for a mile in length - do we really need to walk all the way up? ....yep it was obvious we did!

Just checking the map.

As we reached the top of the driveway the imposing Lanhydrock House stood before us.



Ok. can we go now we've seen it?

Just one photo .... then can we go?

We ended up spending a couple of hours wandering aroung the gardens which were stunning I have to say.

Where did you say the bar is? WHAT.... no bar!!

Nice cup of tea and a scone - with clotted cream instead!

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This is Charlestown, one of our favourite spots and only about 4 miles from home.

The tall ships are often at anchor in the harbour and sometimes offer trips out for a few days at a time allowing you to experience life aboard a tallship, travelling under sail. It is quite spectcular if you manage to see them returning to harbour in full sail.

The harbour village of Charlestown was a Georgian 'new town', a port development planned by local landowner Charles Rashleigh (after whom it was named) and built between 1790 and 1810 for the export of copper and china clay.
Throughout the nineteenth century the little dock was packed with ships and the harbourside sheds and warehouses thronged with complementary businesses: boatbuilding, ropemaking, brickworks, lime burning, net houses, bark houses and pilchard curing.

Charlestown is often used in film sets.